Avigen exclusively licenses technology of chronic pain.Avigen, Inc. (Alameda, CA) has exclusively licensed rights to the treatment of chronic pain using anti- inflammatory cytokines Cytokines Chemicals made by the cells that act on other cells to stimulate or inhibit their function. Cytokines that stimulate growth are called "growth factors. , including interleukin 10 (IL-10), from the University of Colorado University of Colorado may refer to:
Avigen's collaborator, Linda Watkins, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology and Director, Interdepartmental in·ter·de·part·men·tal adj. Involving or representing different departments, as of a business, an academic institution, or a government: "the petty interdepartmental squabbling that surrounds the making of . . . Neuroscience Program at the University of Colorado at Boulder, said, "We have been working with the scientists at Avigen for some time and I am personally very excited to be entering an expanded relationship to further the development of this technology. I firmly believe this approach has the potential to provide relief to millions of people suffering today with chronic pain for whom the current treatments are very ineffective. Cancer patients, AIDS patients, orthopedic patients, all may one day find a solution to their currently intractable pain intractable pain Refractory pain Pain medicine Persistent pain which does not respond to at least 3 dosease of parenteral analgesics given over a 12-24 hr period; pain that does not respond to appropriate doses of opioid analgesics. conditions from our research." Watkins continued, "There is a groundswell of emerging research showing the important and previously misunderstood role that glial cells play in inducing and maintaining states of chronic exaggerated pain. We have shown that IL-10 has significant potential to play a role in controlling such pain. In an animal model, we have achieved several weeks of continuous relief of pathological pain created by peripheral nerve damage by delivering the DNA DNA: see nucleic acid. DNA or deoxyribonucleic acid One of two types of nucleic acid (the other is RNA); a complex organic compound found in all living cells and many viruses. It is the chemical substance of genes. for IL-10 directly to the glial cells in the affected spinal cord spinal cord, the part of the nervous system occupying the hollow interior (vertebral canal) of the series of vertebrae that form the spinal column, technically known as the vertebral column. area." John Monahan, Avigen's president and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. said, "I am very impressed with the work Dr. Watkins' group is doing in this area. By working together, our organizations can accelerate this research and potentially develop an effective treatment to provide relief to many of the estimated 50 million Americans currently suffering from intractable chronic pain." The license agreement provides Avigen with exclusive rights to pending patent applications owned by the University of Colorado covering the use of anti-inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin 10 (IL-10), for the treatment of chronic pain being developed in the multi-disciplinary Watkins/Maier laboratory in the Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience. Phil DiStefano, Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost of Colorado University at Boulder said, "The university is excited about this exclusive license and our expanding relationship with Avigen. With respect to the research that Professor Watkins and Professor Maier have conducted in gene therapy for chronic pain, neuroscience is one of our emerging areas of excellence on campus. Our partnership with Avigen adds to a banner year for Boulder technology transfer, in which we are on pace to triple the number of licenses executed with industry." Avigen focuses on the development of DNA-based drugs for serious chronic conditions. Avigen's proposed gene delivery products are designed for direct administration to patients in order to achieve expression of therapeutic proteins within the body. The company is actively enrolling subjects in its clinical trial for Coagulin-B, Avigen's Factor IX gene therapy product for hemophilia B hemophilia B n. A clotting disorder of blood resembling hemophilia A, caused by hereditary deficiency of factor IX. Also called Christmas disease. , currently being conducted at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia is one of the largest and oldest children's hospitals in the world. "CHOP" has been ranked as the best children's hospital in the United States by U.S. News & World Report and Child Magazine in recent years. and Stanford University Medical Center Stanford University Medical Center (Stanford Hospital & Clinics) is one of four hospitals affiliated with Stanford University and Stanford University School of Medicine, along with the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, the Veteran's Administration Hospital in Palo Alto, and Santa . Avigen, Inc. +1-510-748-7112 www.avigen.com |
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