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13 October 2025

New therapeutic alternative against multidrug-resistant bacteria patented

New therapeutic alternative against multidrug-resistant bacteria patented

An innovative technology developed at the University of Aveiro (UA) that enables the sustainable purification of alternative biopharmaceuticals, specifically immunoglobulin Y (IgY) antibodies that can be used to combat multidrug-resistant bacteria, has been granted a patent in the United States. The invention allows for a biopharmaceutical purity level close to 100% at a low cost.

The technology, whose patent had already been granted in Portugal and is still under review in Europe, was developed as part of two projects funded by the European Research Council (ERC)—IgYPurTech and PureIgY—led by researcher Mara Freire. The team also includes researchers João Coutinho and Sandra Bernardo, from CICECO-Institute of Materials of Aveiro and the UA's Department of Chemistry, and is licensed to the RYAPURTECH spin-off.

With the patent now granted in the US, the next steps include completing in vivo efficacy trials of the developed therapeutic formulation, as well as obtaining the funding and regulatory authorizations still required for future use of IgY formulations in humans.

Currently, the technology is being explored by RYAPURTECH, a spin-off from the University of Aveiro, in the development of an alternative therapeutic formulation to combat multidrug-resistant bacteria. The company is currently working on leveraging and applying the knowledge generated, having recently been awarded the WomenTech EU 2024 Award from the European Innovation Council (EIC).

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