Oral Factor VIII formulation to prevent inhibitor development
This technology describes a method of treating hemophilia A by giving patients a liquid oral dose of the clotting protein Factor VIII — essentially drinking the protein rather than injecting it. The idea is that delivering Factor VIII through the digestive tract can train the immune system to tolerate it (a phenomenon called oral tolerance) while simultaneously providing the clotting factor the patient lacks. This is significant because one of the biggest complications in hemophilia treatment is that patients develop antibodies (inhibitors) that neutralize injected Factor VIII, making standard therapy ineffective. The patent specifically targets patients who have not yet developed those inhibitors, aiming to prevent that immune response from arising in the first place.
What you could build
An oral Factor VIII formulation (a drinkable solution) for early-stage hemophilia A patients, sold to hematology clinics and specialty pharmacies as a preventive or complementary therapy; target buyers would be rare-disease pharmaceutical companies and hemophilia specialty biopharma firms.
Who in Virginia should care
Virginia-based rare disease or plasma-derived biologics companies, or biodefense/biomanufacturing contractors near the DC corridor, might find this relevant as a pipeline asset or licensing opportunity.
Readiness: Concept
Concept — described but not yet demonstrated. Lab validated — supported by experimental results in the patent. Prototype likely — the text describes a built, working embodiment.
Readiness is inferred from the patent text, not from a lab visit.
The record
- Inventors
- Oral Alpan, Tirumalai Kamala, Polly Matzinger, William Hugold Velander
- Granted
- January 11, 2011
- Status
- Granted patent
- Patent number
- 7867974
Ready to talk?
Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties handles licensing for this technology.
Prosim summaries are generated from public patent text and are not legal advice.