Membrane-safe mitochondrial uncoupler for metabolic disease
This patent covers a new family of small-molecule drug compounds designed to gently 'uncouple' the energy-producing machinery inside cells — the mitochondria — causing them to burn calories as heat rather than storing energy. Unlike older uncoupling agents that were dangerously toxic because they disrupted cell membranes indiscriminately, these compounds are engineered to act selectively inside mitochondria without disturbing the outer cell membrane, making them far safer. The therapeutic targets are broad: obesity, type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease (NASH/NAFLD), cancer, Parkinson's disease, and even longevity, all of which are linked to mitochondrial energy metabolism and oxidative stress. The research covers dozens of specific chemical variants, giving the inventors substantial room to optimize for potency, selectivity, and safety across multiple disease applications.
What you could build
A prescription small-molecule drug — potentially a first-in-class oral therapy — for metabolic diseases such as NASH/NAFLD or obesity, targeting pharmaceutical companies and biotech firms building pipelines in metabolic or liver disease.
Who in Virginia should care
Biotech and pharmaceutical companies in the Virginia-Maryland-DC corridor, as well as NIH-adjacent drug development organizations, would be natural partners or licensees given the broad therapeutic scope and proximity to federal health research funding.
Readiness: Lab validated
Concept — described but not yet demonstrated. Lab validated — supported by experimental results in the patent. Prototype likely — the text describes a built, working embodiment.
Readiness is inferred from the patent text, not from a lab visit.
The record
- Inventors
- Webster L. SANTOS, Yumin DAI, Jose A. SANTIAGO-RIVERA, Jacob H. MURRAY
- Granted
- July 25, 2023
- Status
- Granted patent
- Patent number
- 11708376
Ready to talk?
Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties handles licensing for this technology.
Prosim summaries are generated from public patent text and are not legal advice.