NIH OFFERS LICENSES TO COMMERCIALIZE PENDINGPATENTS
By Chester A. BisbeeSpecial To BioWorld Today
BioWorld Today here continues its occasional listings of governmentagencies seeking industrial licensees to commercialize itsbiotechnology-related research and development inventions.Commercialization rights are offered by the National Institutes ofHealth, Office of Technology Transfer (OTT). Announcements of thefollowing eight opportunities have been submitted recently to theFederal Register.
To obtain licensing information and copies of the U.S. patentapplications listed below, contact the OTT licensing specialistsindicated.
National Cancer Institute
Drug-Discovery Antibodies Against Human P450s
These monoclonal antibodies are specific for particular cytochromeP450s, the enzymes responsible for metabolism of xenobiotic toxinsand clinically useful drugs. Examples: tranquilizers, anti-depressants,immunosuppressants and anti-cancer agents. Some of the antibodiesinhibit enzyme activity upon binding; others do not. They can be usedin patients to assess adverse reactions and varying sensitivities tospecific compounds.
Application: 08/559,808
Filed: 11/17/95
Inventors: Gelboin, H.V., et al.
Contact: Leopold Luberecki, Jr., (301) 496-7735, ext. 223
Circularly Permuted Fusion Proteins
These are ligands in which the amino and carboxy ends have beenjoined together and new ends formed at different locations in theligand. The circularly permuted proteins are useful as a component ina fusion protein, which may be used as a cell targeting moiety, killingagent or signaling ligand _ e.g., to kill or direct an immune responseagainst cancer cells. These modified proteins, and fusions made fromthem, have binding specificity and affinity comparable to nativeproteins and fusions.
Application: 08/225,224
Filed: 4/8/94
Inventors: Pastan, I.H., et al.
Contact: Larry Tiffany, (301) 496-7056, ext. 206
Vector For Anti-Cancer Polynucleotide Vaccines
The vaccines, which use naked, closed circular plasmid DNA,contain the necessary elements to express tumor antigens. Theplasmids are non-replicating, but capable of allowing extended stableexpression of the tumor antigens in skeletal muscle and antigenpresenting cells. Thus, the vaccine vector can induce in cancerpatients an immune response to the encoded tumor antigen.
Application: 60/023,931
Filed: 8/14/96
Inventors: Nelson, E.L., et al.
Contact: Joseph Contrera, (301) 496-7056, ext. 244
Boosting Anti-Tumor ImmunizationBy Varying The Vectors
Recombinant viruses, such as vaccinia, fowlpox and adenovirus,combined with recombinant plasmid DNA encoding tumor-associated antigens, induce cellular and humoral anti-tumorresponses. Boosting these immune reactions with a different vectorinduces a more powerful primary antigen-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocyte response than does using the same vector.
Application: 60/015,893
Filed: 4/22/96
Inventors: Chamberlain, R.S., et al.
Contact: Joseph Contrera, (301) 496-7056, ext. 244
Mutated ras Peptides GenerateCD8+ Cytotoxic Lymphocytes
A CD8+ cytotoxic T-cell response is induced by peptide fragmentsthat contain a mutation in the K-ras oncogene at codon 12. Thisinvention could be useful in cancer vaccines and adoptiveimmunotherapy.
Application: 08/635,344
Filed: 4/19/96
Inventors: Schlom, J., et al.
Contact: Joseph Contrera, (301) 496-7056, ext. 244
National Institute Of Allergy & Infectious Disease
Infectious Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) From cDNAs
This method produces infectious RSV from cDNAs encodingreplicative intermediate RNA and several RSV proteins. It alsopermits RSV genome mutations that give rise to an attenuatedphenotype to be made into infectious RSV. Attenuated RSV vaccinecandidates can be stably stored as cDNAs and modified as needed toaccommodate genetic drift in RSV strains.
Application 08/720,132
Filed: 9/27/96
Inventor: Collins, P.L.
Contact: Robert Benson, (301) 496-7056, ext. 267
National Institute Of Diabetes& Digestive & Kidney Diseases
Preventing Chronic Progressive Vascular Disease (CPVD)
The scarring and/or fibrosis that characterizes CPVD can be halted orreversed by administering the commercially available pharmaceuticalagent, Elmiron. At a dose of about 50 to 1,200 milligrams per day,oral Elmiron can resolve these lesions.
Application: 08/478,347
Filed: 6/7/95
Inventors: Striker, G.E., et al.
Contact: Carol Lavrich, (301) 496-7056, ext. 287
Glycoprotein Hormone Superagonists
Heterodimeric glycoprotein hormones are involved in thedevelopment and regulation of the ovary, testes and thyroid. Specificamino acid substitutions within both the a- and a-subunits of thesehormones result in analogs, or "superagonists," which havesignificantly increased in vitro and in vivo bioactivity. This makesthem potential therapeutics for diseases such as infertility and cancer.
OTT Reference No. E-015-96/0
Filed: 5/8/96
Inventors: Szkudlinski, M.W., et al.
Contact: J. Peter Kim, (301) 496-7056, ext. 264
(c) 1997 American Health Consultants. All rights reserved.