Polylaminin is a synthetic biological substance developed in the laboratory from a protein naturally produced by the body called laminin, with promising potential for the treatment of acute spinal cord injuries that cause paralysis. Behind this innovation is researcher Tatiana Sampaio, a Brazilian scientist whose research gained significant recognition and who sought national and international protection through the patent system.
In interviews, the researcher revealed that, due to federal funding cuts at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), she ended up paying the Brazilian Patent and Trademark Office (INPI) fees out of her own pocket to maintain the patent in Brazil.
Abroad, Tatiana reported that she also received no institutional support and, therefore, was unable to obtain international protection in the claimed territories: the United States and Europe.
However, the problems appear not to have been solely financial. In addition to administrative abandonment for failure to pay annuities in Europe (EP2326667A1), there was a dismissal for failure to submit required documents in a Brazilian application (PI 0704128-4) and abandonment for failure to comply with an office action in the United States (US2011172159A1). As a result, of the four patent applications filed in Brazil and abroad, only one in which the intrepid researcher is listed as inventor remains in force until 2028 (PI 0805852-0) in Brazil.
On the same subject, the Brazilian laboratory Cristália filed two patent applications in Brazil relating to the process of extraction, purification, and polymerization of laminin, which are still pending examination before the INPI (BR11 2025 012354-8 and BR 10 2022 026276-4).
The polylaminin case highlights a structural and very common problem within the Brazilian public system. Without centralized management and experience in IP assets, there is no predictability regarding costs, deadlines, or the duration of protection, whether national or international. As a result, rights are lost and strategic innovations fail to generate economic returns for the public entities that created them, ultimately harming future investment in innovation.
For these reasons, and in order to ensure effective protection of the asset, it is essential to rely on specialized legal counsel with specific experience in patent protection in Brazil and abroad, ensuring an appropriate strategy aligned with the holder’s objectives. Araripe Advogados has been active for over 40 years in the protection of intellectual assets, including patents, combining technical expertise and strategic vision in the management of national and international projects.