BestHealth4U and the EIC Accelerator: A Glueless Skin Adhesive

BestHealth4U, a Braga company founded by Sónia Ferreira, who has lived with a stoma since childhood, develops Bio2Skin, a patented, bio-based "glueless" adhesive that uses the skin's own moisture to form a water-based bond for ostomy pouches, wound dressings and wearable devices. Its EIC Accelerator project, "Bio2Skin, the first clinically skin-preserving biomaterial replacing silicones/acrylate as medical skin adhesives", receives an EU contribution of €2,492,571 and runs from November 2024 to October 2026, according to CORDIS. The company plans to license the technology to adhesive and device manufacturers rather than sell products itself.

The report says Bio2Skin "has now been validated as a medical-grade bio-adhesive ready to progress towards regulatory certification and clinical evaluation": it can be produced reproducibly at engineering scale, a sterilisation process meets international standards, preclinical biocompatibility tests showed it does not impair the skin barrier, and it "has been successfully incorporated into a first commercial use case in ostomy care" in one-piece pouches, according to CORDIS. The report does not name the manufacturer. The EU funded the same technology before, with a €50,000 Horizon 2020 SME Instrument feasibility study in 2019 and 2020, according to CORDIS.

Where BestHealth4U Stands Now

BestHealth4U's news page lists appearances in 2024 and 2025 at MD&M West in Anaheim, BIO in Boston, the EIC Soft-Landing programme in Boston, an EIC corporate day with the care group Clariane in Paris and the MedTech Forum in Lisbon, according to its website. It lists no customer, licensee or investor announcement. The company announced a $1 million seed round led by Lince Capital in November 2022, according to Newswire Jet; no later round or EIC Fund investment has been announced. The Portuguese register shows a share capital of €13,364.40 and filed accounts through 2024, according to Racius; the figures are not freely accessible.

The Technology: Adhesion From the Skin Itself

Acrylic, hydrocolloid and silicone adhesives often cause medical adhesive-related skin injuries (MARSI), leading to pain, inflammation, infection risk and interrupted treatment, the EIC report says. Bio2Skin is made from renewable biomaterials and is designed for secure hold and painless removal. The report says it showed "indications of improved skin hydration" in some tests, compared with conventional materials.

What the EIC Award Promised, and What the Record Shows

The project runs to 31 October 2026, so it is too early to judge it, but only one month remains. The title promised the first "clinically skin-preserving" biomaterial. The report shows preclinical and manufacturing validation and states that regulatory certification and clinical evaluation are the next step, so no clinical evidence exists yet.

1. Engineering-scale productionReproducibleProject report.
2. Sterilisation and biocompatibilityPassedPreclinical.
3. Clinical evaluationNot startedNext step.
4. Commercial licenceNot announcedPartner unnamed.

The Money

The EIC grant is more than twice the company's other disclosed funding combined. The award was blended finance, but no EIC Fund investment has been announced.

What Cannot Be Checked

Why Europe Should Care

The report counts about 8 million ostomates worldwide and 18 million people who replace skin-attached devices three times a week, each change taking about 15 minutes and producing about 150 g of waste. A bio-based adhesive that reduced skin injuries would cut both patient harm and material use, if it proves itself clinically.

The Verdict

BestHealth4U and the EIC have not been asked for comment for this article. It is based entirely on public records and published statements, linked throughout.