Imagine a protective shield for the body that works like a high-tech version of natural mucus. It uses special proteins found in people who naturally resist HIV to block viruses from entering cells. This creates a lubricant that doesn't just reduce friction, but actively stops infections from taking hold.
Current HIV/HSV prophylaxis relies on condoms or expensive drugs (28,000 EURO/year), which suffer from inconsistent use, gender imbalances in control, and antimicrobial resistance.
A synthetic mucus-like gel that mimics natural protective coatings and incorporates anti-HIV-1 dipeptides to block viral replication.
If you are a manufacturer dealing with the lack of clinically validated prophylactic lubricants — this project developed a synthetic mucus-like gel that blocks HIV-1 and HSV-2. This allows for a product that addresses the gender imbalance in sexual health and avoids antimicrobial resistance.
If you are a biotech company dealing with the high cost of PrEP, which can reach 28,000 EURO per year — this project developed a nature-inspired gel alternative. This provides a more accessible, low-cost prophylactic option for high-risk groups in low-income countries.
If you are a producer dealing with the 4-fold increased risk of HIV in HSV carriers — this project developed a dual-action lubricant. This creates a new market category for products that prevent both HIV and HSV simultaneously.
Based on available project data, the specific cost of the new lubricant is not provided, but it is positioned as an alternative to drug-based PrEP which can cost 28,000 EURO per year.
Based on available project data, the project is in the development phase of establishing protocols to extract mucins and create gels; industrial scaling details are not yet specified.
Based on available project data, the consortium includes members with experience in creating spin-off companies, suggesting a path toward commercial licensing, though specific patents are not listed.
The project aims to provide a clinically validated alternative to condoms and drug-based PrEP to address gaps in sexual health and antimicrobial resistance.
The project is scheduled to run from 2024-01-01 to 2027-12-31.
The consortium is well-balanced for a translation project, consisting of 8 partners across 6 countries. With a 25% industry ratio (2 SMEs), the project combines the deep academic research of 5 universities and 1 research institute with commercial agility, specifically targeting the gap between lab discovery and market-ready sexual health products.
Contact Uppsala Universitet regarding the NatProLub project
Contact us to explore licensing opportunities for nature-inspired prophylactic gels.
