University of Pittsburgh Announces 15 Patents Issued in November/December 2024

Pitt innovators were issued 15 U.S. patents in November/December 2024.

Featured patent: 12,144,836: Probiotics and Probiotic Compositions for Regulating Body Weight

Weight disorders place a significant burden on the healthcare system due to increased risk of diabetes, kidney failure, liver failure, cardiovascular disease, and more. A key issue in reducing weight gain in the population is that weight loss therapies are most often not covered by insurance. These expensive weight loss therapies aim to alter an individual’s metabolism, which is very difficult to accomplish and often yields significant side effects with long-term use.

Drawing inspiration from reports highlighting the flexible metabolism of bacteria, Pitt innovators are training bacteria to consume dietary fats resulting in a first-of-its-kind weight loss probiotic called “YouBiotics”. YouBiotics are well tolerated, inexpensive, and highly effective, rendering ~20% body weight change in comparison to untreated groups. YouBiotics act to scavenge dietary fats from the intestines before they can enter the blood stream. In this way, dietary calories from fat can be significantly reduced, facilitating reductions in fat mass and blood triglycerides with long-term use. Because YouBiotics is a probiotic, it can be marketed as a food supplement reducing carry-over costs and development time associated with FDA approval.

For more information on this technology, including licensing, contact us at partner@pitt.edu.

Below is a listing of all patents issued to Pitt innovators in November and December 2024. You can also search all Pitt technologies available for licensing.