[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 112 (Wednesday, June 11, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31835-31836]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-15299]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health


Government-Owned Inventions; Availability for Licensing

AGENCY: National Institutes of Health.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The inventions listed below are owned by agencies of the U.S. 
Government and are available for licensing in the U.S. in accordance 
with 35 U.S.C. 207 to achieve expeditious commercialization of results 
of federally funded research and development. Foreign patent 
applications are filed on selected inventions to extend market coverage 
for U.S. companies and may also be available for licensing.

ADDRESSES: Licensing information and copies of the U.S. patent 
applications listed below may be obtained by writing to the indicated 
licensing contact at the Office of Technology Transfer, National 
Institutes of Health, 6011 Executive Boulevard, Suite 325, Rockville, 
Maryland 20852-3804; telephone: 301/496-7057; fax: 301/402-0220. A 
signed Confidential Disclosure Agreement will be required to receive 
copies of the patent applications.

Methods for Detecting Cervical Cancer

T Ried et al. (NHGRI)
U.S. Patent Serial No. 08/781,424 filed 10 Jan 97
Licensing Contact: Mary Savagner, 301/496-7735 ext. 205

    Last year, nearly 16,000 women in the United States were diagnosed 
with invasive cervical carcinoma and nearly 5,000 women died from the 
disease. While the widespread promotion and use of the Pap smear has 
contributed to the reduced mortality rate associated with the disease 
over the last 30 years, there is still a need for improvement and 
optimization of the screening process. Despite tremendous efforts, the 
automated analysis of cervical PAP smears based on cytopathological 
stains has not been achieved. Also, cytopathological analyses reveal 
insufficient information to predict disease progression.
    This invention provides a method of detecting the presence of 
invasive cervical carcinoma by detecting in a cervical cell taken from 
a patient the presence of a chromosomal aberration indicating the 
presence of invasive cervical carcinoma. The invention also provides a 
method of diagnosing advanced-stage cervical carcinoma in a patient as 
well as a method of classifying the progression of dysplastic cervical 
cells from non-invasive to invasive cervical carcinoma. In addition, 
the invention provides kits comprising nucleic acids that specifically 
hybridize in chromosome 3q and specifically hybridize to another 
chromosome, and to compositions comprising nucleic acids. (portfolio: 
Cancer--Diagnostics, in vitro, other)

Chimeric Nucleic Acid Sequences Encoding attenuated Hepatitis A Viruses 
and the Use of These Sequences and Viruses as Vaccines

SU Emerson, SA Harmon, E Ehrenfeld, DF Summers (NIAID)
Serial No. 08/547,482 filed 24 Oct 95
Licensing Contact: Gloria Richmond, 301/496-7056 ext. 268

    This invention is directed to chimeric hepatitis A viruses, 
containing mutations in the 2A gene, which will be used as the basis 
for an attenuated vaccine for humans. The mutations in the 2A gene are 
unusual because they are not naturally occurring mutations but were 
engineered into an infectious cDNA clone. These mutations in 2A are 
able to decrease pathology substantially and offer the opportunity of 
constructing a virus that will induce effective immunity without 
causing disease. Sales of the inactivated vaccine in Europe have 
demonstrated the commercial importance of a vaccine for hepatitis A. An 
attenuated vaccine would be more economical and easier to administer. 
(portfolio: Infectious Diseases--Vaccines, viral, non-AIDS)

Vaccine for Dengue Virus

C-J Lai, M Bray, AG Pletnev, R Men, Y-M Zhang, KH Eckels (NIAID)
Serial No. 08/250,802 filed 27 May 94
Licensing Contact: Gloria H. Richmond, 301/496-7056 ext 268

    The claimed invention relates to recombinant modified or viable 
chimeric dengue viruses for use as vaccines against dengue and other 
flavivirus disease, including tick-borne encephalitis. Dengue is a 
mosquito-transmitted viral disease which occurs in tropical and 
subtropical regions throughout the world. Inactivated whole dengue 
virus vaccines have been shown to be insufficiently immunogenic and 
live dengue virus vaccines prepared by serial passage in cell culture 
have not been shown to be consistently attenuated. A dengue vaccine is 
still not available. The present invention represents a technical 
breakthrough, which provides new approaches to dengue vaccines by 
construction of chimeric dengue viruses of all four serotypes and 
strategic modification to produce attentuated virus strains. Several 
fields of use remain available for licensing. (portfolio: Infectious 
Diseases--Vaccines, viral, non-AIDS)

Parvovirus B19 Receptor and Parvovirus B19 Detection

N Young, K Brown (NHLBI)
Serial No. 08/034,132 filed 22 Mar 93; U.S. Patent 5,449,608 issued 12 
Sep 95
Licensing Contact: Gloria H. Richmond, 301/496-7056 ext 268

    The claimed invention provides a method of detecting the presence 
of a parvovirus in a sample. Parvoviruses infect animals and man. In 
man, the only known pathogenic member of this family is parvovirus B19. 
The inventors have identified the parvovirus B19 receptor which 
provides for a method to diagnose, prevent, and treat parvovirus 
infection utilizing the binding affinity for the receptor. (portfolio: 
Infectious

[[Page 31836]]

Diseases--diagnostics, viral, non-AIDS; Infectious Diseases--
Therapeutics, anti-viral, non-AIDS)

    Dated: May 30, 1997.
Barbara M. McGarey,
Deputy Director, Office of Technology Transfer.
[FR Doc. 97-15299 Filed 6-10-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-M