[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 172 (Tuesday, September 6, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55069-55070]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-22688]


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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.

Fully Automated Bone Mineral Densitometry on Routine CT Scans

    Description of Technology: The invention relates to an improved 
system for measuring bone mineral density (BMD). BMD measurement is an 
important tool for the diagnosis of osteopenia- and osteoporosis-
related fractures, a significant national health problem primarily 
affecting the elderly and women after menopause. More specifically, the 
invention relates to an algorithm and software for fully automating BMD 
measurement, using routine CT data and eliminating the need for a 
reference phantom or a specialized imaging protocol. The current 
standard methods not only require reference phantom to be placed 
underneath the patient and a specialized imaging protocol, but they 
also require manually placed regions of interest (ROI) to identify the 
appropriate bone structures. The benefit of the automated method 
provided in the invention is that with this system BMD measurement will 
be available for every patient with chest/abdominal CT scan (millions 
are done every year) so that the potential low bone mineral density can 
be discovered.
    Potential Commercial Applications:
     The technique can be integrated to a CT scanner to provide 
automated measurement of BMD for every CT scan.
     The technique can be integrated into PACS (Picture 
Archiving and Communication Systems) to report BMD at the time of image 
interpretation by the radiologist or clinician.
    Competitive Advantages: The technique can be readily integrated to 
existing medical imaging systems such as CT scanners (to provide BMD 
measurement with every CT scan) or PACS (to report BMD at the time of 
image interpretation).
    Development Stage:
     Prototype
     In vivo data available (human)
    Inventors: Ronald M. Summers et al. (NIH-CC)
    Publication: Summers RM, et al. Feasibility of simultaneous 
computed tomographic colonography and fully automated bone mineral 
densitometry in a single examination. J Comput Assist Tomogr. 2011 Mar-
Apr;35(2):212-216. [PMID 21412092]
    Intellectual Property: HHS Reference No. E-218-2011/0--Research 
Tool. Patent protection is not being pursued for this technology.
    Licensing Contact: Michael Shmilovich, Esq.; 301-435-5019; 
[email protected].

Filovirus Vaccines and Diagnostics Based on Glycoprotein-Fc Fusion 
Proteins

    Description of Technology: Ebola virus is a member of the 
Filoviridae, a family of viruses classified as ``Category A'' 
bioterrorism agents that cause severe hemorrhagic fever in humans and 
nonhuman primates with high morbidity and mortality rates up to 90%. 
This invention provides an efficacious Filovirus subunit vaccine based 
on a recombinant protein consisting of the extracellular domain of the 
Filovirus glycoprotein fused to an Fc Fragment of human immunoglobulin 
(FiloGP-Fc). Vaccination with FiloGP-Fc elicited humoral and cellular 
immunity against Filoviruses. The FiloGP-Fc vaccine induced antibodies 
that bound and neutralized replication-competent recombinant G-deleted 
Vesicular Stomatitis Virus containing the Filovirus GP (rVSV-FiloGP), 
and protected animals against Filovirus lethal challenge. Also 
described are cellular and humoral immunity tests as well as rVSV-
FiloGP neutralization tests to evaluate anti-Filovirus immune responses 
in individuals.
    Potential Commercial Applications:
     Vaccines for protection against infections by Ebola Virus 
and other Filoviruses.
     Diagnostic tests for cellular and humoral immunity based 
on FiloGP-Fc and rVSV-FiloGP to evaluate anti-Filovirus immune 
responses in vaccinated and infected animals and individuals.
    Competitive Advantages: Filovirus vaccine candidates based on 
virus-like particles and virus vectors are currently under development 
by others. However, efficacious subunit vaccines have not yet been 
developed. The FiloGP-Fc fusion protein described in this invention has 
the advantage of resembling the native glycoprotein expressed at the 
surface of cells and viral particles. Thus, in addition to vaccines, 
the soluble FiloGP-Fc fusion proteins are ideal substrates to evaluate 
immune responses in animals and vaccinees.
    Development Stage:
     Early-stage
     Pre-clinical
     In vitro data available
     In vivo data available (animal)
    Inventors: Geraldo Kaplan (FDA), Krishnamurthy Konduru (FDA), et 
al.
    Publication: Konduru K, et al. Ebola virus glycoprotein Fc fusion 
protein confers protection against lethal challenge in vaccinated mice. 
Vaccine 2011 Apr 5;29(16):2968-2977. [PMID 21329775]

[[Page 55070]]

    Intellectual Property: HHS Reference No. E-222-2010/0--U.S. Patent 
Application No. 61/407,842 filed 28 October 2010.
    Licensing Contact: Cristina Thalhammer-Reyero, PhD, MBA; 301-435-
4507; [email protected].

Richard U. Rodriguez,
Director, Division of Technology Development and Transfer, Office of 
Technology Transfer, National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. 2011-22688 Filed 9-2-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P