On June 2, 2025, KEI submitted comments regarding Neurala Bio being granted an exclusive license by the NIH for “c-Abl Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitory Compound Embodiments and Methods of Making and Using the Same” (90 FR 21054). KEI’s primary concern as discussed in our comments, is the limited information regarding the company that will hold this license and its capacity to bring the drugs to market.
The information available is extremely limited, as searching for it on Google only leads to an AI software company with the same name. We highlighted that
“The limited publicly available information about the company severely limits the ability of the public to assess the need for the technology to be licensed on an exclusive basis and to provide informed comment on the company’s ability to bring it to market and ensure access for patients.”
The dearth of information is an issue as we are unable to determine if the company is up to the task to produce this product at scale, or to provide other informed comments on the need for exclusivity to be granted to this company. The NIH needs to ensure affordability and accessibility for these drugs, and provide the public with information concerning the companies that receive these licenses.
KEI’s full comments are available here: KEI-Comments-NIH-License-Neurala-2June2025