02/20/2026 | Marina Finelli | BP Money

https://bpmoney.com.br/brasil/polilaminina-cientista-da-ufrj-diz-que-corte-de-verbas-levou-a-perda-de-patente-internacional/ 

Scientist Tatiana Sampaio, from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), stated that the international patent for polylaminin was lost after funding cuts were interrupted.

According to her, the lack of resources prevented the payment of mandatory fees for maintaining the registration abroad.

According to the researcher, the national patent took 18 years to be granted, only being finalized in 2025. As the total validity period is 20 years, only two years of exclusivity in Brazil remain.

The international protection expired due to non-payment of fees, which were previously covered by the university.

In an interview with the TV 247 channel on YouTube, Tatiana stated that she even used her own resources to maintain the registration.

"We lost everything, we were left only with the national one because I paid out of my own pocket for 1 year," she declared.

The scientist also reported that she could not sustain the costs for longer, which resulted in the definitive loss of the international patent.

For her, the situation compromises the recognition of Brazilian science and the team involved in the development of the project over the years.

Understanding what polylaminin is
Polylaminin is an improved synthetic version of the laminin protein, extracted from human placentas.

Thus, the compound acts as a guide in cases of spinal cord injury, promoting the reconnection of severed nerve fibers. According to studies, regeneration occurs gradually over several months.

In the tests conducted, researchers considered the results significant. Among eight patients with complete spinal cord injury, a condition with only a 10% chance of improvement, six showed some level of movement after treatment, and one was able to walk again.

Currently, the substance does not yet have definitive registration, which has led patients to resort to the courts to participate as volunteers in clinical trials.

Finally, on January 5th, the Brazilian National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) authorized the start of phase 1 of the clinical study. This phase evaluates the safety of the compound through direct application to the injured area in five patients with recent spinal cord injuries.