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Success Stories

Laser Capture Microdissection (LCM)

NIH’s (NCI & NICHD) Contribution

• Conceived the idea of microdissection
• Invented a special thermoplastic polymer film activated by laser beams
• Developed a prototype LCM unit that used a carbon dioxide laser

Arcturus’ Contribution

• Contributed the laser diode technology
• Developed a prototype Laser Diode System LCM

Results of Collaboration

• Product – Laser Capture Microdissection machine
• More than 700 articles have been published based on LCM technology
• Nearly a thousand LCM machines have been sold for use in research on breast, prostate, and pancreatic cancers

Multi-Replica Blotting Kit

NIH’s (NCI) Contribution

• Developed Layered Expression Scanning (LES) technology

20/20 GeneSystems’ Contribution

• Refined the LES system in collaboration with the NCI, NIH
• Commercialized the Multi-Replica Blotting Kit

Results of Collaboration

• Product – Multi-Replica Blotting Kit
• The kit allows the simultaneous detection of up to ten different proteins of interest from one protein gel using Western Blot technique

Velcade®

NIH’s (NCI) Contribution

• Conducted preclinical studies for Velcade®
• Developed a formulation with a longer, stable shelf life

Industrial Partners’ Contribution

• Myogenetics synthesized the active ingredient for Velcade®
• ProScript conducted preclinical oncology studies in collaboration with institutions including the NCI, NIH
• Millennium Pharmaceuticals initiated the clinical trials that resulted in FDA approval

Results of Collaboration

• Product – Anti-cancer drug Velcade®
• FDA approved Velcade® as treatment for refractory multiple myeloma, which accounts for 2% of all cancer deaths each year
• Velcade® is being clinically tested against ovarian, colon, pancreatic, lung, and prostate cancers, as well as leukemia and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma

Taxol®

NIH’s (NCI) Contribution

• Identified paclitaxel from the Pacific yew tree bark by screening natural products for antitumor activity
• Conducted pre-clinical testing and clinical trials
• Developed alternative drug administration methods

Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Contribution

• Developed supplies of Taxol® by licensing Taxol semisynthesis technology from Florida State University
• Collaborated in the clinical development with the NIH

Results of Collaboration

• Product - Anti-cancer drug Taxol®
• FDA approved Taxol® for the treatment of breast, ovarian, lung cancer and Kaposi’s sarcoma
• Over 1 million patients received treatment with Taxol® (paclitaxel)

Paclitaxel-Eluting Coronary Stent System

NIH’s (NIA) Contribution

• Invented the method of using the anticancer drug paclitaxel at a lower dosage to treat restenosis
• Incorporated the drug in a slow-release polymer for coated stent
• Carried out the early animal experiments

Industrial Partners’ Contribution

• Invented the method of using stent coated with paclitaxel for clinical applications
• Angiotech collaborated with Boston Scientific to develop the coated stent for human use
• Boston Scientific launched the commercial product

Results of Collaboration

• Product - Taxus® Express2TM device
• This product and similar drug-coated stents are expected to substantially replace open-heart bypass surgeries currently performed on more than 350,000 Americans a year