Appili Therapeutics to Present Progress on Tularemia Biodefense Vaccine at NATO CBRN Conference

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, Sept. 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Appili Therapeutics Inc. (TSX: APLI; OTCPink: APLIF) (the “Company” or “Appili”), a biopharmaceutical company focused on drug development for infectious diseases and biodefense, today announced that Carl Gelhaus, Ph.D., Director of Non-Clinical Research, will participate in the NATO Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (“CBRN”) Conference, taking place September 8–10, 2025, in Switzerland.

Dr. Gelhaus will join NATO and allied representatives and present an update on Appili’s biodefense vaccine program, highlighting ATI-1701, the company’s potential first-in-class vaccine candidate designed to prevent infection by Francisella tularensis, the causative agent of tularemia. The presentation will offer an in-depth overview of the tularemia threat to military and civilian populations and underscore the potential of ATI-1701 to address this critical gap in biodefense preparedness.

“Tularemia remains a significant biological threat to NATO and allied forces, with adversarial militaries having access to specialized tularemia vaccines that NATO currently lacks. This strategic gap underscores an urgent need for enhanced protective measures and vaccine development within NATO operations,” said Appili’s Dr. Gelhaus. “We are encouraged by the strong support from the U.S. Air Force Academy (“USAFA”) for ATI-1701 and remain dedicated to advancing this critical vaccine candidate in collaboration with government agencies, with the goal of making ATI-1701 the first U.S. FDA-approved vaccine for the prevention of tularemia.”

The presentation will highlight preclinical data and ongoing development of ATI-1701, which has been supported in part by a cooperative agreement award from the USAFA.

Francisella tularensis is a highly infectious pathogen capable of causing severe illness and death and is designated a top-priority biothreat. Medical countermeasures against this agent remain a key biodefense priority for the United States and governments around the world.

Presentation details are as follows:

Title: ATI-1701, a Live Attenuated Tularemia Vaccine: Applications for the Warfighter

Date: September 9, 2025

Time: 5:35 PM Central European Summer Time

Dr. Gelhaus will also be conducting in-person meetings throughout the conference. To request a meeting, please contact the Company at .

About ATI-1701 

ATI-1701 is a novel, live-attenuated vaccine for F. tularensis, a Category A pathogen which causes tularemia. F. tularensis can be aerosolized and is over 1,000 times more infectious than anthrax. Since it is a highly infectious pathogen capable of causing severe illness, medical countermeasures for F. tularensis are a top biodefense priority for the United States and governments around the world. There is currently no approved vaccine for the prevention of tularemia in the United States or other major global markets.

About Appili Therapeutics 

Appili Therapeutics is a biopharmaceutical company that is purposefully built, portfolio-driven, and people-focused to fulfill its mission of solving life-threatening infections. By systematically identifying urgent infections with unmet needs, Appili’s goal is to strategically develop a pipeline of novel therapies to prevent deaths and improve lives. The Company is currently advancing a diverse range of anti-infectives, including an FDA-approved ready-made suspension of metronidazole for the treatment of antimicrobial resistant infections, a vaccine candidate to prevent tularemia, a serious biological weapon threat, and a topical antiparasitic for the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis, a disfiguring disease. Led by a proven management team, Appili is at the center of the global fight against infection. For more information, visit  

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