Approximately 90% of diseases are associated with an imbalance in the intestinal microbiota. In the twenty-first century, more people are eating processed foods and experiencing stress – factors that promote this imbalance. With this in mind, scientists at the Universidad de Concepción (UDEC) in Chile were determined to restore and maintain the health of the microbiota.
A team led by Apolinaria Garcia, PhD, from the Laboratorio de Patogenicidad Bacteriana at UDEC, isolated bacteria from the stomachs of gastric cancer patients. The team selected several strains with probiotic potential and then tested for the H. pylori, a bacterium that infects 50% of the population worldwide, with 15% of cases resulting in a peptic ulcer and 1% turning into gastric cancer – one of the deadliest forms of cancers. After rigorous scientific testing, one probiotic showed an efficacy rate of over 92% in preventing H. pylori infection. This then catalyzed the registration and patenting process.
The company Sacco Systems contacted UDEC in 2018, inquiring about the probiotic and its effects on humans, industrial scaling and safety aspects. To address these questions, the university continued licensing and scalability tests with the support of Hub APTA, a national broker partner of UDEC.
UDEC also began negotiating production capacity and exploring product formats. APTA partnered with Liva Company, which helped formulate the probiotic as an encapsulated food supplement, creating NUP! Pylorioff. In 2022, a commercial exploitation license for the patent was signed between UDEC and Liva Company, with the national market exclusivity shared between Sacco and Liva.
NUP! Pylorioff continues to expand its probiotic nutrition products. The probiotic food supplements are available for adults, children and pets, improving the microbiota and, therefore, the quality of life of people and animals.
This story was originally published in 2024.
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