[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 113 (Monday, June 12, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36836-36837]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-14749]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health


Prospective Grant of Exclusive License: Antagonists of the 
]\E\[7 Integrin as Therapeutic Agents for Inflammatory 
Diseases

AGENCY: National Institutes of Health, Public Health Service, DHHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This is notice, in accordance with 35 U.S.C. Sec. 209 (c) (1) 
and 37 CFR Sec. 404.7 (a) (1) (i), that the National Institutes of 
Health, Department of Health and Human Services is contemplating the 
grant of an exclusive license to practice the inventions embodied in 
PCT Patent Application S/N PCT/US99/27817 (filed November 23, 1999) 
based on U.S. Patent Application 60/109,957 (filed November 25, 1998), 
entitled ``Antagonists of the \E\7 
Integrin as Therapeutic Agents for Inflammatory Diseases'', to BioSeek, 
Inc., having a place of business in San Francisco, CA. The patent 
rights in these inventions have been assigned to the United States of 
America.
    The prospective exclusive license territory will be worldwide and 
the field of use may be limited to \E\7-
related human therapeutics for the treatment of inflammatory diseases.

DATES: Only written comments and/or license applications which are 
received by the National Institutes of Health on or before August 11, 
2000 will be considered.

ADDRESSES: Requests for copies of the patent, inquiries, comments and 
other materials relating to the contemplated exclusive license should 
be directed to: Vasant Gandhi, J.D., Ph.D., Technology Licensing 
Specialist, Office of Technology Transfer, National Institutes of 
Health, 6011 Executive Boulevard,

[[Page 36837]]

Suite 325, Rockville, MD 20852-3804; Telephone: (301) 496-7056, X224; 
Facsimile (301) 402-0220; E-mail [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The pathogenesis of inflammatory reactions 
may depend upon the traffic of inflammatory mediating cells from sites 
of induction to sites of inflammation. This trafficking is known to be 
mediated, in part, by the interaction of the integrin, 
\4\7, and the addressin, mucosa adressin 
cell adhesion molecule-1. This homing, which governs the entry of cells 
into tissues, is accompanied by additional adhesion molecule-ligand 
interactions that ensure the retention of cells in the target tissue.
    The inventors believe the integrin, 
\E\7, may play a role in retaining 
intraepithelial lymphocytes in the intraepithelial site via its 
interaction with E-cadherin. Experiments have shown in IL-
2-/- mice, that administration of anti-
\E\7 can prevent colonic inflammation and 
reverse pre-existing inflammation. This data is important because it 
strongly suggests that both entry and retention of cells are necessary 
for the induction and maintenance of colitis in these IL-
2-/- mice. The present technology relates to methods for 
treating inflammatory reactions for but not necessarily limited to: 
autoimmune diseases, graft-versus-host disease and transplantation 
rejections.
    The prospective exclusive license: will be royalty-bearing and will 
comply with the terms and conditions of 35 U.S.C. Sec. 209 and 37 CFR 
404.7. The prospective exclusive license may be granted unless within 
sixty (60) days from the date of this published notice, the NIH 
receives written evidence and argument that establish that the grant of 
the license would not be consistent with the requirements of 35 U.S.C. 
Sec. 209 and 37 CFR 404.7.
    Applications for a license in the field of use filed in response to 
this notice will be treated as objections to the grant of the 
contemplated exclusive license. Comments and objections submitted to 
this notice will not be made available for public inspection and, to 
the extent permitted by law, will not be released under the Freedom of 
Information Act, 5 U.S.C. Sec. 552.

    Dated: June 1, 2000.
Jack Spiegel,
Director, Division of Technology Development and Transfer, Office of 
Technology Transfer.
[FR Doc. 00-14749 Filed 6-9-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P