[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 123 (Monday, June 27, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41588-41589]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-15057]


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

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 invention listed below is co-owned by an agency of the 
U.S. Government and is available for licensing and/or co-development 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 and/or co-development.

ADDRESSES: Invention Development and Marketing Unit, Technology 
Transfer Center, National Cancer Institute, 9609 Medical Center Drive, 
Mail Stop 9702, Rockville, MD 20850-9702.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Information on licensing and co-
development research collaborations, and copies of the U.S. patent 
applications listed below may be obtained by contacting: Attn. 
Invention Development and Marketing Unit, Technology Transfer Center, 
National Cancer Institute, 9609 Medical Center Drive, Mail Stop 9702, 
Rockville, MD 20850-9702, Tel. 240-276-5515 or email 
[email protected]. A signed Confidential Disclosure 
Agreement may be required to receive copies of the patent applications.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Technology description follows.
    Title of invention: Anti- B-Cell Maturation Antigen Antibodies for 
Developing Cancer Therapeutics
    Keywords: BCMA, Antibody, Immunotoxin, Chimeric Antigen Receptor 
(CAR), Antibody-drug Conjugate (ADC), Bispecific Antibody, Cancer, 
Myeloma,
    Description of Technology: Multiple Myeloma is a subtype of 
leukemia that originates in bone marrow, where normal plasma cells are 
produced. Although FDA-approved antibody-based therapy is available for 
other B-cell malignancies, no effective antibody-based therapies are 
available for MM due to the lack of specific target antigen on MM 
cells. BCMA (B-Cell Maturation Antigen), is a membrane antigen 
selectively expressed on mature B-lymphocytes and in all MM cells from 
patients. Thus, BCMA shows promise as a target for immune-based 
therapy.
    This technology concerns the generation of several monoclonal 
antibodies against BCMA. These antibodies can be utilized 
therapeutically in several ways, including as recombinant immunotoxins, 
chimeric antigen receptors (CARs), antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), 
bispecific antibodies, and as unconjugated antibodies. The antibodies 
can also be use in diagnostic applications. It is important to note 
that several conjugated immunotoxins using the antibodies of this 
invention have

[[Page 41589]]

already exhibited high efficacy against MM cells in recent in vitro 
studies.

Potential Commercial Applications:
 Therapeutic Uses
    [cir] Use as an unconjugated antibody
    [cir] Use as a targeting moiety for immunoconjugates such as CARs, 
ADCs, immunoconjugates, bispecific antibodies, etc.
 Diagnostic agent for detecting and monitoring BCMA-expressing 
malignancies
Value Proposition:
 First to market potential--There are no current targeted 
therapeutics for BCMA
 High specificity and binding to BCMA results in less non-
specific cell killing, therefore fewer potential side-effects for the 
patient
 Chimeric Antigen Receptor-based therapies have been successful 
against B-cell lineage cancer; an anti-BCMA CAR represents a highly 
effective therapeutic candidate

    Development Stage: In-vitro testing.
    Inventor(s): Ira Pastan (NCI), Tapan Bera (NCI), Satoshi Nagata 
(Sanford Research Center), and Tomoko Ise (Sanford Research Center).

Intellectual Property:

    US Provisional Application 62/255,255 (HHS Reference No. E-010-
2016/0-US-01) filed November 13, 2015 entitled ``Anti-BCMA Polypeptides 
and Conjugates'';
    US Provisional Application 62/257,493 (HHS Reference No. E-010-
2016/1-US-01) filed November 19, 2015 entitled ``Anti-BCMA Polypeptides 
and Proteins''

    Contact Information: Requests for copies of the patent application 
or inquiries about licensing, and co-development research 
collaborations should be sent to John D. Hewes, Ph.D. email: 
[email protected] or phone: 240-276-5515.

    Dated: June 20, 2016.
John D. Hewes,
Technology Transfer Specialist, Technology Transfer Center, National 
Cancer Institute.
[FR Doc. 2016-15057 Filed 6-24-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4140-01-P