Catharina never planned to lead a pharma company, but curiosity and determination had other plans. At HAMLET Pharma, she’s turning research into real treatments for cancer and infectious diseases. In this interview, she shares her journey, the challenges she’s faced, and the passion that keeps her going.
When did you first decide to become a Professor, and what inspired you?
I did not decide to become a Professor. I studied medicine and was always interested in research, so I did a PhD in parallel with my Medical Degree. My scientific career just took off with some groundbreaking findings and high-profile publications.
This garnered a lot of international attention for me and the Universities in Sweden, where we have worked. My Professorship and Department Chair position at 39 was just the result of this work.
How did you go from studying medicine to starting and leading your own company?
My research group was very active and well-funded but there are limits to what you can do with grant money and drug development is not funded by those sources. Our research identified mechanisms of disease in infection and cancer and molecules that can be used to stop disease. The companies were founded to pursue drug development and make our new findings available as new drugs to help patients.
What made you want to start HAMLET Pharma while continuing your academic work?
This is a deliberate strategy – we have built a bridge to combine academic competence and technology with drug development. It has proven very efficient, as decisions are made based on facts and experience.
We have completed Phase II trials in both cancer and infection, at low cost and with excellent clinical investigators. This was made possible by our extensive experience of academic clinical studies and the advanced technology that we have in place.
How did the idea for HAMLET come to you, and what excites you most about it?
HAMLET was a serendipitous discovery! The tumoricidal properties of HAMLET were discovered by chance during a study investigating the antimicrobial activity of human milk on bacterial adherence. Luck and a prepared mind maybe. Tumoricidal means acting to kill or destroy tumour cancer cells.
Can you explain how HAMLET works against cancer in simple words?
HAMLET recognises cancer cells and instructs them to die. This happens through effects on many parts of the cancer cells, which disappear. Healthy tissues are much less responsive and there have been no serious side effects in our human trials or in mice. We completed phase II trials in urinary bladder cancer with the University of Prague, which were published in major scientific journals and positively support the next steps in the right patient groups.
What was the biggest challenge you faced while developing this treatment, and how did you handle it?
I have heard that patience is a virtue, for me it is an acquired taste. Impatience and curiosity are important driving forces that make you more efficient but this can be challenging.
We have successfully followed all rules for drug development and understand their importance but wish that we could have reached patients even sooner. Treating people in a safe, less harmful and aggressive way than chemotherapy is important and with the positive trials we are moving forward with the next phase to try and bring this new treatment concept to market.!!!
How did it feel when the FDA gave positive feedback to move forward with further tests recently?
A sense of pride for my team and our advisors, everyone is working very hard to take this final step. We’ve been working towards this goal for many years and the feedback from the FDA is a true testament to the work and commitment of the team, and company. We’re excited about this next phase, bringing HAMLET Pharma one step closer to treating patients in need of new therapies.
How do you manage your time between research and running a company?
Seamlessly. Science needs creative time and brings a sense of excitement about the unexpected. The company brings the financial infrastructure needed to take the science to the clinic and the market. Our overarching vision is to increase the quality of life for people in need of new therapies, and the science guarantees the quality of the product and the process.
Who has inspired you the most in your career, and why?
I’m often inspired by many individuals with the courage to share their creativity and financiers with the generosity to support new ideas. There are many who have been bold and brave with ideas and creativity as well as political integrity.
Mentoring young scientists is important to you. What is the key advice you share with them?
The Montessori model is important for young scientists, both for how they learn about the world of science and drug development, and for them to find their own strengths that they can apply to the most exciting questions and make them their own.
Looking back, which moment in your career makes you feel the proudest?
I’ve been fortunate with the trajectory of my career and the number of discoveries made along the way. This was never a deliberate career, so it’s difficult to choose one moment, but I’m thankful for the work we do and hope we can reduce the damaging effects of common diseases such as cancer and infections. That would bring us tremendous pride.
How do you keep your team motivated and creative at HAMLET Pharma?
We solve problems together, talk about scientific ideas and clinical development, and share high and low points. We are like a very international family, so community is important to grow and learn. We also try to make time to celebrate successes with a good party.
Outside of work, what hobbies or activities help you relax or stay inspired?
In my personal time, which is often limited, I look for art all over the world. It can be old masters or the latest, contemporary works and talent. I admire international journalists and reporters for their courage and am a big fan of The Financial Times – Weekend Magazine, to keep up with the worlds of art and fashion.
What has this journey taught you about believing in your ideas and never giving up?
The question puts words into my mouth. Who knows if you prevail because of who you are, how you adapt or both. Probably the latter.
What is your dream for HAMLET Pharma and the future of cancer treatment?
We have been successful both in the area of cancer and infection therapy.
Cancer therapy is focused on bladder cancer right now, but our drugs are active against many different cancers and can be developed for much broader use.
Our infection treatments target the disease caused by infection without the use of antibiotics, and work against infections caused by antibiotic-sensitive and resistant strains. We recently had a clinical breakthrough, confirming this concept in the clinic.
Contributing to these huge therapeutic areas, HAMLET BioPharma and the efforts of the scientists have the potential to grow in importance and influence the way these diseases are treated.
