Summary: 

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) seeks research co-development partners and/or licensees for a hydrogel-based delivery system for the local administration of tofacitinib to improve transplant outcomes.

Description of Technology: 

Unmet Need
More than 1 million tissue transplantations are performed each year. Organ transplantation therapies are typically combined with immunosuppressive agents to reduce the risk of allograft rejection and enhance transplant survival. Currently, immunosuppressive drugs are administered systemically and have several dose-limiting side effects, including impairment of renal function, hypertension, and lymphatic malignancies. Therefore, there is an unmet need to identify a safer, more effective treatment plan for transplant recipients.
 
Technology Description
A multidisciplinary team of researchers from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and Johns Hopkins University (JHU) developed a peptide hydrogel containing a crystalized form of an immunosuppressive small molecule. 
This novel formulation can be syringe-injected to the site of transplantation during surgery, allowing for localized, sustained delivery of immunosuppressive agents – improving transplant outcomes while reducing off-target toxicities. As proof of concept, a hydrogel containing a potent JAK inhibitor, tofacitinib, was injected directly to the grafting site using a mouse model of heterotopic heart transplantation. A single, local application of the tofacitinib hydrogel, combined with systemic administration of CTLA4-Ig, a common immunosuppressant, significantly prolonged graft survival of the transplanted heart. This technology could positively impact transplantation-control of immune response to prevent transplant rejection. An autoimmunity-based therapeutic that inhibits JAK signaling could bring therapeutic benefit to autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, systemic lupus erythematosus and inflammatory bowel disease. Cancers with a dysregulated JAK/STAT pathway could also be treated with this technology.

This technology is co-owned and was co-developed by JHU and The National Institutes of Health (NIH). The summary of the technology was provided by Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures (JHTV) and is cross-listed on JHTV’s Tech Publisher website Case ID C15347. There is a modified, related, co-owned technology (E-121-2022) which is cross listed on JHTV’s Tech Publisher website Case ID C17351.

Since the microcrystaline tofacitinib hydrogel is an NCI Intramural Research Program-developed technology, it is eligible for special funding through NCI’s Small Business Innovation Research Technology Transfer (SBIR-TT) program. In addition to funding, SBIR-TT awardees may work closely with the NCI inventor to further develop the technology. Additional information and links to apply to the SBIR-TT program can be found here.

Potential Commercial Applications: 

•    Prevent transplant rejection
•    Autoimmunity diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, systemic lupus erythematosus and inflammatory bowel disease
•    Cancer therapeutic

Competitive Advantages:

•    Drug delivery method that extends the half-life of tofacitinib
•    Provide continuous, rate-controlled, localized and targeted release of tofacitinib
•    Treat autoimmunity or prevent transplant rejection when combined with CTLA4-Ig, an immunosuppressive agent, for Enhanced Costimulation Blockade