[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 156 (Monday, August 13, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Page 42554]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-20192]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health


Prospective Grant of Exclusive License: Antibodies and Other 
Ligands Directed Against KIR2DL4 Receptor For Production of Interferon 
Gamma

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 to practice the invention embodied in: United 
States Patent Application 60/242,419 entitled ``Antibodies and Other 
Ligands Directed Against KIR2DL4 Receptor For Production of Interferon 
Gamma'' filed on October 23, 2000, to InterMune, Inc., having a place 
of business in Brisbane, California. The patent rights in this 
invention have been assigned to the United States of America.

DATES: Only written comments and/or application for a license which are 
received by the NIH Office of Technology Transfer on or before October 
12, 2001 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: Peter Soukas, Office of Technology Transfer, 
National Institutes of Health, 6011 Executive Boulevard, Suite 325, 
Rockville, MD 20852-3804; Email: [email protected]; Telephone: (301) 496-
7056, ext. 268; Facsimile: (301) 402-0220.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This invention concerns the natural 
production of interferon gamma by the stimulation of the KIR2DL4 
receptor by an antibody or other ligand. Human natural killer (NK) 
cells express several killer cell immunoglobulin (Ig)-like receptors 
(KIRs) that inhibit their cytotoxicity upon recognition of human 
histocompatibility leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I molecules on target 
cells. Unlike other HLA class I-specific KIRs, which are clonally 
distributed on NK cells, KIR2DL4 is expressed at the surface of all NK 
cells. This invention may be used to treat infections and cancer.
    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 that the grant of the license would not 
be consistent with the requirements of 35 U.S.C. 209 and 37 CFR 404.7.
    The field of use may be limited to therapy and prevention of human 
diseases.
    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: August 2, 2001.
Jack Spiegel,
Director, Division of Technology Development and Transfer, Office of 
Technology Transfer.
[FR Doc. 01-20192 Filed 8-10-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P