[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 122 (Tuesday, June 24, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35700-35701]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-14257]


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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.

Novel Fluorinated Dmt-Tic Analogues for Use as PET Radiotracers

    Description of Technology: Researchers at the NIH have developed 
fluorine-18 (\18\F) labeled analogues specific for the delta-opioid 
receptors. These radioligands include analogues of the Dmt-Tic 
pharmacophore, containing a delta-opioid receptor antagonist that may 
be useful for imaging opioid receptors expressed in lung malignant 
tumors or other peripheral tumors that express delta-opioid receptors. 
This methodology might be readily applicable to Dmt-Tic pharmacophoric 
ligands that exhibit dual antagonism for delta-/mu-opioid receptors.
    Studies by the inventors have shown that injected radioligand 
failed to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) of rats; therefore, these 
compounds could serve as radiotracers for assessing and locating 
certain carcinomas that contain high

[[Page 35701]]

levels of delta-opioid receptors, such as lung, breast and/or colon 
cancers. Since there is an increasing demand of radioligands for in 
vivo imaging of peripheral opioid receptors, this technology has the 
potential of enhancing current practices of PET imaging in oncology.
    Available for licensing are compositions and methods of locating 
delta- and/or mu-opioid receptors located in peripheral cancers, such 
as in lung, breast, and/or colorectal cancer, using opiate 
radioligands.
    Applications: Non-invasive tool for screening lung, breast, and/or 
colorectal cancers. Diagnostic tool for use in PET imaging.
    Market: For 2007, it was projected that close to 1.5 million 
Americans would develop cancer.
    PET imaging is steadily becoming a technique of choice in oncology 
so many of these patients will likely undergo scans several times 
during their treatment to assess the stage of their disease. This is 
supported by rising sales of FDG, which are expected to reach $933 
million by 2012.
    Development Status: Early stage.
    Inventors: Lawrence H. Lazarus (NIEHS) et al.
    Relevant Publication: KA Roth and JD Barchas. Small cell carcinoma 
cell lines contain opioid peptides and receptors. Cancer 1986 Feb 
15;57(4):769-773.
    Patent Status: U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/970,143 filed 05 
Sep 2007 (HHS Reference No. E-317-2007/0-US-01).
    Licensing Status: Available for licensing.
    Licensing Contact: Charlene A. Sydnor, PhD.; 301-435-4689; 
[email protected].
    Collaborative Research Opportunity: The NIEHS Laboratory of 
Pharmacology, Medicinal Chemistry Group, is seeking statements of 
capability or interest from parties interested in collaborative 
research to further develop, evaluate, or commercialize this 
technology. Please contact Elizabeth Denholm, PhD., Director, NIEHS 
Office of Technology Transfer, at 919-541-0981 or [email protected] 
for more information.

Novel Isoform of KCNH2 for the Treatment of Schizophrenia

    Description of Technology: Researchers at the NIH report the 
discovery and characterization of a novel isoform of the voltage-gated 
potassium channel KCNH2. This novel isoform is shown to control 
neurological firing and has implication as a genetic risk factor for 
schizophrenia. It is highly expressed in the hippocampus of 
schizophrenic patients and also in normal individuals who carry risk-
associated alleles of KCNH2. This novel isoform may be a suitable 
target for drug development as is it minimally expressed in the heart 
with the potential to exert less adverse cardiovascular side-effects, 
which is often a consequence of currently available antipsychotic 
drugs.
    Available for licensing and commercial development are nucleic 
acids, polypeptides and antibodies specific for this novel isoform, as 
well as methods of screening for therapeutic agents and predicting 
susceptibility to schizophrenia.
    Applications: Potential new psychotherapeutic agent with less 
cardiac side-effects. Potential drug screening assay for identifying 
new psychotherapeutic drugs. Potential diagnostic tool for determining 
susceptibility of schizophrenia.
    Market: Schizophrenia is among the most severe of the mental 
illnesses and has a lifetime prevalence of approximately 1% worldwide.
    More than 2,000,000 Americans have schizophrenia and it accounts 
for 2.5% of U.S. health care costs and 75% of expenditures for long-
term mental health.
    Development Status: Early stage.
    Inventors: Daniel R. Weinberger et al. (NIMH).
    Patent Status: U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/920,220 filed 26 
Mar 2007 (HHS Reference No. E-245-2006/0-US-01).
    PCT Application No. PCT/US2008/057913 filed 21 Mar 2008 (HHS 
Reference No. E-245-2006/0-PCT-02).
    Licensing Status: Available for licensing.
    Licensing Contact: Charlene A. Sydnor, PhD.; 301-435-4689; 
[email protected].
    Collaborative Research Opportunity: The NIMH Clinical Brain 
Disorders Branch is seeking statements of capability or interest from 
parties interested in collaborative research to further develop, 
evaluate, or commercialize potassium channel isoform associated with 
schizophrenia. Please contact Suzanne Winfield at 301-402-4324/[email protected] for more information.

    Dated: June 13, 2008.
Richard U. Rodriguez,
Director, Division of Technology Development and Transfer, Office of 
Technology Transfer, National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. E8-14257 Filed 6-23-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P