Waller named UIC Inventor of the Year

UIC Office of Technology Management named Dr. Donald Waller as the 2021 Inventor of the Year for development of novel therapeutics.

Dr. Donald Waller, a professor emeritus in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, has been selected as the UIC Inventor of the Year for his role in developing two novel therapeutics aimed at improving women's health. The award is given annually by the Office of Technology Management in recognition of an individual whose invention "significantly impacts their field and society."

Waller has dedicated his research career to developing innovations that provide women with more control and more options for safely preventing pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. He developed a first-of-its kind contraceptive gel that can be used on-demand to prevent pregnancy. The gel, which is now called Phexxi, is a combination of lactic acid, citric acid and potassium bitartrate. It works by keeping pH levels in a range that is inhospitable to sperm. The gel was created in collaboration with Lourens Zaneveld of Rush University Medical Center and licensed to Evofem Biosciences in 2003. Evofem developed the gel for commercial use through clinical trials and FDA approvals. While already in the market as a contraceptive, Phexxi is currently in Phase 3 clinical trials for the prevention of multiple sexually transmitted diseases in women.

In addition to Phexxi, Waller developed a polymer derived from mandelic acid that is a promising contraceptive candidate that will also inhibit sexually transmitted infections, and potentially, airborne viral infections. The polymer was licensed to Yaso Therapeutics and the company is preparing to submit an investigational new drug application to the FDA early this year.

The UIC Inventor of the Year award recognizes outstanding inventors at UIC for their outstanding commercially focused research. The award is given based on the criteria of creativity, novelty, and the commercial benefit to society. Dr. Waller will be recognized for this achievement at the UIC Innovation Celebration later this year.

For more information on OTM, the Inventor of the Year, and past awardees, visit the OTM website at otm.uic.edu.