[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 26 (Thursday, February 9, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Page 10025]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-02673]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health


Prospective Grant of Exclusive Patent License: Inhibition of 
Plasmodial Surface Anion Channels for the Treatment or Prevention of 
Malaria

AGENCY: National Institutes of Health, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, an 
institute of the National Institutes of Health, Department of Health 
and Human Services, is contemplating the grant of an Exclusive 
Commercialization Patent License to practice the inventions embodied in 
the Patents and Patent Applications listed in the Summary Information 
section of this notice to Microbiotix, Inc. (``Microbiotix'') located 
in Worcester, Massachusetts.

DATES: Only written comments and/or applications for a license which 
are received by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious 
Diseases' Technology Transfer and Intellectual Property Office on or 
before February 24, 2017 will be considered.

ADDRESSES: Requests for copies of the patent application, inquiries, 
and comments relating to the contemplated Exclusive Commercialization 
Patent License should be directed to: Peter Tung, Technology Transfer 
and Patent Specialist, Technology Transfer and Intellectual Property 
Office, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, 5601 
Fishers Lane, Suite 6D, MSC9804, Rockville, MD 20852-9804 Telephone: 
(301) 496-2644; Facsimile: (240) 627-3117; Email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Intellectual Property

    United States Provisional Patent Application No. 61/083,000, filed 
July 23, 2008 and entitled ``Inhibitors of the Plasmodial Surface Anion 
Channel as Antimalarials'' [HHS Reference No. E-202-2008/0-US-01]; PCT 
Patent Application PCT/US09/50637, filed July 15, 2009 and entitled 
``Inhibitors of the Plasmodial Surface Anion Channel as Antimalarials'' 
[HHS Reference No. E-202-2008/0-PCT-02]; and U.S. and foreign patent 
applications claiming priority to the aforementioned applications.
    United States Provisional Patent Application No. 61/474,583, filed 
April 12, 2011 and entitled ``Plasmodial Surface Anion Channel 
Inhibitors for the Treatment of Malaria'' [HHS Reference No. E-145-
2011/0-US-01]; PCT Patent Application PCT/US12/33072, filed April 11, 
2012 and entitled ``Plasmodial Surface Anion Channel Inhibitors for the 
Treatment of Malaria'' [HHS Reference No. E-202-2008/0-PCT-02]; and 
U.S. and foreign patent applications claiming priority to the 
aforementioned applications.
    The patent rights in these inventions have been assigned to the 
government of the United States of America.
    The prospective exclusive license territory may be worldwide and 
the field of use may be limited to: ``Methods of preventing and/or 
treating malaria infection by inhibition of Plasmodium Surface Anion 
Channels (PSAC) with anti-PSAC compounds.''
    This technology discloses a novel anion channel on the surface of 
red blood cells (RBCs) in animals infected with Plasmodium. Named PSAC 
for ``plasmodium surface anion channel,'' this channel protein 
facilitates the transport of nutrients into RBCs for the plasmodium 
parasite. Sugars, amino acids, purines, vitamins, and precursors for 
phospholipid biosynthesis have markedly increased uptake into infected 
RBCs via PSAC. Many of these nutrients have negligible uptake in 
uninfected RBCs. PSACs, which allow nutrients to reach the growing 
plasmodium parasites inside RBCs, therefore serves as a new target for 
the development of antimalarial compounds. The disclosed anti-PSAC 
compositions and methods of using these anti-PSAC compounds provide a 
means for prevention or treatment of malaria infection by blocking 
nutrients to plasmodium parasites.
    This notice is made in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 209 and 37 CFR 
part 404. The prospective exclusive license will be royalty bearing, 
and the prospective exclusive license may be granted unless within 
fifteen (15) days from the date of this published notice, the National 
Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases receives written evidence 
and argument that establishes that the grant of the license would not 
be consistent with the requirements of 35 U.S.C. 209 and 37 CFR part 
404.
    Complete applications for a license in the prospective field of use 
that are filed in response to this notice will be treated as objections 
to the grant of the contemplated Exclusive Commercialization Patent 
License Agreement. Comments and objections submitted to this notice 
will not be made available for public inspection and, to the extent 
permitted by law, will not be released under the Freedom of Information 
Act, 5 U.S.C. 552.

    Dated: February 6, 2017.
Suzanne Frisbie,
Deputy Director, Technology Transfer and Intellectual Property Office, 
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
[FR Doc. 2017-02673 Filed 2-8-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P