[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 111 (Friday, June 10, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33909-33910]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-11576]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health


Government-Owned Inventions; Availability for Licensing: 3-
Hydroxy-3-Methylglutaryl Coenzyme A Reductase Inhibitors as a Modality 
in Cancer Therapy

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The invention described 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.

ADDRESSES: Licensing information may be obtained by contacting George 
G. Pipia, Ph.D., at the Office of Technology Transfer, National 
Institutes of Health, 6011 Executive Boulevard, Suite 325, Rockville, 
Maryland 20852-3804; telephone: (301) 435-5560; fax: (301) 402-0220; e-
mail: [email protected].

Use of Inhibitors of 3-Hydroxy-3-Methylglutaryl Coenzyme A Reductase as 
a Modality in Cancer Therapy

Charles Myers, Jane Trepel, Won Ki Kang, Luke Whitsell, Leonard Neckers 
(NCI). U.S. Patent No. 6,040,334 issued 21 Mar 2000 (DHHS Reference No. 
E-146-1992/0-US-23).

[[Page 33910]]

Licensing Contact: George Pipia; 301/435-5560; [email protected].

    The invention provides a method for treating mammalian 
adenocarcinomas and sarcomas comprising administration of an effective 
amount of an inhibitor of HMG Co-A or homologues of the inhibitor. 
Adenocarcinoma is known to afflict the prostate, stomach, lung, breast 
and colon, as well as other sites. Examples of compounds useful in the 
present invention are lovastatin and simvastatin as well as their 
homologues. Also included are compounds classified as HMG Co-A 
inhibitors, as well as their homologues or analogues. Generally, these 
HMG Co-A inhibitors are known to lower serum cholesterol in humans. 
However, the present invention is not so limited. That is, an inhibitor 
of HMG Co-A or one of its homologues may work in the method of the 
present invention without necessarily lowering serum cholesterol. The 
invention focuses not on the compound's ability to lower cholesterol, 
but rather on the compound's ability to treat selected cancers, such as 
adenocarcinomas of the prostate, stomach, lung, breast and colon and 
certain sarcomas such as Ewing's sarcoma.
    Also provided by the invention is a method of reducing prostate 
specific antigen (PSA) levels in a patient having prostatic 
adenocarcinoma comprising administration of an effective amount of a 
compound which is an inhibitor of HMG Co-A or a homologue of such 
inhibitor. The invention also includes a method of reducing PSA in 
conjunction with another treatment modality.
    The claims encompassing this technology are directed to the methods 
of treating certain types of cancer with inhibitors of HMG Co-A 
reductase, and specifically with lovastatin and simvastatin (see the 
U.S. issued patent 6,040,334: http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=/netahtml/srchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=6,040,334.WKU.&OS=PN/6,040,334&RS=PN/6,040,334).
    In addition to licensing, the technology is available for further 
development through collaborative research opportunities with the 
inventors.

    Dated: June 3, 2005.
Steven M. Ferguson,
Director, Division of Technology Development and Transfer, Office of 
Technology Transfer, National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. 05-11576 Filed 6-9-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P