Licensing & Royalties >> Licensing Opportunities >> Abstract Details   Monoclonal Antibodies to the Tumor-Specific Antigen, Human ROR1 Description of Invention: B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) is an incurable disease developed by more than 15,000 Americans each year and currently, there are no therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that specifically recognize B-CLL tumor cells. Receptor tyrosine kinase-like orphan receptor 1 (ROR1) is a constitutively expressed tumor-specific cell surface antigen and an ideal target for therapeutic antibodies. Available for licensing are four mouse anti-human ROR1 mAbs (hybridomas designated 2A2, 2D11, 1A1, and 1A7). All four mAbs bind specifically to the extracellular domain of human ROR1 and have good potential for therapeutic development by either humanization, conversion to chimeric mouse/human antibodies, or conjugation to a radioisotope, chemical drug or bacterial toxin. Applications: Therapeutic antibodies against ROR1-expressing cancers like B-CLL and possibly other hematologic and solid malignancies Research tools for the study of ROR1 in cancer biology Advantages: Hybridomas provide a continuous source of mAb Target extracellular domain of ROR1 Market: Currently, mAbs alemtuzumab® and rituximab®, which are not tumor cell-specific, are used for treating B-CLL. Rituximab® generated sales of 5.2 billion US dollars in 2007. MAb market is estimated to be worth $30.3 billion in 2010 and it is one of the fastest growing sectors of the pharmaceutical industry with a 48.1% growth rate between 2003 and 2004. Inventors: Christoph Rader and Sivasubramanian Baskar (NCI) Patent Status: DHHS Reference No. E-274-2008/0 – Research Tool Patent protection is not being pursued for this technology. Relevant Publication: S Baskar et al. Unique cell surface expression of receptor tyrosine kinase RORl in human B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Clin Cancer Res. 2008 Jan 15;14(2):396-404. [PubMed abs] Licensing Status: This technology is available as a research tool under a Biological Materials License. Collaborative Research Opportunity: The National Cancer Institute, Experimental Transplantation and Immunology Branch, is seeking statements of capability or interest from parties interested in collaborative research to further develop, evaluate, or commercialize diagnostic or therapeutic mAbs against ROR1. Please contact John D. Hewes, Ph.D. at 301-435-3121 or hewesj@mail.nih.gov for more information. Portfolios: Devices/Instrumentation Cancer Cancer -Therapeutics-Immunoconjugates-Mab Cancer -Therapeutics Cancer -Research Materials Devices/Instrumentation-Research Materials For Additional Information Please Contact: Jennifer Wong NIH Office of Technology Transfer 6011 Executive Blvd, Suite 325 Rockville, MD 20852-3804 Phone: (301)435-4633 Email: wongje@mail.nih.gov Fax: (301)402-0220 Web Ref: 1860 Last Updated On: 12/08