[Federal Register: April 5, 2001 (Volume 66, Number 66)]
[Notices]               
[Page 18098]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr05ap01-55]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health

 
Government-Owned Inventions; Availability for Licensing

AGENCY: National Institutes of Heath, Public Health Service, DHHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The inventions listed below are owned by agencies 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 contacting Sally Hu, 
Ph.D., Technology Licensing Specialist, Office of Technology Transfer, 
National Institutes of Health, 6011 Executive Boulevard, Suite 325, 
Rockville, Maryland 20852-3804; telephone: 301/496-7056 ext. 265; fax: 
301/402-0220; e-mail: hus@od.nih.gov. A signed Confidential Disclosure 
Agreement will be required to receive copies of the patent 
applications.

A Method of Inhibiting Viral Replication Targeting the Nucleocapsid 
Protein

Robert H. Shoemaker, Robert J. Fisher, and Judy A. Mikovits (NCI) DHHS 
Reference No. E-276-00/0 filed 05 Feb 2001

    This invention concerns novel compounds that inhibit replication of 
retroviruses, such as HIV. These compounds act in a mechanistically 
distinct way from any other anti-HIV compound and appear to be 
relatively non-toxic. The compounds exert anti-HIV activity through 
inhibition of a key step in the viral replication cycle, specifically, 
the interaction of the nucleocapsid with nucleic acid. Clinical 
experience in chemotherapy of patients with AIDS has clearly shown that 
use of combinations of drugs acting through different mechanisms is 
essential for control of virus replication. Consequently, these 
compounds are believed to have the potential to substantially enhance 
anti-HIV therapy by introduction of agents acting by this novel 
mechanism.

Method of Preparing a Production Intermediate for HIV Protease 
Inhibitors

Guangyang Wang, Michael A. Eissenstat, and Tatiana Guerassina (NCI) 
DHHS Reference No. E-188-00/0 filed 24 Jan 2000

    The invention describes a novel process amenable for the large-
scale practical synthesis of cis-tetrahydro-furo[2,3-b]furan-3-one. 
This compound is useful as a key intermediate for the synthesis of 
highly potent and resistance-repellent HIV protease inhibitors that 
share a common component called bis-tetrahydrofuran (bis-THF). 
Specifically, the invention provides a method of preparing these 
precursors by modification of reaction temperatures, conditions and 
reagents leading to increased yields and purity of the desired 
intermediates. Such modifications would be useful in the large-scale 
preparation of highly potent and resistance-repellent HIV protease 
inhibitors currently under development as antiviral agents useful in 
treating AIDS.

    Dated: March 29, 2001.
Jack Spiegel,
Director, Division of Technology Development and Transfer, Office of 
Technology Transfer, National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. 01-8374 Filed 4-4-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P