01-20192. Prospective Grant of Exclusive License: Antibodies and Other Ligands Directed Against KIR2DL4 Receptor For Production of Interferon Gamma

AGENCY:

National Institutes of Health, Public Health Service, DHHS.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

This is notice, in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 209(c)(1) and 37 CFR 404.7(a)(1)(i), that the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services, is contemplating the grant of an exclusive license to practice the invention embodied in: United States Patent Application 60/242,419 entitled “Antibodies and Other Ligands Directed Against KIR2DL4 Receptor For Production of Interferon Gamma” filed on October 23, 2000, to InterMune, Inc., having a place of business in Brisbane, California. The patent rights in this invention have been assigned to the United States of America.

DATES:

Only written comments and/or application for a license which are received by the NIH Office of Technology Transfer on or before October 12, 2001 will be considered.

ADDRESSES:

Requests for a copy of the patent application, inquiries, comments and other materials relating to the contemplated license should be directed to: Peter Soukas, Office of Technology Transfer, National Institutes of Health, 6011 Executive Boulevard, Suite 325, Rockville, MD 20852-3804; Email: [e-mail]; Telephone: [phone], ext. 268; Facsimile: [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

This invention concerns the natural production of interferon gamma by the stimulation of the KIR2DL4 receptor by an antibody or other ligand. Human natural killer (NK) cells express several killer cell immunoglobulin (Ig)-like receptors (KIRs) that inhibit their cytotoxicity upon recognition of human histocompatibility leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I molecules on target cells. Unlike other HLA class I-specific KIRs, which are clonally distributed on NK cells, KIR2DL4 is expressed at the surface of all NK cells. This invention may be used to treat infections and cancer.

The prospective exclusive license will be royalty bearing and will comply with the terms and conditions of 35 U.S.C. 209 and 37 CFR 404.7. The prospective exclusive license may be granted unless, within 60 days from the date of this published Notice, NIH receives written evidence and argument that establishes that the grant of the license would not be consistent with the requirements of 35 U.S.C. 209 and 37 CFR 404.7.

The field of use may be limited to therapy and prevention of human diseases.

Properly filed competing applications for a license filed in response to this notice will be treated as objections to the contemplated license. Comments and objections submitted in response to this notice will not be made available for public inspection, and, to the extent permitted by law, will not be released under the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. 552.

Dated: August 2, 2001.

Jack Spiegel,

Director, Division of Technology Development and Transfer, Office of Technology Transfer.