Generales

By Giovani Marulanda Atehortúa, Journalist at UdeA Communications Office 

The life-saving drug Leukopop 2T brings new hope to leukemia patients who have not responded to chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or other treatments. Beyond its recent patent approval by the SIC for UdeA researchers, this breakthrough paves the way for advanced therapeutic options for leukemia and other forms of cancer. 

Scientists from UdeA’s Neurosciences Group of Antioquia (GNA) have achieved a new milestone with their latest invention: “Anticancer Pharmaceutical Composition Comprising D-α-Tocopherol Succinate Polyethylene Glycol (TPGS) and N, N, N’, N’-Tetrakis (2-Pyridylmethyl) ethylenediamine (Tpen),” which recently received a patent. 

“This drug offers a solution for patients with no other therapeutic options,” said Carlos Alberto Vélez Pardo, scientist, teacher, and researcher at GNA, a group within the School of Medicine. The Leukopop 2T patent, a crucial milestone for UdeA, paves the way for developing, producing, and commercializing an injectable treatment for leukemia patients. 

Vélez Pardo highlighted this innovation and explained that the patent granted by the Superintendence of Industry and Commerce through Resolution 7911 on February 25, 2025, gives researchers the right to apply their discovery and turn it into a practical solution. 

The research began with a key discovery: a compound that targeted and destroyed only cancer cells in leukemia patients. Later, researchers identified a second compound with the same effect. By combining both, researchers developed a patented formula that now stands as a new hope for leukemia patients. 

Leukopop 2T provides a life-saving option for patients who have not responded to chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or other treatments. The next phase focuses on manufacturing the compound, explained Marlene Jiménez del Río, researcher and GNA member. “Once production meets quality standards, we will move on to an observational study, selecting around five patients who have shown resistance to conventional therapies,” she added. 

Secured in partnership with the Alfonso Moreno Jaramillo Foundation and backed by UdeA’s Innovation Division, the patent grants UdeA exclusive rights to develop and commercialize the invention while preventing others from manufacturing, selling, or using it without the university’s authorization. 

Although initially designed for leukemia, this drug and its patent “could also be effective against other types of cancer, as cancer cells share similar characteristics,” explained Miguel Ángel Mendívil Pérez, researcher and professor at the UdeA School of Nursing. “This patent is important not just because it represents a potential leukemia treatment but because it opens the door to a broader cancer therapy, given the similarities among cancer cells,” he added.