| WARF: P07341US |  |
| Influenza B Viruses with Reduced Sensitivity to Neuraminidase Inhibitors |
| INVENTORS | • | Yoshihiro Kawaoka, Shuji Hatakeyama |
The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) is seeking commerical partners interested in methods for rapidly idenitfying influenza B viruses that are resistant to treatment with neuraminidase inhibitors.
OVERVIEW
Influenza is a major human disease caused by one of three types of influenza viruses. Type A viruses cause the most severe illnesses and are responsible for most epidemics; type B viruses generally cause less severe illnesses; and type C viruses result in mild respiratory illnesses and are not believed to cause epidemics. Because neuraminidase (NA) is critical for influenza virus infection, NA inhibitors, such as oseltamivir or zanamivir, are used to treat this disease. However, some strains of influenza have become resistant to these inhibitors. While resistant influenza A viruses have been studied, little is known about the frequency and transmissibility of resistant influenza B viruses.
THE INVENTION
UW-Madison researchers have developed methods to rapidly identify influenza B viruses that are resistant to NA inhibitors. The inventors examined the NA inhibitor sensitivity of type B viruses isolated from 496 patients, and sequenced the NA genes of resistant viruses to identify mutations that may be responsible for this reduced sensitivity. Amino acid substitutions at certain positions were associated with resistance to oseltamivir, zanamivir or both. To detemine the sensitivity of type B influenza viruses, rapid nucleic acid-based assays can detect the presence of these subsitutions. Influenza B viruses with these mutations are likely to be resistant to NA inhibitors, suggesting that alternative treatment options should be considered.
APPLICATIONS
- Treatment planning for individuals infected with type B influenza viruses
KEY BENEFITS
- Allows resistant strains of influenza B to be identified quickly
- Provides additional diagnostic information to aid physicians in making treatment decisions
- Enables the development of new drugs that can circumvent this resistance
- Provides new tools for evaluating the efficacy of antiviral compounds against influenza B
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
For More Information About the Inventors
Intellectual Property Status
Patent applied for.
Tech Fields
Diagnostic Assays - Drug sensitivity
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.
