Akston Biosciences wins Innovation Award at Animal Health Summit

Akston Biosciences Corp, a Massachusetts-based startup focused on developing long-acting protein therapeutics for pets, has received the Innovation Award at the the 2023 Animal Health Summit hosted by KC Animal Health Corridor at the Midland Theatre in Kansas City, Missouri. This is the highest distinction a company can achieve at the event.¹

Kimberly Young, president of the Kansas City Animal Health Corridor (left), and Todd Zion, PhD, president and CEO of Akston Biosciences (right) after Akston Biosciences received the Innovation Award during the 2023 Animal Health Summit. (Photo courtesy of Akston Biosciences)

During the Emerging Companies part of the summit which consisted of a “Shark Tank-style” presentation, Akston Biosciences was among 13 animal health startups to describe their visions for shaping the future of animal health. The audience included investors, potential partners, and a group of judges who evaluated the pitches to then decide on Akston Biosciences as the winner.

According to Akston Biosciences CEO Todd Zion, PhD, current insulin products available on the market for dogs and cats must be given twice daily, which has resulted in 20% of diabetic pets euthanized within a year of diagnosis.¹ However, with Akston Biosciences’ proprietary monoclonal antibody production platform, it is developing a long-acting insulin drugs for canines and felines that would enable once-a-week injections. Zion expressed, in the release, “We believe once-a-week insulin is going to get us to much better outcomes and save a lot of pets’ lives."

In a respective company release,² announcing Akston Biosciences is focusing on protein therapeutics for companion animals, Zion said, “As with human health 20 years ago, protein therapeutics are now poised to revolutionize companion Animal Health. Our goal is to be a major player in this revolution, through focused efforts that leverage our ability to develop products from concept through commercial manufacturing.”

The company has invested in its own manufacturing facility and will leverage technology to find cost-effective, efficient methods to address various animal health needs.

References

1. Akston Biosciences takes home Innovation Award at Animal Health Summit in KC. News release. Akston Biosciences. August 29, 2023. Accessed August 30, 2023.
2. Akston Biosciences to focus on strong animal health pipeline. News release. Akston Biosciences. August 17, 2023. Accessed August 30, 2023. https://www.akstonbio.com/akston-biosciences-to-focus-on-strong-animal-health-pipeline