[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 109 (Friday, June 6, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32743-32744]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-13097]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health


Government-Owned Inventions; Availability for Licensing

AGENCY: National Institutes of Health, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Technology descriptions follow.

RNA Splicing Inhibitors To Treat Cancers

    Description of Technology: Vemurafenib is a B-Raf enzyme inhibitor 
that causes cell death in melanoma tumor cells that possess a mutated 
B-Raf protein (V600E BRAF mutation); however, patients rapidly develop 
resistance. One mechanism for acquired resistance of these patients to 
BRAF inhibitors has been found to be mediated by the existence of BRAF 
(V600E) splicing variants that possess structural changes in BRAF that 
confer insensitivity to BRAF inhibitors.
    Researchers at the National Cancer Institute have discovered that 
RNA splicing inhibitors can block the growth of vemurafenib-resistant 
tumors. Further, the researchers have also found that other types of 
tumors that possess BRAF splicing isoforms are susceptible to RNA 
splicing inhibitors.
    Available for licensing are methods of using RNA splicing 
inhibitors to treat tumors, including melanomas, and methods to detect 
tumors that possess certain BRAF splicing isoforms susceptible to RNA 
splicing inhibitors.
    Potential Commercial Applications: Therapeutic agents to treat 
tumors.
    Competitive Advantages: No discernible toxicity in mice.
    Development Stage: Early-stage; In vitro data available; In vivo 
data available (animal).
    Inventors: Thomas A. Misteli and Maayan Salton-Morgenstern (NCI).
    Intellectual Property: HHS Reference No. E-065-2014/0--U.S. 
Application No. 61/974,378 filed 02 Apr 2014.
    Licensing Contact: Patrick McCue, Ph.D.; 301-435-5560; 
[email protected].
    Collaborative Research Opportunity: The National Cancer Institute 
is seeking statements of capability or interest from parties interested 
in collaborative research to further develop, evaluate or commercialize 
the development of RNA splicing modulators as therapeutic agents in 
cancer. For collaboration opportunities, please contact John D. Hewes, 
Ph.D. at [email protected].

Treatment of Chronic Kidney Disease With Synthetic Amphipathic Peptides

    Description of Technology: The invention is directed to treatment 
of chronic kidney disease by administering a synthetic, amphipathic 
helical peptide known as 5A-37pA, and novel derivatives thereof. 
Scientists at NIDDK have demonstrated that invention peptides 
antagonize activity of a particular scavenger receptor known as CD36. 
Using an in vivo model, NIDDK scientists have shown that invention 
peptides slowed progression of chronic kidney disease and can 
potentially be utilized as a therapeutic treatment.
    Additionally, certain invention peptides bind selectively to CD36 
with high specificity over other homologous scavenger receptors. Thus, 
invention peptides can be utilized as a research tool to further 
evaluate the complex etiology of chronic kidney disease.
    5A-37pA, and derivatives thereof, are peptide mimetic of 
apolipoprotein A-1. These peptides have been described in NIH owned 
patents and/or patent applications (see, for example, U.S. Patent Nos. 
7,572,771 and 8,071,746 and 8,148,323). Use of these peptides, as well 
as the novel peptides of this invention, for the treatment of kidney 
diseases is currently available for licensing.
    Potential Commercial Applications: Therapeutic; Research Tool.
    Competitive Advantages: Selective antagonist of CD36 activity; 
Specific binding to CD36 over other scavenger receptors.
    Development Stage: Early-stage; In vitro data available; In vivo 
data available (animal).

[[Page 32744]]

    Inventors: Ana C. Souza (NIDDK), Peter S. Yuen (NIDDK), Robert A. 
Star (NIDDK), Alexander V. Bocharov (CC), Alan Remaley (NHLBI), Thomas 
Eggerman (NIDDK).
    Intellectual Property: HHS Reference No. E-743-2013/0--U.S. 
Application No. 61/890,585 filed 14 Oct 2013.
    Related Technology: HHS Reference No. E-114-2004/0.
    Licensing Contact: Lauren Nguyen-Antczak, Ph.D., J.D.; 301-435-
4074; [email protected].
    Collaborative Research Opportunity: The National Institute of 
Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases is seeking statements of 
capability or interest from parties interested in collaborative 
research to further develop, evaluate or commercialize Treatment of 
Chronic Kidney Disease with 5A-37pA and Derivatives Thereof. For 
collaboration opportunities, please contact Marguerite Miller at 
[email protected] or 301-496-9003.

Novel Anti-HIV Proteins From Coral Reefs

    Description of Technology: The subject invention describes 
Cnidarins as a novel class of highly potent proteins capable of 
blocking the HIV virus from penetrating T-cells. Cnidarins were found 
in a soft coral collected in waters off Australia's northern coast. 
Cnidarins can block virus fusion/entry but do not block viral 
attachment. In addition, Cnidarins do not have lectin-like activity and 
therefore possibly a unique mechanism of action. Thus, Cnidarins may 
represent important new leads for HIV microbicides or for systemic 
therapeutics for HIV.
    Potential Commercial Applications: Microbicide; Therapeutic; 
Research tool.
    Competitive Advantages: High potency against HIV; Novel chemical 
composition; Family of related proteins; Unique mechanism of action.
    Development Stage: Early-stage; In vitro data available; Prototype.
    Inventors: Barry O'Keefe, James McMahon, Koreen Ramessar, Chang-yun 
Xiong (all of NCI).
    Intellectual Property: HHS Reference No. E-295-2012/0--U.S. 
Provisional Patent Application No. 61/925,347 filed 09 Jan 2014.
    Licensing Contact: Sally H. Hu, Ph.D., M.B.A.; 301-435-5606; 
[email protected].
    Collaborative Research Opportunity: The National Cancer Institute 
is seeking statements of capability or interest from parties interested 
in collaborative research to further develop, evaluate or commercialize 
large-scale recombinant production of cnidarins and evaluation of their 
broader antiviral activity as well as additional pre-clinical studies. 
For collaboration opportunities, please contact John D. Hewes, Ph.D. at 
[email protected].

    Dated: June 2, 2014.
Richard U. Rodriguez,
Director, Division of Technology Development and Transfer, Office of 
Technology Transfer, National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. 2014-13097 Filed 6-5-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P