[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 67 (Friday, April 9, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18546-18547]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-07312]


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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: Elizabeth Pitts, Ph.D., 240-669-5299; 
[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unpublished information related to the invention.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Technology description follows.

Polyvalent Influenza Virus-Like Particles (VLPs) and Use as Vaccines 
Description of Technology

    Influenza virus is a major public health concern, causing up to 
500,000 deaths annually. The current strategy of reformulating vaccines 
annually against dominant circulating strains leads to variable 
protective efficacy and is unlikely to protect against novel influenza 
viruses with pandemic potential. Thus, there is a great need for a 
vaccine that provides ``universal'' protection against influenza 
viruses.
    This technology relates to a broadly protective, universal 
influenza vaccine candidate composed of a mixture of virus-like 
particles (VLPs) expressing the hemagglutinin protein or the 
neuraminidase protein from influenza virus strains belonging to 
different virus subtypes. Vaccinating animals with a mixture of VLPs 
expressing four or more hemagglutinin subtypes provides broad and 
heterosubtypic protection against lethal challenge with influenza virus 
strains in both mice and ferrets. This vaccine technology has great 
potential to provide protection against both annual epidemic and 
pandemic-potential influenza viruses.
    This technology is available for licensing for commercial 
development in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 209 and 37 CFR part 404.

Potential Commercial Applications

 Vaccines against influenza virus
 Universal influenza virus vaccine

Competitive Advantages

 Broad/universal protection against both seasonal and pandemic-
potential influenza viruses
 Does not require yearly reformulation as is necessary with 
current commercially available influenza vaccines

Development Stage

 In vivo data assessment (animal)


[[Page 18547]]


    Inventors: Jeffery Taubenberger (NIAID).
    Intellectual Property: HHS Reference No. E-195-2014--U.S. 
Provisional Application No. 62/014,814, filed June 20, 2014; PCT 
Application No. PCT/US2015/029843, filed May 8, 2015; U.S. Patent No. 
10,130,700, issued November 20, 2018; European Application No. 
#15724151.4, filed May 8, 2015 (pending); Chinese Application No. 
201580037799.4, filed May 8, 2015 (pending); and Indian Application No. 
201617043281, filed May 8, 2015 (pending).
    Licensing Contact: To license this technology, please contact 
Elizabeth Pitts, Ph.D., 240-669-5299; [email protected].

    Dated: March 12, 2021.
Surekha Vathyam,
Deputy Director, Technology Transfer and Intellectual Property Office, 
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
[FR Doc. 2021-07312 Filed 4-8-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P