[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 120 (Thursday, June 22, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35922-35924]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-5579]


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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, HHS.

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.

Beta-Amyloid PET Imaging Agents

    Description of Technology: Available for licensing and commercial 
development are two novel classes of compounds useful as radioligands 
for in vivo imaging of beta-amyloid (A[beta]) peptides and plaques in 
humans.

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[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN22JN06.002

    Beta-amyloid peptide deposition in the brain is a pathological 
feature of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Early detection of beta-amyloid 
load in patients with suspected AD is vital to initiating early 
treatment, which can improve cognitive function and quality of life for 
many patients.
    The invention describes novel derivatives of 
imidazopyridinylbenzeneamine (IMPY) and benzothizolylbenzeneamine 
(BTA), which demonstrate high in vitro binding affinity to human beta-
amyloid. The difference between existing IMPY compounds and the novel 
derivatives is the substitution of an aryl halide with an aryl 
thioether group and replacement of a sulfur group of the pyridine ring 
with a nitrogen group. The new classes of compounds have the potential 
of providing improved amyloid imaging agents for Positron Emission 
Tomography (PET) with higher specificity for amyloid, low background 
noise, better entry into the brain and improved labeling efficiency.
    In addition to the novel compounds, the invention also includes: 
(1) A new method of synthesizing the IMPY derivatives, using palladium 
as a catalyst, (2) methods of imaging beta-amyloid deposits in the 
brain by in vivo PET, magnetic reasonance imaging (MRI) and other 
imaging methods involving the use of these compounds, and (3) and 
methods of labeling these compounds with radiotracers ([11-C] and [18-
F]).
    Inventors: Lisheng Cai (NIMH), Victor Pike (NIMH), and Robert Innis 
(NIMH).
    Publications:
    1. Nichols L, Pike VW, Cai L, Innis RB. (2006) ``Imaging and In 
Vivo Quantitation of beta-Amyloid: An Exemplary Biomarker for 
Alzheimer's Disease?,'' Biol Psychiatry. [E-pub ahead of print].
    2. Toyoma H, et al. (2006) ``PET imaging of brain with the beta-
amyloid probe, [11C]6-OH-BTA-1, in a transgenic mouse model of 
Alzheimer's disease,'' Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 32(5), 593-600.
    3. Cai L, et al. (2004) ``Synthesis and Evaluation of Two\18\ F-
Labeled 6-Iodo-2-(4'-N,N-dimethylamino)phenylimidazo[1,2-a]pyidine 
Derivatives as Prospective Radioligands for -Amyloid in Alzheimer's 
Disease,'' J Med Chem, 47 (9), 2208-2218.
    Patent Status: U.S. Provisional Application filed 21 Apr 2006 (HHS 
Reference No. E-156-2006/0-US-01).
    Licensing Status: Available for non-exclusive or exclusive 
licensing.
    Licensing Contact: Michael Shmilovich; 301/435-5019; 
[email protected].
    Collaborative Research Opportunity: The NIMH Molecular Imaging 
Branch is seeking statements of capability or interest from parties 
interested in collaborative research to further develop, evaluate, or 
commercialize Beta-Amyloid PET Imaging Agents. Please contact Suzanne 
Winfield at [email protected] for more information.

Carbohydrate-Encapsulated Quantum Dots for Cell-Specific Biological 
Imaging

    Description of Technology: Available for licensing is intellectual 
property covering carbohydrate-encapsulated quantum dots (QD) for use 
in medical imaging and methods of making the same. Certain 
carbohydrates, especially those included on tumor glycoproteins are 
known to have affinity for certain cell types. One notable glycan used 
in the present invention is the Thomsen-Freidenreich disaccharide 
(Galb1-3GalNAc) that is readily detectable in 90% of all primary human 
carcinomas and their metastases. These glycans can be exploited for 
medical imaging. Quantum Dots (QDs) are semiconductor nanocrystals 
(CdSe or CdTe) with detectable luminescent properties. Encapsulating 
luminescent QDs with target-specific glycans permits efficient imaging 
of the tissue to which the glycans bind with high affinity. Accurate 
imaging of diseased cells (e.g., primary and metastatic tumors) is of 
primary importance in disease management. The inventors describe a 
method for enhancing the luminescence of carbohydrate-encapsulated QDs 
by addition of specific functional units in a novel synthesis of hybrid 
CdTe-based core-shell semiconductor nanocrystals.
    Inventors: Joseph Barchi and Sergey Svarovsky (NCI).
    Patent Status: PCT Application No. PCT/US03/34897 filed 05 Nov 2003 
(HHS Reference No. E-325-2003/0-PCT-01).

[[Page 35924]]

    Licensing Status: Available for non-exclusive or exclusive 
licensing.
    Licensing Contact: Michael Shmilovich; 301/435-5019; 
[email protected].
    Collaborative Research Opportunity: The National Cancer Institute, 
Center for Cancer Research, Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry is 
seeking statements of capability or interest from parties interested in 
collaborative research to further develop, evaluate, or commercialize 
carbohydrate-encapsulated quantum dots. Please contact Dr. Melissa 
Maderia by phone: (301) 846-5465 or fax: (301) 846-6820 or e-mail: 
[email protected] for more information.

    Dated: June 14, 2006.
David R. Sadowski,
Acting Director, Division of Technology Development and Transfer, 
Office of Technology Transfer, National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. 06-5579 Filed 6-21-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-M