Company patents

UNIVERSITÄT HEIDELBERG

UNIVERSITÄT HEIDELBERG's patent strategy shows a strong, albeit fluctuating, focus on Pharmaceutical Preparations (51.0% of portfolio) and Peptides & Proteins (37.3%), with both categories experiencing significant year-over-year growth in 2025 (Pharmaceutical Preparations +66.7%, Peptides & Proteins +133.3%) before a sharp decline so far in 2026. Interestingly, while core pharma categories saw a dip in 2026, there's an emerging focus on Nanotechnology and Sterilization & Biocompatible Materials, both showing 2 patents so far in 2026 after no activity in prior years, indicating a potential diversification into materials science for medical applications.

Patent Trend by Technology Area

Yearly patent publications since 2023

Product themes

Product-level themes inferred from filings since 2023, with category chips showing where each theme appears. Select a theme to filter the patents below.

51 US filings (since 2023) · 12 categories · 20 themes

Advanced Biomarker Detection Assays

Methods and compositions for identifying, quantifying, or characterizing specific biological molecules (e.g., nucleic acids, proteins, metabolites, antibodies) or microbial species, often for diagnostic, prognostic, or quality control applications.

Material & Chemical Analysis
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16since 2023
+250.0%YoY
Advanced Cell & Gene Therapies

Development of therapeutic approaches involving the genetic modification of cells (e.g., T cells, stem cells, macrophages) or the use of viral/non-viral vectors to deliver genetic material for disease treatment.

Pharmaceutical PreparationsPeptides & Proteins
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10since 2023
-80.0%YoY
Targeted Protein Degradation

Development of small molecules, often bifunctional (e.g., PROTACs) or molecular glues, that induce the ubiquitin-proteasome system or autophagy to selectively degrade specific disease-causing proteins.

Heterocyclic Compounds (Pharma)
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7since 2023
+100.0%YoY
Recombinant Protein & Peptide Therapeutics

Development and application of therapeutic proteins or peptides produced through recombinant DNA technology, including fusion proteins and modified growth factors.

Therapeutic Activity (Pharma)
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7since 2023
+200.0%YoY
Clinical Diagnostics & Prognostics

Computational methods and systems for analyzing biological data (e.g., genomic, proteomic, clinical) to diagnose diseases, predict patient prognosis, assess treatment response, or stratify patients for therapy.

Bioinformatics
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7since 2023
+200.0%YoY
Nucleic Acid-Based Therapies

Therapeutic strategies employing nucleic acids (DNA, RNA, oligonucleotides) to modulate gene expression, deliver genetic material, or interfere with disease-causing pathways. Includes gene therapy using viral vectors.

Pharmaceutical PreparationsTherapeutic Activity (Pharma)
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7since 2023
-50.0%YoY
Molecular Biomarkers for Disease

Identification and measurement of specific nucleic acid sequences (DNA, RNA), their expression levels, or epigenetic modifications (e.g., methylation) as indicators for disease presence, progression, risk, or treatment response.

Genetic & Microbiological Assays
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6since 2023
0.0%YoY
Cellular Immunotherapy

Therapeutic approaches involving the use of living cells, often genetically modified or ex vivo activated, to treat diseases, particularly cancer, by modulating immune responses or replacing damaged cells.

Therapeutic Activity (Pharma)
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5since 2023
+100.0%YoY
Antibody Engineering & Therapeutics

Design and modification of antibodies or antibody-derived fragments for targeted therapeutic intervention, including bispecific formats, Fc region modifications, and activatable constructs.

Pharmaceutical PreparationsPeptides & ProteinsMaterial & Chemical AnalysisTherapeutic Activity (Pharma)
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4since 2023
new
Targeted Small Molecule Therapeutics

Design and synthesis of acyclic or carbocyclic organic compounds that selectively modulate specific biological targets or pathways for the treatment of diseases.

Pharmaceutical PreparationsHeterocyclic Compounds (Pharma)
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4since 2023
-50.0%YoY
Immunomodulatory Protein Design

Design and engineering of proteins or peptides to directly modulate immune responses, including enhancing antigen presentation, suppressing inflammation, or activating specific immune cell types.

Peptides & Proteins
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4since 2023
new
Vascular & Cardiac Implants

Implantable devices designed to repair, replace, or assist the function of blood vessels or heart structures, including stents, valves, and annuloplasty rings.

Implants & Prosthetics
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3since 2023
+300.0%YoY
Immune Checkpoint Modulation

Therapeutic interventions that target immune checkpoint pathways to either enhance or suppress immune responses, often used in cancer immunotherapy or autoimmune diseases.

Therapeutic Activity (Pharma)
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3since 2023
+100.0%YoY
Nucleic Acid Capture & Prep

Methods and reagents designed to improve the specificity, efficiency, or yield of nucleic acid capture, ligation, amplification, or library preparation steps, particularly for sequencing applications or quantitative analysis.

Genetic & Microbiological Assays
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3since 2023
new
CRISPR-based Nucleic Acid Detection

Assays leveraging CRISPR-Cas systems (e.g., Cas12, Cas13) for highly specific and sensitive detection of target nucleic acids, often involving collateral cleavage activity or reporter molecules.

Genetic & Microbiological Assays
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3since 2023
0.0%YoY
Targeted Drug Formulation Delivery

Delivery systems specifically engineered to administer advanced drug formulations (e.g., microparticles, biologics, extended-release systems) to achieve precise targeting, controlled release kinetics, or enhanced therapeutic efficacy within the body.

Pharmaceutical Preparations
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2since 2023
0.0%YoY
Interventional & Implantable Therapies

Design and application of devices that are inserted into the body or implanted to treat diseases, modulate physiological functions, or repair anatomical structures.

Medical Diagnostics & Surgery
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2since 2023
0.0%YoY
Advanced Genomic Sequence Analysis

Computational techniques and algorithms for processing, aligning, and interpreting raw biological sequence data (DNA, RNA, protein), including identifying genetic variations, classifying organisms, or predicting sequence attributes.

Bioinformatics
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1since 2023
new
Physiological Monitoring & Diagnostics

Systems and methods for non-invasive or minimally invasive collection and analysis of physiological data (e.g., blood pressure, electrolytes, genetic markers, B cell repertoire) to assess patient health status, screen for conditions, or aid in diagnosis.

Healthcare Informatics
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1since 2023
new
In Vitro Disease Modeling & Cell Engineering

Development and use of engineered biological systems, such as organ-on-a-chip devices, dynamic hydrogels, or genetically modified cells, to mimic physiological conditions, study disease mechanisms, screen compounds, or develop cell-based therapies.

Material & Chemical Analysis
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1since 2023
n/a

Patents

Showing 1-10 of 83

Page 1 of 9
US 20260055441 A1APPLICATION
C12Q1/6825

A PCR-ELISA ANALOGOUS ANTIBODY-FREE METHOD FOR DETECTING A TARGET NUCLEIC ACID IN A SAMPLE

Filed:2023-12-21Pub:2026-02-26
Applicant:UNIVERSITÄT HEIDELBERG

A method for detecting a target nucleic acid in a sample, the method comprising the following steps: (a) coupling of an amplification product of the target nucleic acid, wherein said amplification product is generated if said target nucleic acid is in the sample, comprising modified nucleotides having a first reactive moiety to a second reactive moiety that is linked to a cysteine protease activator molecule to produce amplification products of the target nucleic acid labelled with a cysteine protease activator molecule; (b) optionally immobilizing the labelled amplification products on a surface; (c) contacting the optionally immobilized, labelled amplification products with a reversibly inactivated cysteine protease, wherein the catalytic cysteine residue of the reversibly inactivated cysteine protease is blocked by a disulfide bond or a selenylsulfide bond, and reactivating the proteolytic activity of said cysteine protease by said cysteine protease activator molecule by disulfide bond or selenylsulfide bond reduction; (d) contacting the reactivated cysteine protease with a cysteine protease substrate, wherein said substrate provides a detectable signal when hydrolysed by said reactivated cysteine protease; and (e) monitoring said detectable signal, wherein the presence of the detectable signal is indicative of the presence of said target nucleotide sequence in said sample.

US 12497422 B2GRANTED
C07F15/06

Site-specific, kinetically inert conjugation of labels and/or carriers to target molecules such as His-tagged proteins via metal complex reagents

Filed:2020-06-18Pub:2025-12-16
Applicant:Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Wissenschaften e.V.

The present invention relates to means and methods for conjugating/attaching target molecules such as proteins to a label and/or carrier. Specifically, the present invention provides a complex comprising a metal cation coordinating (i) a metal cation ligand being a carbonate selected from CO 3 2− and HCO 3 — and (ii) a metal cation chelating domain comprising a chelating ligand and a label and/or carrier. This complex can be used for attaching a label and/or a carrier to a target molecule, preferably a protein. The attachment of the label or carrier via the complex of the invention involves the replacement of the metal cation ligand with a coordinating group of the target molecule so that a product complex with the target molecule as primary ligand in the coordination sphere of the metal cation is formed. Accordingly, the present invention also provides for uses and methods involving the attachment of a label and/or carrier to a target molecule. Also provided are the products obtained by the labeling and or carrier-attaching methods of the invention and uses thereof. The invention further relates to methods for producing the complex of the invention and kits comprising the components for producing the complex of the invention.