The first ingestible capsule for eradicating Helicobacter pylori infection through photodynamic therapy

Project description

Stomach cancer meets its match in a photoactivated oral capsule

The discovery in 2005 that almost all cases of peptic ulcer disease were caused by a previously unknown bacterial species, Helicobacter pylori, garnered the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine the same year. We now know that this bacterium is also responsible for most gastric cancers, and it is very difficult to eliminate with antibiotics. The EU-funded Capsulight project is supporting the Italian SME PROBIOMEDICA in developing a pioneering patented therapy that relies on an oral capsule and its activation by light. Compared to antibiotics' 70 % efficacy, preliminary results suggest that it is almost 100 % effective at killing the bacteria; therefore, it could be the solution that will stop stomach cancer in its tracks.

Fields of science

• medical and health sciences › clinical medicine › gastroenterology
• natural sciences › biological sciences › microbiology › bacteriology
• medical and health sciences › basic medicine › pharmacology and pharmacy › drug resistance › antibiotic resistance
• medical and health sciences › basic medicine › pharmacology and pharmacy › pharmaceutical drug
• social sciences › economics and business › business and management › commerce

Programme(s)

• H2020-EU.3. - PRIORITY 'Societal challenges
• H2020-EU.2.3. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Innovation In SMEs
• H2020-EU.2.1. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies

Topic(s)

• EIC-SMEInst-2018-2020 - SME instrument

Call for proposal

H2020-SMEInst-2018-2020-1
See other projects for this call

Funding Scheme

SME-1 - SME instrument phase 1

Coordinator

PROBIOMEDICA SRL

Address

Via Di Bellosguardo 2 Rosso
50124 Firenze
Italy

Activity type

Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments)

EU contribution

€ 50 000