[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 139 (Wednesday, July 19, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44802-44803]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-18179]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health


Prospective Grant of Exclusive License: Method for production of 
Layered Expression Scans for Tissue and Cell Samples.

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. 209(c)(1) and 37 
CFR 404.7(a)(1)(i), that the National Institutes of Health (NIH), 
Department of Health and Human Services, is contemplating the grant of 
an exclusive license worldwide to practice the invention embodied in: 
U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 60/145,613 entitled ``Method for 
Production of Layered Expression Scans for Tissue and Cell Samples'', 
filed July 26, 1999, to 20/20 genomics, LLC. having a place of business 
in Rockville, Maryland. The United States of America is an assignee to 
the patent rights of this invention.
    The contemplated exclusive license may be limited to the 
development of instruments for medical diagnostics and research, based 
on the novel Layered Expression Scans (LES) technique.

DATES: Only written comments and/or applications for a license which 
are received by the NIH Office of Technology Transfer on or before 
September 18, 2000 will be considered.

ADDRESSES: Requests for a copy of the patent application, inquiries, 
comments and other materials relating to the contemplated license 
should be directed to: Uri Reichman, Ph.D., Technology Licensing 
Specialist, Office of Technology Transfer, National Institutes of 
Health, 6011 Executive Boulevard, Suite 325, Rockville, MD 20852-3804; 
Telephone: (301) 496-7056, ext. 240; Facsimile: (301) 402-0220; E-mail: 
[email protected]. A signed Confidential Disclosure Agreement will be 
required to receive copies of the patent application.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    LES is a new approach to comprehensive molecular analysis of 
biological samples that uses a layered array of capture membranes 
coupled to biological binders (antibodies, receptors, or DNA sequences) 
to perform multiplex protein, DNA or mRNA analysis. Cell or tissue 
samples are transferred through a series of individual capture layers, 
each linked to a separate binder. As the biomolecules in the sample 
traverse the membrane set, each targeted protein, mRNA or DNA is 
specifically captured by the layer containing its corresponding binder 
and then identified and quantified by molecular staining. The two-
dimensional relationship of the cell populations of a tissue sample is 
maintained during the transfer process, thereby producing a molecular 
profile of each cell type present. The LES technology, when fully 
developed, will have multiple applications in both clinical and 
research areas. In particular, it will have applications in diagnostic 
and prognostic analysis of diseased tissues (i.e., tumors).
    The prospective exclusive license will be royalty-bearing and will 
comply with the terms and conditions of 35 U.S.C. 209 and 37 CFR 404.7. 
The prospective exclusive license may be granted unless, within 60 days 
from the date of this published Notice, NIH receives written evidence 
and argument that establishes

[[Page 44803]]

that the grant of the license would not be consistent with the 
requirements of 35 U.S.C. 209 and 37 CFR 404.7.
    Properly filed competing applications for a license filed in 
response to this notice will be treated as objections to the 
contemplated license. Comments and objections submitted in response 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. 552.

    Dated: July 12, 2000.
Jack Spiegel,
Director, Division of Technology, Development and Transfer, Office of 
Technology Transfer.
[FR Doc. 00-18179 Filed 7-18-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-M