BioWorld Today here continues its occasional listings of government agencies seeking industrial licensees to commercialize their biotechnology-related research and development inventions. Commercialization rights are offered by the National Institutes of Health, Office of Technology Transfer (OTT). Announcements of the following 12 licensing opportunities have been published recently in the Federal Register.
To obtain licensing information, and copies of the U.S. patent issuances or applications listed below, contact the OTT licensing specialists indicated.
Food and Drug Administration
Immune Response Oligodeoxynucleotides
Oligodeoxynucleotides having at least 10 deoxynucleotides and an unmethylated central CpG motif induce immune responses in both non-B and B cells. The oligodeoxynucleotides described precisely regulate the type and magnitude of cellular immunoresponses both in vivo and ex vivo.
Application: 60/128,898
Filed: 4/12/99
Inventors: Klinman, D., et al.
Contact: Peter Soukas, (301) 496-7057, ext. 268
Vasostatin Fragment
The N-terminal fragment of vasostatin suppresses neovascularization at 4- to 10-fold lower doses than does angiostatin, endostatin and thrombospondin. This vasostatin fragment prevents or reduces the growth of tumors in experimental animals, making it a potentially promising cancer therapeutic.
Application: 60/103,438
Filed: 10/6/98
Inventors: Tosato, G., et al.
Contact: Richard U. Rodriguez, (301) 496-7057, ext. 287
National Cancer Institute
Chelated Radioactive Actinium for Cancer Therapy
Radioactive actinium chelated with hexaacetic acid derivatives has high cytotoxicity and increased in vivo stability. By linking this radioisotope conjugate to a targeting agent, specific types cancers can be treated.
Application: 60/125,764
Filed: 3/23/99
Inventors: Brechbiel, M.W., et al.
Contact: Girish C. Barua, (301) 496-7057, ext. 263
Monoclonal Antibodies to Cytochrome P450s
Monoclonal antibodies that inhibit the ten major variants of cytochrome P450 have been isolated. Since cytochrome P450 metabolizes a wide variety of xenobiotic drugs, nondrug carcinogens, and environmental chemicals, these antibodies can be used as diagnostic probes to identify the cytochrome P450 variants that detoxify specific drugs as well as individual cytochrome P450 polymorphisms.
Application: 60/119,972
Filed: 2/12/99
Inventors: Gelboin, H.V., et al.
Contact: Dennis Penn, (301) 496-7057, ext. 211
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Brain Injury Protection Using Neurotoxin
Injection of a plant-derived neurotoxin in combination with low doses of glutamate reduces damage by 50 percent in an animal model of stroke. Preliminary tests show this preparation also has preventative neuroprotective qualities when given prior to brain trauma.
Application: 09/271,109
Filed: 3/17/99
Inventors: Jonas, W.B., et al.
Contact: Leopold J. Luberecki, Jr., (301) 496-7057, ext. 223
National Eye Institute
Immunoadhesins
Immunoadhesins consist of an antibody constant domain linked to a non-immunoglobulin binding domain. Production of immunoadhesins using a replication-deficient adenoviral expression system allows efficient, high- level gene expression with appropriate assembly/posttranslational modification and ease of purification.
Application: 08/814,567
Filed: 3/10/97
Inventors: Csaky, K.G., et al.
Contact: Susan S. Rucker, (301) 496-7057, ext. 245
National Institute of Arthritis and Infectious Diseases
Chimeric CD4 Protein for Preventing and Treating HIV
Genetically engineered chimeric proteins have been produced that contain a CD4 domain attached by a flexible polypeptide linker to a single-chain monoclonal antibody against highly conserved HIV gp120 determinants involved in coreceptor binding. This chimeric protein should have the properties of a potent, broadly cross-reactive neutralizing antibody against HIV, making it a potentially useful therapeutic for preventing infection.
Application: 60/124,681
Filed: 3/16/99
Inventors: Berger, E.A., et al.
Contact: Carol Salata, (301) 496-7057, ext. 232
Treatment of Colitis with STAT-4 Antisense Oligonucleotides
Antisense oligonucleotides derived from the signal transduction molecule Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription (STAT)-4 are used to prevent interferon-gamma production. Since the latter process is an integral part of the induction of Crohn's disease, a form of inflammatory bowel disease, STAT-4 oligonucleotides can potentially be used to treat this disease.
Application: 60/125,877
Filed: 3/24/99
Inventors: Strober, W., et al.
Contact: Richard U. Rodriguez, (301) 496-7057, ext. 287
National Institute of Child Health & Human Development
Assessing Tissue Status Using Diffusion Tensor MRI
New quantitative statistical methodologies allows extraction of additional clinical and biological data from diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Significant changes in tissue state and systemic artifacts are more easily detected using these methods.
DHHS Reference: E-192-99/0
Filed: 5/21/99
Inventors: Basser, P.J., et al.
Contact: John Fahner-Vihtelic, (301) 496-7057, ext. 270
Quantitative Detection of Binding Pair Interactions
Universal protein array technology measures binding pair interactions using the 3-dimensional structure of active proteins. This system can be used to study gene expression patterns and screen cellular proteins as potential drug targets.
Application: 60/123,586
Filed: 3/8/99
Inventor: Ge, H.
Contact: Marlene Shinn, (301) 496-7057, ext. 285
National Institute of Mental Health
Mitochondrial Gene Therapy
Functional complementation of mitochondrial gene defects is achieved by targeting a replacement gene to the nucleus. This technology can allow gene therapy for mitochondrial gene abnormalities.
DHHS Reference: E-121-99/0
Filed: 3/8/99
Inventors: Zullo, S.J., et al.
Contact: Dennis Penn, (301) 496-7057, ext. 211
National Institutes of Health Clinical Center
Tracking Magnetically Labeled Cells
Real time in vivo imaging of genetically modified neural cells labeled with a contrast agent are tracked using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). By monitoring the successful site-specific delivery of these cells using these methods, neurodegenerative diseases can be treated more effectively.
DHHS Reference: E-013-99/0
Filed: 5/21/99
Inventors: Bulte, J., et al.
Contact: Leopold J. Luberecki, Jr., (301) 496-7057, ext. 223.