Unicamp, through its Innovation Agency Inova Unicamp, was ranked first for the second consecutive time in the regional stage (Southeast region) and in the "Granted Patent or Patent Application" category of the Fortec Innovation Award, organized by the National Forum of Innovation and Technology Transfer Managers (Fortec). In 2026, the award recognized the set of patents for the OncoTherad nanoimmunotherapy, a Brazilian technology, with 100% ownership by a public university.
OncoTherad is a treatment for bladder cancer, the seventh most common type of cancer among Brazilian men, according to the Ministry of Health's classification. The technology was developed at the Institute of Biology (IB) of the University. The therapy is used in patients who have the disease in a non-muscle-invasive stage and who do not respond to the most common alternative – which uses Bacillus Calmette-Guérin, popularly known as BCG.
In the patented immunotherapy, a nanostructure acts as a vehicle capable of transporting into the body a compound that blocks the enzyme responsible for hindering the recognition of the tumor by the body's natural defenses. At the same time, the technology plays a dual role: it awakens and stimulates the immune system, expanding its ability to identify and attack diseased cells, which strengthens the body's response in fighting cancer.
The technology now boasts a robust portfolio of intellectual property, with one patent granted in Brazil, four in the United States, and two in Europe, in addition to being a registered trademark of Unicamp. Nanoimmunotherapy is the result of years of translational research led by Professor Wagner José Fávaro, from the IB (Institute of Biosciences), and researcher João Carlos Alonso, also from the same Institute. The clinical phase of the study involves collaboration with partner hospitals, municipalities, and institutes, including the Municipal Hospital of Paulínia, the São Vicente de Paulo Hospital in Jundiaí, the cities of Pedreira and Leme, and the ISA Institute.
The recognition through this award is also related to Inova Unicamp's role in intellectual property management. The Agency has monitored the development of technology from the protection of research results to the construction of institutional instruments that support market access. One of these instruments was the restructuring of a policy that now allows Unicamp faculty members to act as non-managing partners in companies. spin-offs Academics are working to accelerate the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of patents such as those for medicines, which have a long development process.
“Inova Unicamp’s role has been paramount throughout OncoTherad’s trajectory, from protecting patents in Brazil and abroad to building institutional instruments, such as the policy of faculty equity participation in spin-offs, which are fundamental for transforming translational research into technology with a real impact on patients’ lives,” says Iara Regina da Silva Ferreira, business and innovation coordinator at Inova Unicamp, the area responsible for intellectual property protection and technology transfer at Unicamp.
According to Ferreira, winning the Fortec Southeast Award reflects the "maturation of Unicamp's innovation cycle, which integrates cutting-edge scientific research, strategic protection of intellectual property, and instruments to promote entrepreneurship through companies." spin-offs"The case also highlights the role of the University's Technological Innovation Center (NIT), carried out by Inova Unicamp, in transferring technologies with high potential for impact on society until their national and international recognition and their absorption by the market."
About Inova Unicamp
The Innovation Agency of the State University of Campinas (Inova Unicamp) is the Technological Innovation Center (NIT) of Unicamp and serves all campuses. Inova Unicamp was created in 2003, a year before Law No. 10.973/2004 (Innovation Law) — later updated by the Legal Framework (Law No. 13.243/2016) — mandated the creation of NITs (mandatory structures in Brazilian public Scientific and Technological Institutions - ICTs).
Article originally published on the Inova Unicamp website.
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