From summer job to groundbreaking research
During his studies, Kjell had the opportunity to both work summer jobs and complete his thesis at Astra. One thing led to another, and he was soon offered a temporary position in preclinical pharmacology. There, he found himself in the middle of a project involving a new compound that would later revolutionize healthcare: omeprazole.
“From the very beginning, my work focused on developing new drugs for reflux disease, which went on to become enormous commercial successes,” Kjell explains.
The work on omeprazole laid the foundation for two drugs that would transform the treatment of reflux disease globally: Losec and Nexium. Both became medical breakthroughs and, for a long time, the world’s best-selling drugs in their categories. These successes put both AstraZeneca and Swedish pharmaceutical research on the global map.
The seed of Cinclus Pharma
During his years at AstraZeneca, Kjell also led the preclinical part of the project developing linaprazan – a molecule of the PCAB type (Potassium-Competitive Acid Blocker). This work later became the foundation for Cinclus Pharma’s drug candidate, linaprazan glurate.
In 2014, he took the next step and co-founded Cinclus Pharma. Ten years later, the company was listed on the stock exchange, and in 2025 the Phase III study of linaprazan glurate was initiated. In January 2026, Kjell was elected to the board of Cinclus Pharma.
Phase III initiated in autumn 2025
In autumn 2025, Cinclus Pharma entered the late clinical phase with the start of its Phase III study.
“In our previous studies, linaprazan glurate has demonstrated the ability to achieve close to 24-hour acid control with pH above 4. This represents an improved effect in helping patients suffering from more severe forms of reflux disease compared to currently available treatments. Our goal in the Phase III study is to demonstrate this superior healing effect compared to the current standard of care in a larger patient population”, says Kjell.
“We have reached an important milestone, but several years of work still lie ahead. At the same time, it is fantastic to see how the company has grown from two people into a strong organization that has advanced the development of linaprazan glurate into late-stage clinical development.”
The vision: an approved and globally available drug
Looking five years ahead, Kjell’s goal is clear.
“We aim to have a registered drug with global rights and to launch it in multiple markets around the world. I have devoted my entire professional life to acid secretion inhibitors, and it would be fantastic to bring linaprazan glurate to market and thereby improve the lives of patients suffering from acid-related disorders. Being able to contribute to that—that’s what makes all the work worthwhile.”