[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 26 (Thursday, February 9, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10022-10023]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-02674]


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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 invention listed below is owned by an agency of the U.S. 
Government and is available for licensing 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 patent applications listed below may be obtained by communicating 
with the indicated licensing contact at the Technology Transfer and 
Intellectual Property Office, National Institute of Allergy and 
Infectious Diseases, 5601 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD, 20852; tel. 301-
496-2644. A signed Confidential Disclosure Agreement will be required 
to receive copies of unpublished patent applications.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Technology description follows.

Small Molecule Imaging of Fungi by Positron Emission Tomography 
Scanning

Description of Technology

    This technology relates to the field of radioactive, isotopically-
labeled calcofluor derivatives and uses of such compounds to detect a 
broad spectrum of filamentous fungi including pathogenic species such 
as Aspergillus and Mucorales, by diagnostic imaging methods such as 
positron emission tomography (PET) scanning.
    Aspergillosis and other filamentous fungal infections are 
increasingly common fungal lung infection with high mortality rates 
(over 50%) in immune compromised patients, such as those receiving 
chemotherapy, stem cell/organ transplantation, or HIV patients. One-
year survival of the infected patients ranges from 59% (organ 
transplant recipients) to as low as 25% (stem cell transplant 
recipients). Delayed diagnosis and therapy are likely to lead to poor 
outcomes and death. This disease is often first detected as nodules on 
CT scans. A diagnosis is typically made following invasive lung 
bronchoscopy or biopsy. However, as these patients are 
immunocompromised, these invasive procedures may themselves lead to 
significant complications and infections. Therefore, to enable timely 
treatment and minimize complications, there is a critical need for non-
invasive means to detect and diagnose fungal infections.
    The calcofluor derivatives disclosed in the patent application may 
be utilized as imaging agents specific for fungal infections and could 
potentially become a standard, non-invasive procedure in the work-up of 
immunocompromised patients with lung infections.
    This technology is available for licensing for commercial 
development in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 209 and 37 CFR part 404, as 
well as for further development and evaluation under a research 
collaboration.

Potential Commercial Applications

     Diagnostics of Aspergillosis and other filamentous fungal 
infections.

Competitive Advantages

     Non-invasive.

[[Page 10023]]

     Low toxicity.
     Specific for Aspergillus.

Development Stage

     In vivo data available (animal).
    Inventors: Peter R. Williamson (NIAID), Dale O. Kiesewetter 
(NIBIB), John C. Panepinto (University of Buffalo), and Jin Qiu 
(NIAID).

Publications

    1. Palmer GE, et al., The diverse roles of autophagy in medically 
important fungi, Autophagy. 2008 Nov; 4(8):982-8. [PMID 18927489]
    2. Panepinto JC, et al., Deletion of the Aspergillus fumigatus gene 
encoding the Ras-related protein RhbA reduces virulence in a model of 
invasive pulmonary aspergillosis, Infect Immun. 2003 May; 71(5):2819-
26. [PMID 12704156]
    3. Desoubeaux D, et al., Diagnosis of invasive pulmonary 
aspergillosis: Updates and recommendations, Med Mal Infect. 2014 Mar; 
44(3):89-101. [PMID 24548415]
    Intellectual Property: HHS Reference Nos. E-449-2013/0,1--U.S. 
Provisional Application No. 61/894,754, filed October 23, 2013; PCT 
Application No. PCT/US2014/061917, filed October 23, 2014 (published as 
WO 2015/061540 on April 30, 2015); European Application No. 14800182.9, 
filed October 23, 2014 (pending); Australian Application No. 
2014340035, filed October 23, 2014 (pending); Canadian Application No. 
2927952, filed October 23, 2014; and U.S. Application No. 15/030,554, 
filed April 19, 2016 (pending).
    Licensing Contact: Dr. David Yang, 240-627-3413; 
[email protected].
    Collaborative Research Opportunity: The National Institute of 
Allergy and Infectious Diseases is seeking statements of capability or 
interest from parties interested in collaborative research to further 
develop, evaluate or commercialize for development of this invention. 
For collaboration opportunities, please contact Dr. David Yang, 240-
627-3413; [email protected].

    Dated: February 6, 2017.
Suzanne Frisbie,
Deputy Director, Technology Transfer and Intellectual Property Office, 
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
[FR Doc. 2017-02674 Filed 2-8-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P