The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) published a notice in the April 22 Federal Register that it intends to grant to Huvepharma EOOD of Sofia, Bulgaria, an exclusive license for an experimental African swine fever (ASF) vaccine.

The experimental vaccine is covered under U.S. Patent No. 9,463,234, “Attenuated African Swine Fever Virus Strain Induces Protection against Challenge with Homologous Virulent Parental Virus Georgia 2007 Isolate." The patent was issued was issued Oct. 11, 2016, to USDA and the University of Connecticut.

ARS is collecting public comment on the notice (2019-08019). Comments must be received by May 22 and may be sent to USDA, ARS, Office of Technology Transfer, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Rm. 4-1174, Beltsville, Md. 20705-5131.

Previously, ARS published a notice of intent to grant Zoetis exclusive license to a pair of patents related to ASF vaccine development. Those patents, separate from the patent covered in the Huvepharma application, were issued to USDA and the University of Connecticut in November 2017.

While ongoing research is focused on developing a vaccine for ASF, the virus is difficult to work with, and no commercial vaccines are currently available.