| WARF: P01236US |  |
| Polyene Antibiotics with Reduced Toxicity |
| INVENTORS | • | Glen Kwon, John Samuel, Afsaneh Lavasanifar |
The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) is seeking commercial partners interested in developing a method for reducing the toxicity of amphotericin B while retaining its potent antifungal activity.
OVERVIEW
Both superficial and systemic fungal infections are common in immunocompromised patients, such as HIV-infected individuals, patients receiving anticancer therapeutics or immunosuppressive drugs after organ transplants, and the elderly. Despite its low solubility and toxicity problems, the polyene antibiotic amphotericin B (AmB) remains the top choice for treating fungal infections.
THE INVENTION
UW-Madison researchers have developed a method for reducing the toxicity of amphotericin B while retaining its potent antifungal activity. They encapsulated AmB within micelles assembled from poly(ethylene oxide)-block-poly(L-amino acid)s, or PEO-block-PLAAs. The PEO-block-PLAA micelles, which are formed by a simple solvent evaporation method, are unique among drug carrier systems due to their nanoscopic dimensions, hydrophilic shell of PEO and hydrophobic (non-polar) PLAA core. When AmB is encapsulated within these micelles, the hydrophilic exterior interacts with the aqueous environment while AmB, a hydrophobic molecule, resides within the PLAA core. In this way, the solubility of AmB is increased, leading to lowered toxicity and increased efficacy.
APPLICATIONS
- Treatment of fungal infections
KEY BENEFITS
- Increases solubility of AmB by 1,000-fold
- Controls the rate of release of AmB from micelles
- Results in reduced toxicity of AmB while retaining the drug’s potent antifungal activity
- May lead to increased solubility and reduced toxicity for other polyene macrolides such as nystatin or certain anticancer agents
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
For More Information About the Inventors
Intellectual Property Status
Tech Fields
Drug Discovery - Drug delivery
Pharmaceuticals & Vitamin D - Antifungals
CONTACT INFORMATION
For current licensing status, please contact our team at
licensing@warf.org
or phone 608.262.4924. (Clicking this link will open a contact form in a popup window. If you have problems viewing the form, try disabling your popup blocker software.)
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Since its founding as the patenting and licensing arm of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, WARF has been working with business and industry to transform university research into products that benefit society. WARF intellectual property managers and licensing staff members are leaders in the field of university-based technology transfer. They are familiar with the intricacies of patenting, have worked with researchers in relevant disciplines, understand industries and markets, and have negotiated innovative licensing strategies to meet the individual needs of business clients.
The University of Wisconsin and WARF -
A Single Location to Accelerate Translational Development of New Drugs
The UW-Madison has the integrative capabilities to complete many key components of the drug development cycle, from discovery through clinical trials. As one of the top research universities in the world, and one of the two best-funded universities in the country, UW-Madison offers state-of-the-art facilities unmatched by most public universities.
These include the Small Molecule Screening Facility at the UW Comprehensive Cancer Center; the Zeeh Pharmaceutical Experiment Station, which provides consulting and laboratory services for developing formulations and studying solubility, stability and more; the Waisman Clinical Biomanufacturing Facility; the Wisconsin Institute for Medical Research, which provides UW-Madison with a complete translational research facility; and soon, the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery, made up of innovative private and public interdisciplinary biomedical research institutes. The highly qualified experts at these facilities are ready to work with you to create a library of candidates for drug development.
Since its founding as the patenting and licensing arm of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, WARF has been working with business and industry to transform university research into products that benefit society. WARF intellectual property managers and licensing staff members are leaders in the field of university-based technology transfer. They are familiar with the intricacies of patenting, have worked with researchers in relevant disciplines, understand industries and markets, and have negotiated innovative licensing strategies to meet the individual needs of business clients.
The University of Wisconsin and WARF -
A Single Location to Accelerate Translational Development of New Drugs
The UW-Madison has the integrative capabilities to complete many key components of the drug development cycle, from discovery through clinical trials. As one of the top research universities in the world, and one of the two best-funded universities in the country, UW-Madison offers state-of-the-art facilities unmatched by most public universities.
These include the Small Molecule Screening Facility at the UW Comprehensive Cancer Center; the Zeeh Pharmaceutical Experiment Station, which provides consulting and laboratory services for developing formulations and studying solubility, stability and more; the Waisman Clinical Biomanufacturing Facility; the Wisconsin Institute for Medical Research, which provides UW-Madison with a complete translational research facility; and soon, the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery, made up of innovative private and public interdisciplinary biomedical research institutes. The highly qualified experts at these facilities are ready to work with you to create a library of candidates for drug development.
