[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 129 (Friday, July 7, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Page 43366]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-14308]


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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: Licensing information may be obtained 
by communicating with the Technology Transfer and Intellectual Property 
Office, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, 5601 
Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20852 by contacting Chris Kornak at 240-
627-3705 or [email protected]. A signed Confidential Disclosure 
Agreement will be required to receive copies of unpublished information 
related to the invention.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Technology description follows:

Dual-Germline Antibody Engager Chimeric HIV-1 Immunogens

    Description of Technology: Despite four decades of intensive 
research, a safe and effective HIV-1 vaccine remains elusive due to the 
extreme difficulty in eliciting broadly neutralizing antibodies 
(bNAbs), which recognize and block HIV-1 from entering healthy cells. 
Only rare natural HIV-1 envelopes (Envs) promote the activation and 
expansion of na[iuml]ve B cells expressing unmutated germline 
antibodies of various bNAb lineages, but they typically do so for a 
single lineage for the same neutralization site. To overcome this 
challenge, NIAID has designed and characterized two chimeric HIV-1 Env 
immunogens capable of simultaneously engaging multiple germline bNAb 
lineages. Both chimeric Env immunogens maintain native-like folding and 
engage two lineages of germline bNAbs directed against two independent 
sites of HIV-1 vulnerability.
    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:
     Immunization: The dual-germline engager HIV-1 immunogens 
could be employed during the priming phase of an HIV vaccine to trigger 
multiple bNAb lineages simultaneously, resulting in a multi-target 
protective antibody response.
     Clinical Treatment: The dual-germline engager HIV-1 
immunogens could serve as an alternative to current anti-retrovirals or 
incorporated into current HIV treatment strategies.
    Competitive Advantages:
     Dual-germline engager HIV-1 Env immunogens are inherently 
superior to the currently available single-germline engagers for 
eliciting bNAbs.
     The chimeric design could be expanded to generate HIV-1 
Env trimers with even more germline bNAb specificities to enable a 
broader immunogenic response against HIV.
    Inventors: Peng Zhang, Ph.D., Paolo Lusso, M.D., Ph.D., both of 
NIAID.
    Publications: Publication pending.
    Intellectual Property: HHS Reference No. E-140-2022; US Provisional 
Application No. 63/397,789.
    Licensing Contact: To license this technology, please contact Chris 
Kornak at 240-627-3705 or [email protected], and reference E-140-
2022.
    Collaborative Research Opportunity: The Technology Transfer and 
Intellectual Property Office is seeking parties interested in 
collaborative research to further develop this technology by 
manufacturing non-MRNA virus-like particles incorporating dual germline 
engager HIV-1 immunogens and subsequently testing immunogenicity in 
non-human primates. For collaboration opportunities, please contact 
Chris Kornak; 240-627-3705, [email protected].

Surekha Vathyam,
Deputy Director, Technology Transfer and Intellectual Property Office, 
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
[FR Doc. 2023-14308 Filed 7-6-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P