[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 205 (Wednesday, October 23, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63229-63230]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-24819]


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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, 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. 209 and 37 CFR Part 404 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 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.

Peptide Inhibitor of p38 Mapk Signaling for the Treatment of 
Inflammatory Autoimmune Diseases and Inflammatory Cancers

    Description of Technology: This invention relates to a peptide 
fragment of GADD45A growth arrest and DNA-damage-inducible, alpha 
(Gadd45a), a protein involved in the p38 Map kinase signaling pathway. 
Although the fragment is only 15 amino acids in length, it retains the 
functionality of Gadd45a by inhibiting enzymatic activity of tyrosine-
323-phosphorylaled p38 in vitro. The peptide fragment is tagged to 
render it cell-permeable and, according to in vitro studies, it 
exhibits minimal toxicity. The inventors have found that the fragment 
readily penetrates T cells to inhibit (a) proliferation in response to 
T cell receptor-mediated stimulation; (b) skewing of T cells to Th I 
and Th 17 cells; and (c) inflammatory cytokine production. As a result, 
this fragment has anti-inflammatory properties and has potential as a 
therapeutic for inflammatory autoimmune conditions or inflammatory 
cancers, such as pancreatic cancer.
    Potential Commercial Applications: Treatment for inflammatory 
autoimmune conditions or inflammatory cancers, such as pancreatic 
cancer.
    Competitive Advantages: Minimal cellular toxicity.
    Development Stage: In vitro data available.
    Inventors: Jonathan D. Ashwell, Mohammed S. Alam, Paul R. 
Mittelstadt (all of NCI).
    Intellectual Property:
     HHS Reference No. E-281-2012/0--US Provisional Application 
No. 61/728,368 filed 20 Nov 2012.
     HHS Reference No. E-281-2012/1--US Provisional Application 
No. 61/774,066 filed 07 Mar 2013.
    Licensing Contact: Jaime M. Greene; 301-435-5559; 
[email protected].

[[Page 63230]]

Cannabinoid Receptor 1 (CB1) Inverse Agonists for the Treatment of 
Diabetes, Obesity and Their Complications

    Description of Technology: Endocannabinoids are lipid signaling 
molecules that act on the same cannabinoid receptors--CB1 and CB2--that 
recognize and mediate the effects of marijuana. Activation of CB1 
receptors increases appetite and the biosynthesis and storage of 
lipids, inhibits the actions of insulin and leptin, and promotes tissue 
inflammation and fibrosis. This has led to the development of CB1 
receptor blocking drugs (inverse agonists) for the treatment of obesity 
and its metabolic complications, referred to as the metabolic syndrome. 
However, many CB1 inverse agonists can cross the blood-brain barrier, 
causing psychiatric side effects.
    Researchers at NIH have now developed a novel strategy to 
structurally modify CB1 inverse agonists with the goals of (1) limiting 
their brain penetrance without losing their metabolic efficacy due to 
CB1 inverse agonism, and (2) generating compounds whose primary 
metabolite directly targets enzymes involved in inflammatory and 
fibrotic processes associated with metabolic disorders. These modified 
CB1 inverse agonists can be used to effectively treat metabolic 
syndrome and its complications without the risk of the psychiatric side 
effects, and have improved antiinflammatory and antifibrotic efficacy 
due to acting on more than one molecular target.

    Potential Commercial Applications:

 Treatment for obesity
 Treatment for metabolic syndrome
 Treatment of diabetes
 Treatment of fibrosis

    Competitive Advantages:

 Inhibits metabolic activity without causing psychiatric side 
effects
 Offers improved antiinflammatory and antifibrotic efficacy

    Development Stage:

 In vitro data available
 In vivo data available (animal)

    Inventors: George Kunos (NIAAA), Milliga Iyer (NIAAA), Resat Cinar 
(NIAAA), Kenner Rice (NIDA)
    Intellectual Property: HHS Reference No. E-282-2012/0--US 
Provisional Application No. 61/725,949 filed 11 Nov 2012.
    Licensing Contact: Jaime M. Greene; 301-435-5559; 
[email protected].
    Collaborative Research Opportunity: The National Institute on 
Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Laboratory of Physiologic Studies, is 
seeking statements of capability or interest from parties interested in 
collaborative research to further develop, evaluate or commercialize 
peripherally restricted CB1 receptor blockers with improved efficacy. 
For collaboration opportunities, please contact George Kunos, M.D., 
Ph.D. at [email protected] or 301-443-2069.

Software Method for 2-D NMR Tissue Compartment Analysis

    Description of Technology: The invention pertains to a method for 
improving the accuracy of compartment characterization using NMR. 
Conventional methods use Laplace transformation analyzed one 
dimensional transverse NMR relaxometry to investigate spin-lattice 
decay of water in diverse body compartments using. This method, 
although used extensively, is inaccurate and limited by signal-to-noise 
obscurities and when the materials and compartments to be analyzed vary 
in size or have disparate relaxation characteristics.
    The improved method of this invention utilizes the detection of a 
2-dimensional (2-D) NMR signal, created through use of a standard pulse 
sequence and variations, analysis of the signal using inverse Laplace 
transform, followed by projection of the resultant 2-D data onto a 
single axis corresponding to the parameter of original interest. The 
method can be extended to analyses for 3-D or higher dimensional 
experiments and inverse Laplace transforms.
    Potential Commercial Applications:

 Compartment analysis
 Petroleum discovery
 Multiple sclerosis

    Competitive Advantages:

    Compartment resolution
    Development Stage: Prototype
    Inventors: Richard G. Spencer and Hasan Celik (NIA)
    Intellectual Property: HHS Reference No. E-734-2013/0--Software. 
Patent protection is not being pursued for this technology.
    Licensing Contact: Michael Shmilovich; 301-435-5019; 
[email protected]

    Dated: October 18, 2013.
Richard U. Rodriguez,
Director, Division of Technology Development and Transfer, Office of 
Technology Transfer, National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. 2013-24819 Filed 10-22-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P