[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 32 (Friday, February 15, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4501-4502]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-02443]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health


Government-Owned Inventions; Availability for Licensing

AGENCY: National Institutes of Health, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The inventions listed below are owned by an agency of the U.S. 
Government and are available for licensing in the U.S. to achieve 
expeditious commercialization of results of federally-funded research 
and development.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Licensing information may be obtained 
by emailing the indicated licensing contact at the National Heart, 
Lung, and Blood, Office of Technology Transfer and Development Office 
of Technology Transfer, 31 Center Drive Room 4A29, MSC2479, Bethesda, 
MD 20892-2479; telephone: 301-402-5579. A signed Confidential 
Disclosure Agreement may be required to receive any unpublished 
information.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Technology description follows.

Adeno-Associated Viruses In Inner-Ear Therapeutics

    Available for licensing and commercial develop are intellectual 
property rights associated with adeno-associated viral vector (AAV) 
mediated inner-ear gene therapy can prevent and reverse hair cell 
damage to improve auditory function. Hearing loss is associated with 
age or trauma induced inner ear hair cell damage or hereditary genetic 
defects in the inner ear development. The delivery of functional copies 
of mutated or functionally impaired genes can restore hearing. An 
effective gene therapy requires a powerful delivery vehicle such as a 
viral vector with high infection efficiency to the inner ear cells. The 
inventors identified the recombinant AAV2.7m8 virus with modified 
capsid protein with a high viral vector efficiency for delivering 
genetic therapeutic payloads to multiple cell types of mammalian inner 
ear.

[[Page 4502]]

Potential Commercial Applications

    --Promising gene therapy vector for the treatment of hearing loss 
and dizziness.
    -- AAV2.7m8 can be used for human inner ear gene therapy for 
various diseases of the ear.

Development Stage

    In vivo data in mice available.
    Inventors: Wade Chien (NIDCD) and Jean Bennett (UPenn).
    Intellectual Property: HHS Reference No. E-004-2019-0; U.S. 
Provisional Patent Application No. 62/784,306 filed December 21, 2018.
    Licensing Contact: Michael Shmilovich, Esq, CLP; 301-435-5019; 
[email protected].

    Dated: February 5, 2019.
Michael A. Shmilovich,
Senior Licensing and Patenting Manager, National Heart, Lung, and Blood 
Institute, Office of Technology Transfer and Development.
[FR Doc. 2019-02443 Filed 2-14-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4140-01-P