The first edition of the Jorge Ruas Award for Innovation in Pharmaceutical Technology concluded with a celebration of cutting-edge science and collaboration between academia and industry. The ceremony took place at the Portuguese Pharmaceutical Society, in Lisbon, as part of the Tecnimede Open Innovation Competition.
After the presentation of the 10 finalist projects (view all finalists here), the international jury selected the winning project: “AAV-Based Gene Therapy for PPMS”, presented by Matthew Holt, neuroscientist and co-founder of Aila Biotech, based at i3S – Institute for Research and Innovation in Health, University of Porto. The team proposes a novel therapeutic approach for Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis (PPMS) — a severe inflammatory brain disease with no effective treatment to date.
The proposed solution, known as the Triple Lock System, uses a safe viral vector capable of crossing the blood–brain barrier and delivering a genetic payload that reprograms cells to produce a therapeutic anti-inflammatory agent. This approach enables controlled, local, and reversible effects through the administration of a drug that acts as a “safety switch.” Beyond PPMS, the technology holds potential for a wide range of inflammation-related neurological diseases.
With the €100,000 award and the opportunity to collaborate with the Tecnimede Group, the team will advance to pre-clinical studies in rodents and non-human primates.
“Our aim is to validate the scientific hypotheses and, within three years, be ready for the first human clinical trials” stated Holt.
The Jorge Ruas Award Ceremony brought together leaders from the pharmaceutical industry, academia, and public institutions. The session opened with remarks from Francisco Rocha Gonçalves, Secretary of State for Health Management, and concluded with Rui Ivo, President of INFARMED.
A key highlight was the roundtable “Science and Business: Bridges or Invisible Walls?”, moderated by journalist Clara de Sousa. The panel featured Amílcar Falcão (Rector of the University of Coimbra), António Murta (co-founder and CEO of Pathena), Carlos Robalo Cordeiro (Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra), Hélder Mota Filipe (President of the Portuguese Pharmaceutical Society), and Maria do Carmo Neves (President of Board of the Tecnimede Group). The discussion addressed the structural barriers between academic research and industrial innovation, calling for dedicated mechanisms and talent to bridge the gap and foster impact-driven collaboration.
The Jorge Ruas Award, created to honour the legacy of Tecnimede’s founder, Jorge Ruas, aims to support breakthrough scientific projects capable of transforming the pharmaceutical landscape. It reflects Tecnimede’s long-standing commitment to scientific research, global impact, and open innovation.
The international jury for the 2025 edition included:
- Amílcar Falcão, Rector, University of Coimbra (President of the Jury)
- Hélder Mota Filipe, President of the Portuguese Pharmaceutical Society
- Carlos Robalo Cordeiro, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra
- António Murta, Co-founder and CEO of Pathena
- Isidoro Caraballo, Professor of Pharmacy, University of Seville
- José Augusto Guimarães Morais, Professor Emeritus, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lisbon
- Stine Rønholt, Professor, University of Copenhagen (LEO Foundation Center for Drug Delivery)
The final of the Tecnimede Open Innovation Competition was officially covered by Expresso, the event’s media partner. The full ceremony is available to watch here.
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