Recent Patent and Court Developments in the U.S. and Europe Reinforce Danone’s Patent Position as Global Commercialization of Akkermansia MucT® Expands
The Akkermansia Company to step up investment in the U.S. market, targeting direct-to-consumer and health care practitioners, while expanding across Europe and Asia-Pacific
WILMINGTON, Del., July 23, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Akkermansia Company (TAC), a subsidiary of Danone and a pioneer in next-generation microbiome science, today announced a series of recent legal developments that significantly strengthen Danone’s intellectual property position surrounding the use of Akkermansia muciniphila across product categories and channels.
The patent portfolio covering these inventions, which is owned by Danone, originates from research by Professor Patrice Cani and Professor Willem M. de Vos on the role of Akkermansia muciniphila in human health. TAC leads the development and commercialization of products based on this science, including its proprietary ingredient Akkermansia MucT®.
Recent developments include a final judgment by the U.S. Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), a favorable decision by a Belgian court, and the issuance of a new U.S. patent, collectively confirming the priority of inventions originating from the research of Professors Cani and de Vos and materially expanding Danone’s enforceable patent position.
“These developments recognize and protect years of scientific research that have advanced our understanding of Akkermansia and its role in human health,” said Professor Willem M. de Vos, co-founder of The Akkermansia Company. “Strong intellectual property protection helps ensure that scientific discoveries can be translated into innovative products while supporting continued investment in research and expanding access to Akkermansia-based health solutions.”
New U.S. patent covers use of all forms of substantially purified Akkermansia
On June 2, 2026, the United States Patent and Trademark Office issued U.S. Patent No. 12,642,821 B2, titled Use of Akkermansia for Treating Metabolic Disorders, to inventors Patrice Cani, Amandine Everard, Clara Belzer, and Willem de Vos, with Danone as assignee.
The claims of this new patent cover methods of promoting weight loss through oral administration of substantially purified Akkermansia, including both live and pasteurized forms.
This represents a significant expansion of Danone’s U.S. patent protection. While Danone’s earlier U.S. patents addressed pasteurized Akkermansia specifically, this new patent extends enforceable protection to all substantially purified forms of the bacterium, including viable live cells.
As a result, Danone’s U.S. patent estate now provides broad, complementary coverage across both the pasteurized postbiotic format on which TAC’s commercial products are based and the wider category of live Akkermansia-based health applications.
U.S. Patent Trial and Appeal Board confirms priority of invention
The Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued a final judgment in favor of the Cani and de Vos inventors in a patent interference relating to methods of treating metabolic disorders, including obesity, through oral administration of Akkermansia.
The Board concluded that the inventors were the first to invent the use of Akkermansia for metabolic health applications, ahead of competing claims. It had previously determined that the Cani and de Vos team was also the first to file a patent application describing the invention.
These decisions clarify the intellectual property landscape surrounding Akkermansia-based health applications and reinforce Danone’s patent position as commercialization of Akkermansia MucT® expands globally.
The opposing party has appealed the decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. All briefing in the appeal has now been completed, and a hearing and decision are expected later this year.
If the Federal Circuit affirms the PTAB decision, multiple additional U.S. patents covering the invention are expected to issue to Danone and will become immediately enforceable.
Belgian court recognizes Cani and de Vos inventors as true inventors
In Europe, a Belgian court issued a favorable decision in an entitlement action concerning European patent rights related to the same inventions.
The court recognized the Cani and de Vos inventors as the rightful inventors of the technology, determining that competing patent applications were based on information originating from the inventors’ research. The decision declared related licenses granted to third parties null and void.
The decision has been appealed by the opposing party, Harvard University.
Commercial expansion of Akkermansia-based products
TAC is commercializing dietary supplements containing pasteurized Akkermansia muciniphila and advancing both its own consumer brand and its proprietary ingredient, Akkermansia MucT®, TAC's branded strain of Akkermansia muciniphila.
TAC is launching its Akkermansia-based brand in the U.S. through both direct-to-consumer and health care practitioner channels, while continuing to expand its commercial presence across Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.
Demand for microbiome-based health products continues to grow as scientific understanding of the role of the microbiome in human health advances, with new insights emerge into the fundamental role of Akkermansia spp. and its interactions with the host in supporting metabolic, immune and gut health.
These developments reinforce Danone’s intellectual property position and further establish TAC as a leader in the emerging Akkermansia health category.
Akkermansia MucT® is a registered trademark of Danone. Learn more at theakkermansiacompany.com.
About The Akkermansia Company
The Akkermansia Company, a subsidiary of Danone, develops and commercializes science-based microbiome solutions for metabolic health, based on the clinically studied Akkermansia muciniphila strain, Akkermansia MucT®. Founded by Professor Willem M. de Vos and Professor Patrice D. Cani, the scientists who discovered the bacterial strain, the company developed Akkermansia MucT, which plays a major role in helping to maintain a healthy gut microbiome and in supporting metabolic health. Since becoming available in its Belgian home market in 2021, the company has now expanded sales of Akkermansia MucT across key markets in Europe, North America, and Asia. Visit theakkermansiacompany.com for more information.
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