News and Events > Avigen Exclusively Licenses CU Technology for the Treatment of Chronic Pain

Avigen Exclusively Licenses CU Technology for the Treatment of Chronic Pain

Alameda, CA-

December 8, 2003 - Avigen, Inc. (Nasdaq: AVGN) announced today that it has exclusively licensed rights to the treatment of chronic pain using anti-inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin 10 (IL-10), from the University of Colorado. Avigen also expanded its existing sponsored research agreement with the University of Colorado at Boulder to further the ground-breaking research in the treatment of chronic pain underway at the University's Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience.

Avigen's collaborator, Linda Watkins, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology and Director, Interdepartmental 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 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 for IL-10 directly to the glial cells in the affected spinal cord area."

John Monahan, Avigen's president and CEO 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."

About Avigen

Avigen, Inc., based in the San Francisco Bay Area, 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, currently being conducted at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Stanford University Medical Center. Patients or physicians who would like more information about enrollment criteria and the study should contact the Clinical Development Department at clinicaltrials@avigen.com or call at 510-748-7397. Additional information on Avigen's proprietary gene delivery products can be found at www.avigen.com