[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 20 (Monday, January 31, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-2088]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: January 31, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
 

Opportunity for a License: Assay To Screen Inhibitors of HIV-1 
Aspartyl Protease

AGENCY: National Institutes of Health, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The National Institutes of Health desires to license (in 
accordance with 35 U.S.C. 207) a novel radiometric assay system for 
identifying potential new anti-retroviral drugs that target HIV-1 
aspartyl proteinase. This retroviral proteinase processes viral 
proteins and permits their assembly into the structural components of 
the infectious HIV-1 virions. If this enzyme activity can be inhibited, 
no mature infectious viral particles are produced.

    The enzyme assay itself is a simple test tube procedure that gives 
a separation product from a reaction mixture that is easily quantitated 
in a scintillation counter. Unlike many current flourimetric and 
chromatographic methods, the new test tube assay is rapid, utilizes 
commonly available instrumentation, and is highly sensitive to 
proteinase activity.
    NIH is the co-assignee of the patent rights for this technology 
covered by U.S. Patent Application 07/771,554 and developed by Dr. Anil 
B. Mukherjee of the National Institute of Child Health and Human 
Development and Dr. Martha Knight of Peptide Technologies Corporation.

ADDRESSES: Licensing information and a copy of the U.S. patent 
application may be obtained by contacting Steven M. Ferguson, 
Technology Licensing Specialist, National Institutes of Health, Office 
of Technology Transfer, Box OTT, Bethesda, Maryland 20892 (telephone 
301/496-7735; fax 301/402-0220). A signed confidentiality agreement 
will be required to receive copies of the patent application.

    Dated: January 14, 1994.
Donald P. Christoferson,
Acting Director, Office of Technology Transfer.
[FR Doc. 94-2088 Filed 1-28-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-M