Self-Assembling Antiviral Prodrugs for Long-Acting Treatment of Chronic HIV Infections

Case ID:
C16014

Unmet Need / Invention Novelty: The need for long-acting HIV drugs arises from challenges such as pill burden, side effects, and stigma, which contribute to inconsistent use and reduced effectiveness. A long-acting antiretroviral formulation could enhance treatment adherence, reduce disease transmission, and better support populations facing barriers to daily medication, thereby making a significant impact on public health and addressing drug resistance.

 

Technical Details: Researchers at Johns Hopkins have developed self-assembling antiretroviral prodrugs for HIV prevention and treatment. These peptide-based drug amphiphiles form injectable hydrogels enabling controlled drug release for sustained systemic distribution. Evaluation in vivo using a mouse model confirmed hydrogel local retention and biodistribution/pharmacokinetics of these amphiphiles. Importantly, the delivery system is completely aqueous, involving no organic cosolvents or excipients. This advancement aims to enhance treatment outcomes by improving targeted delivery, reducing toxicity, and extending dosing intervals, thereby promoting better patient adherence.

 

Value Proposition:

 

·      Unique approach in antiretroviral therapy uses self-assembling peptide-based drug amphiphiles to form supramolecular structures

·      Maintains consistent therapeutic levels through sustained and controlled drug release via injectable hydrogels

·      Improves delivery to infected cells by using modifiable peptide sequences that specifically target immune cells

·      Aqueous delivery system avoids the use of organic cosolvents and excipients

 

Looking for Partners to: Develop & commercialize the technology as a long-acting therapeutic for HIV treatment and prevention, seeking partners with strong pharmaceutical development and distribution capabilities.

 

Stage of Development: In vitro and in vivo experiments have confirmed hydrogel formation and local retention, amphiphile release, pharmacokinetics, and biodistribution. The researchers are currently enhancing the hydrogel system to improve sustained release, deliver hydrophobic HIV antiretroviral agents, and target HIV-infected cells more effectively.

           

Data Availability: In vitro and in vivo data available in the publications listed below.

 

Inventors: Honggang Cui, PhD, Charles Flexner, MD, Maya Monroe, PhD, Han Wang

 

Patent Status: Patent Issued - https://patents.google.com/patent/US11998609B2/en

 

Publication(s):

 

https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.3c05645

 

https://doi.org/10.1039/D2BM01649D

Patent Information:
Title App Type Country Serial No. Patent No. File Date Issued Date Expire Date Patent Status
SELF-ASSEMBLING ANTIRETROVIRAL PRODRUGS FOR PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF HIV-RELATED DISEASES ORD: Ordinary Utility United States 17/981,595 11,998,609 11/7/2022 6/4/2024 11/7/2042 Granted
Inventors:
Category(s):
Get custom alerts for techs in these categories/from these inventors:
For Information, Contact:
Vera Sampels
vsampel2@jhu.edu
410-614-0300
Save This Technology:
2017 - 2022 © Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures. All Rights Reserved. Powered by Inteum