University of San Agustin in Iloilo earns patent for kadios antibiotic
By Tara Yap
ILOILO CITY — The University of San Agustin (USA) has earned a patent for creating an antibiotic from the seeds of kadios, an ingredient of a beloved Ilonggo dish known as "KBL."
The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) recently granted a patent to the university’s Biology and Biotechnology and Center for Natural Drug Discovery and Development (C2B2 & CND3) for methods for purifying antibiotic compounds from Cajanus Cajan.
The university’s Philippine second patent is a method of purifying antibiotic metabolites from kadios seeds that reveals the seeds “potential as natural agents against multi-drug resistant Staphylococcus aureus and other skin pathogens.”
It was funded by the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (DOST-PCHRD).
It was invented by a team led by DOST Balik (Returning) Scientists Doralyn S. Dalisay and Jonel P. Saludes as well as Jan Vincent N. Sollesta, Zenith M. Villorente, Lex Aliko P. Balida, Julia Theresa A. Regalado, Jade Joshua R. Teodosio, Kathryn Ann H. Dizon, and Anna Claudia J. Arenas.
The technology serves as the scientific foundation of Skivios, a locally developed skin formulation that is now commercially available.
The patent valid until August 2042 will aid in protecting the method’s commercial viability and support future product development.
The latest development is seen as a symbol of the strong academe-industry partnership of USA’s C2B2 & CND with regional pharmaceutical company Maridan Industries Inc. and its sister company Pharma GalenX.
The Augustinian led research and development is the latest initiative that supports the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations.