Knowledge Ecology International (KEI) submitted comments to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) on June 8, 2021 regarding the “Prospective Grant of an Exclusive Patent License: P2Y14 Receptor Antagonists To Treat Kidney and Lung Inflammation” (86 FR 27858). The license is to be granted to Kantum Pharma, a company based in Boston, Massachusetts.
The inventions concern P2Y14 receptor antagonists, and the field of use indicates that it is expected to prevent and treat conditions or diseases associated with inflammation in the kidney and lung.
On May 27, 2021, Kantum announced new research on beneficial effects of P2Y14 antagonist in acute kidney injury via an article published by Kantum scientific founder Dr. Sylvie Breton in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. The article cites funding from several sources, including NIH grants. As the NIH negotiates this exclusive license, the NIH must consider the support it has already provided to Kantum and towards the development of this technology, de-risking Kantum’s further investment in the technology. In light of this, the NIH should be sure to negotiate terms that will ensure equitable and affordable access to any resultant technology that may come to market.
KEI’s full comments regarding the prospective exclusive license are available here: KEI-Comments-NIH-Exclusive-License-Kantum-Pharma-8June2021