Vakona secures financing to advance groundbreaking Acne product

Umeå-based biotech company Vakona has raised new capital from a combination of existing shareholders and four new private investors. The funds will enable the company to complete the process development of its innovative active substance as it moves toward the clinical phase.

“We’re grateful for the continued trust from our existing owners and excited to welcome new investors,” says Gabriella Persson, CEO of Vakona. “This funding allows us to finalize the development of our active substance — ensuring it meets the necessary quality standards and is scalable as we prepare for clinical trials.”

Existing investors include Exceca Allocation, Partnerinvest Norr, Phase2Phase Biopharma, Stoaf III Scitech, and private investor Anders Bergkvist.

Persson continues: “We are now preparing for a larger financing round of SEK 12–15 million, which will support us through our first clinical trial.”

Based on Dr. Oleg Alexeyev’s research
Several factors contribute to acne, with an imbalance in the skin’s microbiome being a key issue. The overgrowth of Propionibacterium acnes and its ability to form biofilms, protective layers that shield the bacteria, are central to acne lesion formation and can often lead to treatment failures with antibiotics.

Vakona’s product is based on Dr. Oleg Alexeyev’s research and is designed as a topical product that features a naturally occurring bacterial enzyme that breaks down the protective biofilm created by P. acnes.

“By disrupting the biofilm rather than targeting the bacteria directly, we keep the skin microbiome intact, ” Dr. Alexeyev explains. “This novel approach introduces a new mechanism of action that could lead to faster, more effective results without the side effects commonly seen with traditional acne products.”

Academic partnership strengthens product development
Vakona has also benefited from a long-standing collaboration with Professor Magnus Wolf-Watz, a leading enzyme researcher at Umeå University. His team has played a key role in deepening the understanding of Vakona’s active substance.

In November 2024, Prof. Wolf-Watz and Dr. Alexeyev were awarded SEK 1.1 million from the Kempe Foundations to support a two-year postdoctoral fellowship focused entirely on the Vakona project.

“Our collaboration with Magnus and his group has been incredibly valuable,” says Persson. “Their enzyme expertise has strengthened our development and will continue to support us going forward.”

For more info, contact:
Gabriella Persson, CEO Vakona
gabriella.persson@vakona.se
+46-76 116 46 77
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