[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 29 (Tuesday, February 16, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Page 9520]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-03045]


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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 invention listed below is owned by an agency of the U.S. 
Government and is available for licensing to achieve expeditious 
commercialization of results of federally-funded research and 
development. Foreign patent applications are filed on selected 
inventions to extend market coverage for companies and may also be 
available for licensing.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Peter Soukas, J.D., 301-594-8730; 
[email protected]. Licensing information and copies of the patent 
applications listed below may be obtained by communicating with the 
indicated licensing contact at the Technology Transfer and Intellectual 
Property Office, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, 
5601 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD, 20852; tel. 301-496-2644. A signed 
Confidential Disclosure Agreement will be required to receive copies of 
unpublished patent applications.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Technology description follows.

Epstein-Barr Virus Antibody That Blocks Fusion And Neutralizes Virus 
Infection of B Cells

Description of Technology

    Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is the most common cause of infectious 
mononucleosis and is associated with nearly 200,000 cancers and 140,000 
deaths each year. EBV-associated cancers include Hodgkin's lymphoma, 
non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Burkitt B cell lymphoma, and EBV post-
transplant lymphoproliferative disease. The latent reservoir for EBV in 
the body is the B lymphocyte. Thus, blocking B cell infection is 
important for reducing EBV-related disease.
    EBV can infect both B cells and epithelial cells; however, the 
method of entry differs between these two cell types. To initiate B 
cell infection, EBV glycoprotein 350 (gp350) binds to compliment 
receptor 2 (CR2; also known as CD21), followed by binding of 
glycoprotein 42 (gp42) to HLA class II molecules, which triggers fusion 
of EBV with the B cell, allowing virus entry into the cell. Fusion also 
requires the EBV proteins gH/gL, which are found complexed with gp42 as 
a heterotrimer, and gB. Infection of epithelial cells is initiated by 
the binding of the EBV protein BMRF2 to cellular integrins, followed by 
binding of gH/gL to ephrin receptor A2 and integrins, which triggers 
fusion by EBV gB.
    Monoclonal antibodies that specifically bind EBV gp42 are described 
by this invention. The gp42-specific antibodies are capable of 
neutralizing EBV infection and inhibiting fusion of EBV with B cells. 
The monoclonal antibodies can be used for the treatment or prophylaxis 
of EBV infection, prevention of EBV-associated disease or infection in 
immunocompromised subjects, diagnosis of EBV infection, and detection 
of EBV in a biological sample.
    This technology is available for licensing for commercial 
development in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 209 and 37 CFR part 404, as 
well as for further development and evaluation under a research 
collaboration.

Potential Commercial Applications

 Viral diagnostics
 Viral therapeutics
 Viral prophylaxis
 Vaccine research

Competitive Advantages

 Ease of manufacture
 Strongly neutralizing antibodies
 Alternative to EBV vaccines

Development Stage

 In vivo data assessment (animal)
    Inventors: Jeffrey Cohen (NIAID), Wei Bu (NIAID), Nathan Board 
(NIAID), Kennichi Dowdell (NIAID).
    Intellectual Property: HHS Reference No. E-020-2020-0--U.S. 
Provisional Application No. 62/979,070, filed February 20, 2020.
    Licensing Contact: Peter Soukas, J.D., 301-594-8730; 
[email protected].
    Collaborative Research Opportunity: The National Institute of 
Allergy and Infectious Diseases is seeking statements of capability or 
interest from parties interested in collaborative research to further 
develop, evaluate, or commercialize for development of a vaccine for 
respiratory or other infections. For collaboration opportunities, 
please contact Peter Soukas, J.D., 301-594-8730; [email protected].

    Dated: January 28, 2021.
Surekha Vathyam,
Deputy Director, Technology Transfer and Intellectual Property Office, 
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
[FR Doc. 2021-03045 Filed 2-12-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P