[Federal Register: January 3, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 1)]
[Notices]
[Page 97-98]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr03ja05-65]
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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, Public Health Service, DHHS.
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. in accordance
with 35 U.S.C. 207 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.
ADDRESSES: Licensing information and copies of the U.S. patent
applications listed below may be obtained by writing to the indicated
licensing contact at the Office of Technology Transfer, National
Institutes of Health, 6011 Executive Boulevard, Suite 325, Rockville,
Maryland 20852-3804; telephone: (301) 496-7057; fax: (301) 402-0220. A
signed Confidential Disclosure Agreement will be required to receive
copies of the patent applications.
Novel Compounds and Methods for Treating Alzheimer's and Related
Diseases
Nigel H. Greig et al. (NIA)
U.S. Provisional Application filed 22 Oct 2004 (DHHS Reference No. E-
172-2004/0-US-01)
Licensing Contact: Norbert Pontzer; (301) 435-5502;
pontzern@mail.nih.gov.
The brain cholinergic system is thought to play an important role
in learning and memory. The loss of cholinergic neurons early in the
course of Alzheimer's Disease may thus be an etiological factor in the
cognitive decline that is the hallmark of that disease. Therefore,
potentiating cholinergic transmission has been the main pharmacological
approach for the treatment of AD patients. Inhibition of
acetylcholinesterase (AChE) or butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) enhances
cholinergic transmission by reducing enzymatic degradation of
acetylcholine.
AChE inhibitors are now used clinically to help restore cognitive
function in AD patients. However the therapeutic index for inhibition
of AChE is quite low. Drugs with this mechanism of action have to have
the proper pharmacodynamic properties to achieve even a marginally
useful clinical effect without unacceptable side effects. The presence
of BChE in brain tissue makes this enzyme another possible target for
increasing the activity of the cholinergic system.
The present invention provides a series of novel and potent
tricyclic compounds that have a range of selectivity for inhibiting
AchE, as compared to BchE, and possess neuroprotective activity in cell
culture models. Also provided are methods of using these compounds to
treat a number of different medical conditions such as Alzheimer's
Disease, mild cognitive impairment, and other dementia-related
disorders.
In addition to licensing, the technology is available for further
development through collaborative research with the inventors via a
Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA).
Novel Methods for Reducing Inflammation and Treating Diseases such as
Parkinson's and Alzheimer's Disease
Jau-Shyong Hong et al. (NIEHS)
U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/570,566 filed 12 May 2004 (DHHS
Reference No. E-130-2004/0-US-01)
Licensing Contact: Norbert Pontzer; (301) 435-5502;
pontzern@mail.nih.gov.
Activated microglia mediate inflammation in the CNS by secreting
various cytokines and free radicals that could damage neurons. Brains
from patients with Parkinson disease show microglia reaction, and
previous studies by this laboratory show microglia activation leads to
inflammation mediated dopaminergic degeneration. Thus identification of
drugs that reduce microglia activation could prevent or reverse
neuronal degeneration in Parkinson's Disease, Alzheimer's Disease,
ischemia and other degenerative CNS disorders.
Considerable research has shown the ability of various peptides to
attenuate microglia activation and prevent neuronal degeneration in
vitro with a bi-modal dose response curve. These peptides demonstrate
maximum effects at femto-molar and micro-molar concentrations. These
inventors have now discovered small-peptide and non-peptide molecules
that also inhibit microglia and prevent neuronal degeneration with the
same bi-modal dose response curve. The non-peptide compounds have also
been shown to prevent dopamine neuronal degeneration in animal models.
The present invention provides compositions and methods for inhibiting
inflammatory mechanisms and treating inflammation-related condition by
administering ultra-low (femto-molar) doses of at least one compound of
the invention. These compounds include morphinans, opioid peptides, and
the tripeptide GGF.
In addition to licensing, the technology is available for further
development through collaborative research with the inventors via a
Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA).
Multi-Domain Amphipathic Helical Peptides and Methods of Their Use
Alan Remaley et al. (NHLBI)
U.S. Provisional Application filed 15 Oct 2004 (DHHS Reference No. E-
114-2004/0-US-01)
Licensing Contact: Fatima Sayyid; (301) 435-4521; sayyidf@mail.nih.gov.
Mutations in the ABCA1 transporter lead to diseases characterized
by the accumulation of excess cellular cholesterol, low levels of HDL
and an increased risk for cardiovascular disease. Currently, there are
a wide variety of treatments for dyslipidemia, which include, but are
not limited to,
[[Page 98]]
pharmacologic regimens (mostly statins), partial ileal bypass surgery,
portacaval shunt, liver transplantation, and removal of atherogenic
lipoproteins by one of several apheresis procedures.
The present invention relates to the composition of peptides or
peptide analogs with multiple amphipathic [alpha]-helical domains that
promote lipid efflux from cells. It further relates to methods for
identifying non-cytotoxic peptides that promote lipid efflux from cells
that are useful in the treatment and prevention of dyslipidemic and
vascular disorders. Dyslipidemic and vascular disorders amenable to
treatment with the isolated multi-domain peptides include, but are not
limited to, hyperlipidemia, hyperlipoproteinemia, hypercholesterolemia,
hypertriglyceridemia, HDL deficiency, apoA-I deficiency, coronary
artery disease, atherosclerosis, thrombotic stroke, peripheral vascular
disease, restenosis, acute coronary syndrome, and reperfusion
myocardial injury.
Dated: December 22, 2004.
Steven M. Ferguson,
Director, Division of Technology Development and Transfer, Office of
Technology Transfer, National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. 04-28688 Filed 12-30-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P