[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 104 (Friday, May 28, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Page 30684]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-12127]


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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 inventions listed below are owned by an agency 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 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 Producing Biliverdin

Michael L. Pendrak, David D. Roberts (NCI)
U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/554,369 filed 19 Mar 2004 (DHHS 
Reference No. E-040-2004/0-US-01)
Licensing Contact: Michael Ambrose; 301/594-6565; 
[email protected].

    This invention details methods of use and composition of matter for 
preparing biliverdin. Biliverdin has been shown to have cytoprotective 
properties similar to bilirubin and can be used in the treatment of 
cardiovascular diseases, cancer, organ transplantation and other 
indications where inflammation occurs.
    Incubating bilirubin with a bilirubin oxidase from various 
biological sources produces biliverdin. Like bilirubin, biliverdin has 
been shown to have these cytoprotective properties but is more soluble, 
reduced toxicity and as such, reduced side effects. Thus biliverdin is 
a safer alternative to bilirubin for therapeutic treatment of 
cardiovascular disease, cancers, inflammation and Alzheimer's in both 
human and non-human mammals.

    The current technology involves methods of use and compositions of 
matter for the production and collection of biliverdin from 
microorganisms, including the yeast Candida albicans. Further claims 
include methods to enhance biliverdin production in microorganisms and 
use of biliverdin in the production of pharmaceuticals.

Vaccines Using Universally Inactivated Viruses, Parasites, and Tumor 
Cells

Yossef Raviv et al. (NCI)
U.S. Provisional Application filed 22 Mar 2004 (DHHS Reference No. E-
303-2003/0-US-01)
Licensing Contact: Susan Ano; (301) 435-5515; [email protected].

    The current technology describes the universal inactivation of 
viruses, parasites, and tumor cells by hydrophobic, photoactivatable 
compounds. These non-toxic compounds, such as 1,5-iodoanpthylazide 
(INA), will selectively accumulate in the innermost regions of 
biological membrane bilayers, where the compounds will bind to proteins 
and lipids upon irradiation with light, thus inactivating deeply 
embedded proteins while maintaining integrity and activity of the 
proteins on the surface. This inactivation preserves the structural and 
conformational integrity and therefore immunogenicity of the agent in 
question, which overcomes a potential problem associated with some 
other vaccines such as those containing killed pathogens. Furthermore, 
the inactivation approach presented in this technology provides for a 
safe, non-infectious composition for vaccination against the 
corresponding agent, whereas some vaccines, such as those involving 
live-attenuated microbial agents, still have a risk of infectivity 
associated with them.

Quinoline Inhibitors of Retroviral Integrase

Drs. Yves Pommier and Christophe Marchand (both of NCI); Drs. Roberto 
Di Santo, Marino Artico, and Roberta Costi (all of Pharmacy University 
of Rome ``La Sapienza'')
U.S. Provisional Application filed 10 Mar 2004 (DHHS Reference No. E-
187-2003/0-US-01)
Licensing Contact: Sally Hu; (301) 435-5606; [email protected].

    The subject invention describes certain diketo quinolin-4-1 
derivatives and their use as integrase inhibitors in the treatment of 
HIV infection. The results of in vitro integrase inhibition studies 
show that these derivatives have significant anti-integrase activity 
(e.g., an IC50 for strand transfer inhibition of not greater than 2 
[mu]M). Thus, these derivatives might be potentially important lead 
compounds for the development of integrase inhibitors. Since HIV 
integrase is an essential enzyme for effective viral replication, the 
development of such inhibitors of HIV integrase would thus potentially 
be useful and effective in the treatment of HIV infection.

    Dated: May 21, 2004.
Steven M. Ferguson,
Director, Division of Technology Development and Transfer, Office of 
Technology Transfer, National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. 04-12127 Filed 5-27-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P