[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 192 (Friday, October 3, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57472-57473]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-25072]


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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, Public Health Service, DHHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The invention listed below is owned by an agency of the U.S. 
Government and is 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 companies and may also be available for licensing.

[[Page 57473]]


ADDRESSES: Licensing information and copies of the U.S. patent 
application 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 application.

A New Target for Angiogenesis and Anti-angiogenesis Therapy

Frank Cuttitta et al. (NCI).
U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/425,018 filed 07 Nov 2002 (DHHS 
Reference No. E-294-2002/0-US-01).
Licensing Contact: Catherine Joyce; 301/435-5031; [email protected].

    Proadrenomedullin N-terminal 20 peptide (PAMP) is a 20 amino-acid 
molecule originating from the post-translational processing of pre-
proadrenomedullin. PAMP has heretofore been known as a potent 
hypotensive and vasodilatory agent. PAMP and adrenomedullin (AM) are 
the two known bioactive products generated from cleavage of pre-
proadrenomedullin. PAMP and AM are known to have vasodilatory and 
hypotensive activities. AM is also known to have angiogenic activity, 
whereas no such activity has previously been attributed to PAMP.
    The inventors have discovered that, in addition to its hypotensive 
and vasodilatory effects, PAMP functions as a potent angiogenic factor. 
When compared to other well-known angiogenic factors such as vascular 
endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor 
(bFGF), PAMP is roughly one million times more potent on a molar basis.
    In one aspect, the invention relates to the use of PAMP inhibitors 
to inhibit angiogenesis in vivo. These methods would be useful, for 
example, in inhibiting the growth of tumors and in treating other 
diseases characterized by excessive angiogenesis including psoriasis, 
diabetic retinopathy, and chronic wounds. In a second aspect, the 
invention relates to the use of PAMP or PAMP derivatives to promote 
angiogenesis, for example, in subjects with coronary artery disease or 
cerebral ischemia.

    Dated: September 27, 2003.
Steven M. Ferguson,
Director, Division of Technology Development and Transfer, Office of 
Technology Transfer, National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. 03-25072 Filed 10-2-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P