ezCOL

A cholesterol-lowering bacterium, found by accident

While testing bacteria as a candidate food source for astronauts, MELiSSA researchers at the Dutch research institute TNO found that one strain also lowered LDL cholesterol. IPStar arranged the transfer of the resulting patent from TNO, and ezCOL BV was set up as its first spin-off to take the research further.

Where it stands

ezCOL has run Phase IIa clinical trials and is working towards bringing the discovery to market as a food supplement or medicine.

ESA Commercialisation Gateway → ESA: How food for astronauts fights bad cholesterol → Patent EP1569667B1 →