[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 191 (Thursday, October 1, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61958-61959]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-21710]


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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. to achieve 
expeditious commercialization of results of federally-funded research 
and development.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Licensing information may be obtained 
by emailing Brian W. Bailey, Ph.D., [email protected], the indicated 
licensing contact at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood, Office of 
Technology Transfer and Development Office of Technology Transfer, 31 
Center Drive, Room 4A29, MSC2479, Bethesda, MD 20892-2479; telephone: 
301-402-5579. A signed Confidential Disclosure Agreement may be 
required to receive any unpublished information.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Technology description follows.

Methods To Produce Very Long-Chain Fatty Acids (VLCFA)

    Available for licensing and commercial development are patent 
rights covering methods for synthetically producing highly pure, 
polyunsaturated very long-chain fatty acids (C20-C40) that are highly 
scalable, do not require toxic mercury, and are applicable to the 
synthesis of highly deuterated (>90%), partially deuterated, and non-
deuterated lipids. VLCFAs, while present in very small concentrations 
in living organisms, nonetheless play vital roles in certain biological 
processes. The present invention addresses an unmet need for VLCFAs for 
experimental and therapeutic uses that is currently inadequately met 
through labor intensive and time consuming extractions from natural 
sources or technically difficult overexpression in cell cultures, which 
give very small yields. This invention also includes a method for 
treating and preventing macular degeneration using VLCFAs.
    This technology is available for licensing for commercial 
development in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 209 and 37 CFR part 404.
    Potential Commercial Applications:

 Synthesis of very-long chain fatty acids for in vitro and in 
vivo research purposes
 Synthesis of very-long chain fatty acids for therapeutic 
purposes
 Treatment and prevention of macular degeneration, inflammatory 
disorders and other disorders and conditions associated with very long-
chain fatty acid deficiencies

    Development Stage:

 Preclinical
 Mouse data

    Inventors: Rolf Swenson (NHLBI), Zhen-Dan Shi (NHLBI), Zhi-Hong 
Yang (NHLBI) and Alan Remaley (NHLBI).

[[Page 61959]]

    Intellectual Property: HHS Reference No. E-126-2020-0-US-01 ; U.S 
Patent Application 63/072,519 filed August 31, 2020.
    Licensing Contact: Brian W. Bailey, Ph.D.; 301-594-4094; 
[email protected].

    Dated: September 25, 2020.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Office of Technology 
Transfer and Development.
[FR Doc. 2020-21710 Filed 9-30-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P