Kinzbio appoints Josefina Puig as Executive Chair
We are pleased to announce that Josefina Puig, Cofounder and Chief Scientific Officer of Kinzbio, has been appointed Executive Chair of the company.
Josefina has been instrumental in building Kinzbio from the ground up. Alongside Gregorio Iraola, she cofounded the company in 2021 and served as its first CEO/CSO, leading the company through its critical early stages. As Kinzbio matured, she transitioned the CEO role to Gregorio to focus full-time on the CSO function, driving the scientific vision that has positioned the company as a regional pioneer in phage-based precision therapeutics.
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Today, as Kinzbio prepares for a new phase of business expansion —including its strategic entry into LatAm markets and exploration of European opportunities— Josefina will retain her CSO responsibilities while taking on the additional role of Executive Chair. In this capacity, she will strengthen Kinzbio's leadership and execution from the Board of Directors, working closely with CEO Gregorio Iraola to ensure the company's scientific foundation and strategic direction advance in lockstep.
"This is a natural evolution of Josefina's leadership at Kinzbio," said Gregorio Iraola, CEO. "Her deep scientific expertise and unwavering commitment to our mission make her the ideal person to guide our board through this next chapter of growth."
Josefina Puig added: "I am honored to take on this new responsibility. Kinzbio is at an exciting inflection point, and I look forward to continuing to drive our scientific agenda while helping to shape the strategic decisions that will define our future."
Please join us in congratulating Josefina on her new role.
Kinzbio welcomes Scienza as strategic commercial partner and investor
We are pleased to announce that Scienza, a pharmaceutical leader founded in Argentina that has grown into a true regional powerhouse with operations spanning Uruguay, Chile, and Paraguay, has joined Kinzbio as both a commercial partner and investor.
With 25 years of history, Scienza evolved from its Argentine roots into one of the most formidable regional players in the pharmaceutical space, generating strategic alliances with multinational innovation leaders and serving as the critical bridge between cutting-edge laboratories and local healthcare systems. The company coordinates its regional operations from a hub in Montevideo, seamlessly connecting its Argentine origin with robust, high-growth operations in Chile and Paraguay.
Scienza's regional leadership is backed by impressive numbers: in Chile alone, the company secured a top-10 market position since its first full year of operation, holds active supply contracts worth over $100 million, and recently landed a landmark government distribution deal—proof of the execution capabilities that define its dominance across the Southern Cone.
This partnership brings together Kinzbio's pioneering science in phage-based precision antimicrobials with Scienza's extensive commercial infrastructure, deep regulatory expertise, and unmatched regional reach. As an investor, Scienza's commitment reflects strong confidence in Kinzbio's platform and its potential to address critical unmet needs in infectious disease management across Latin America.
"We are thrilled to welcome Scienza, a true regional leader, as both a partner and investor," said Gregorio Iraola, CEO of Kinzbio. "Their proven track record of scaling innovative therapies across multiple Latin American markets, combined with their shared vision for transforming healthcare, makes them the ideal ally as we scale our commercial capabilities."
Patricio Jaureguiberry, Scienza's Business Unit Manager, added: "At Scienza, we believe that the most advanced medicines in the world must reach the patients who need them, regardless of where they live. Kinzbio's platform represents the future of infectious disease treatment, and we are excited to help bring this innovation to healthcare systems across the region."
Please join us in welcoming Scienza to the Kinzbio community.
Kinzbio exports first phage treatment to Chile
We are proud to announce a landmark achievement for Kinzbio and for the future of infectious disease treatment in Latin America: the first-ever export of a phage therapy product from Uruguay to Chile, and the first phage therapeutic to be implemented in the country.
The shipment was prompted by a direct request from physicians at Clínica Las Condes, one of Chile's most prestigious healthcare institutions, seeking an innovative solution for a patient suffering from chronic bacterial rhinosinusitis—a debilitating condition that had proven resistant to conventional antibiotic therapy. Kinzbio's precision phage treatment offered a new path forward.
This milestone carries historic weight on multiple fronts:
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First phage therapy to be implemented in Chile, administered to a patient in need at Clínica Las Condes.
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First phage therapeutic product released by the Chilean Institute of Public Health (ISP) , marking a regulatory breakthrough for the country.
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First export certificate for a phage therapeutic product approved by the Uruguayan Ministry of Health, establishing a new regulatory pathway and positioning Uruguay as a pioneer in the emerging field of phage-based medicine.
This achievement is not a one-off event but the beginning of a broader effort. Kinzbio has a robust pipeline of additional patient cases already under development, including individuals suffering from prosthetic joint infections, cystic fibrosis-related complications, and other chronic infectious conditions. Each case represents an opportunity to demonstrate the transformative potential of phage therapy across diverse clinical indications.
"This is a defining moment not just for Kinzbio, but for the entire Latin American medical community," said Gregorio Iraola, CEO of Kinzbio. "The fact that physicians at a top institution like Clínica Las Condes reached out to us directly speaks to the growing recognition of phage therapy's potential. We are grateful to the Uruguayan and Chilean regulatory authorities for their vision and collaboration in making this possible."
Josefina Puig, CSO and Executive Chair, added: "Phage therapy has the power to rewrite the playbook on how we treat antibiotic-resistant infections. This first export is proof that our platform is not just scientifically sound—it is clinically actionable and ready to reach patients across borders."
We extend our deepest gratitude to the patients, physicians, regulators, and partners who have made this historic step possible. Please join us in celebrating this milestone as we continue our mission to bring precision phage therapeutics to patients who need them most.
Banco de Prótesis achieves landmark success with first phage therapy at the institution
We are proud to announce a major clinical milestone: the first successful phage therapy performed at the Banco de Prótesis de Uruguay, the nation's reference center for osteoarticular replacement surgery, in collaboration with Kinzbio. The procedure rescued a 30-year-old patient suffering from a periprosthetic joint infection that had proven intractable to conventional antibiotics.
The infection was caused by Stenotrophomonas maltophilia—a low-virulence bacterium with intrinsic resistance to multiple antimicrobial classes, leaving the patient with no effective treatment options under standard protocols. Faced with this clinical dead end, the medical team turned to phage therapy, leveraging Kinzbio's proprietary precision platform to deploy bacteriophages specifically targeting the resistant pathogen.
A pioneering surgical approach
The procedure was led by Dr. Justino Menéndez, a leading specialist at the Banco de Prótesis. In close coordination with Kinzbio's scientific team, Dr. Menéndez developed a novel surgical technique designed to optimize phage administration during the implantation surgery itself. By maximizing bacteriophage exposure directly within the prosthetic bed, the approach significantly enhanced treatment efficacy—an innovation that may now inform future procedures.
"The patient's evolution was favorable, with sustained resolution of the infection and no reported adverse effects," said Dr. Menéndez. "Phage therapy positions itself as a vanguard tool in the management of complex infections, especially where conventional antibiotics have failed. It is a source of pride that Uruguay, hand in hand with Kinzbio, stands as a pioneer in Latin America in making this technology available—a technology already backed by solid clinical evidence in Europe and the United States."
Clinical success and regulatory foundation
The treatment was a resounding clinical success: the patient experienced a sustained resolution of the infection with zero adverse events, underscoring both the efficacy and safety profile of phage therapy for cases that previously lacked viable alternatives.
This achievement builds upon the regulatory groundwork laid by Uruguay's Ministry of Public Health, whose Ordinance N° 1.162/024 formally authorized phage therapy in December 2024—positioning Uruguay as a forward-looking regulator in the adoption of innovative antimicrobial strategies.
A local health challenge with a scalable solution
In Uruguay, approximately 5,000 hip and knee prosthetic interventions are performed annually (based on projections from the Fondo Nacional de Recursos). Drawing from international data, nearly 3% of these cases develop periprosthetic infections that are notoriously difficult to treat. This translates to an estimated 150 patients per year in Uruguay alone who could potentially benefit from phage therapy in this specific clinical context.
The advantages are transformative: from salvaging the prosthesis and avoiding its removal, to preventing the cascading consequences of prolonged antibiotic courses, recurrent hospitalizations, repeat surgeries, and debilitating long-term sequelae.
A defining moment for national medicine
With this milestone, Kinzbio reaffirms its position as the first company in Latin America to develop and deploy phage-based precision therapeutics for bacterial infections. Alongside the Banco de Prótesis—which has performed over 67,000 prosthetic surgeries since its founding in 1972—we are charting a new course for infectious disease management in the region, demonstrating that personalized, biologically precise treatments are not a future promise but a present reality.
"We extend our deepest gratitude to Dr. Menéndez, the entire team at Banco de Prótesis, and the regulatory authorities who made this possible," said Gregorio Iraola, CEO of Kinzbio. "This is not just a victory for one patient—it is a proof point for what phage therapy can achieve across Latin America."
Josefina Puig, CSO and Executive Chair, added: "The successful resolution of this complex case validates our platform's clinical potential and opens the door to addressing the full spectrum of prosthetic joint infections—a significant and growing unmet need."
Please join us in celebrating this historic achievement for Kinzbio, for the Banco de Prótesis, and for the countless patients who now have new hope in the fight against antimicrobial resistance.
Banco de Prótesis achieves landmark success with first phage therapy at the institution
We are proud to announce a major clinical milestone: the first successful phage therapy performed at the Banco de Prótesis de Uruguay, the nation's reference center for osteoarticular replacement surgery, in collaboration with Kinzbio. The procedure rescued a 30-year-old patient suffering from a periprosthetic joint infection that had proven intractable to conventional antibiotics.
The infection was caused by Stenotrophomonas maltophilia—a low-virulence bacterium with intrinsic resistance to multiple antimicrobial classes, leaving the patient with no effective treatment options under standard protocols. Faced with this clinical dead end, the medical team turned to phage therapy, leveraging Kinzbio's proprietary precision platform to deploy bacteriophages specifically targeting the resistant pathogen.
A pioneering surgical approach
The procedure was led by Dr. Justino Menéndez, a leading specialist at the Banco de Prótesis. In close coordination with Kinzbio's scientific team, Dr. Menéndez developed a novel surgical technique designed to optimize phage administration during the implantation surgery itself. By maximizing bacteriophage exposure directly within the prosthetic bed, the approach significantly enhanced treatment efficacy—an innovation that may now inform future procedures.
"The patient's evolution was favorable, with sustained resolution of the infection and no reported adverse effects," said Dr. Menéndez. "Phage therapy positions itself as a vanguard tool in the management of complex infections, especially where conventional antibiotics have failed. It is a source of pride that Uruguay, hand in hand with Kinzbio, stands as a pioneer in Latin America in making this technology available—a technology already backed by solid clinical evidence in Europe and the United States."
Clinical success and regulatory foundation
The treatment was a resounding clinical success: the patient experienced a sustained resolution of the infection with zero adverse events, underscoring both the efficacy and safety profile of phage therapy for cases that previously lacked viable alternatives.
This achievement builds upon the regulatory groundwork laid by Uruguay's Ministry of Public Health, whose Ordinance N° 1.162/024 formally authorized phage therapy in December 2024—positioning Uruguay as a forward-looking regulator in the adoption of innovative antimicrobial strategies.
A local health challenge with a scalable solution
In Uruguay, approximately 5,000 hip and knee prosthetic interventions are performed annually (based on projections from the Fondo Nacional de Recursos). Drawing from international data, nearly 3% of these cases develop periprosthetic infections that are notoriously difficult to treat. This translates to an estimated 150 patients per year in Uruguay alone who could potentially benefit from phage therapy in this specific clinical context.
The advantages are transformative: from salvaging the prosthesis and avoiding its removal, to preventing the cascading consequences of prolonged antibiotic courses, recurrent hospitalizations, repeat surgeries, and debilitating long-term sequelae.
A defining moment for national medicine
With this milestone, Kinzbio reaffirms its position as the first company in Latin America to develop and deploy phage-based precision therapeutics for bacterial infections. Alongside the Banco de Prótesis—which has performed over 67,000 prosthetic surgeries since its founding in 1972—we are charting a new course for infectious disease management in the region, demonstrating that personalized, biologically precise treatments are not a future promise but a present reality.
"We extend our deepest gratitude to Dr. Menéndez, the entire team at Banco de Prótesis, and the regulatory authorities who made this possible," said Gregorio Iraola, CEO of Kinzbio. "This is not just a victory for one patient—it is a proof point for what phage therapy can achieve across Latin America."
Josefina Puig, CSO and Executive Chair, added: "The successful resolution of this complex case validates our platform's clinical potential and opens the door to addressing the full spectrum of prosthetic joint infections—a significant and growing unmet need."
Please join us in celebrating this historic achievement for Kinzbio, for the Banco de Prótesis, and for the countless patients who now have new hope in the fight against antimicrobial resistance.