E8-19463. Prospective Grant of Exclusive License: The Development of Inmunotoxins as Therapeutics for Focal Muscle Spasms

AGENCY:

National Institutes of Health, Public Health Service, HHS.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

This is notice, in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 209(c)(l) and 37 CFR part 404.7(a)(l)(i), that the National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, is contemplating the grant of an exclusive patent license to practice the invention embodied in issued U.S. Patent 6,780,413 entitled “Immunotoxin (MAB-Ricin) for the Treatment of Focal Movement Disorders” [HHS Ref. E-132-1996/0-US-04] to Aphrodite Therapeutics, Inc., which has offices in Vancouver, Canada. This patent has been assigned to the Government of the United States of America. There are no foreign patents or patent applications associated with this technology. There are no other U.S. Patents or Patent Applications associated with this technology.

The prospective exclusive license territory may be worldwide, and the field of use maybe limited to the development and sale of antibody conjugated toxins targeting the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors for therapeutic treatment of focal muscle spasms, as claimed in the Licensed Patent Rights.

DATES:

Only written comments and/or applications for a license which are received by the NIH Office of Technology Transfer on or before October 21, 2008 will be considered.

ADDRESSES:

Requests for copy of the patent, inquiries, comments, and other materials relating to the contemplated exclusive license should be directed to: Betty B. Tong, PhD, Technology Licensing Specialist, Office of Technology Transfer, National Institutes of Health, 6011 Executive Boulevard, Suite 325, Rockville, MD 20852-3804; Telephone: [phone]; Facsimile: [phone]; E-mail: [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The invention describes immunotoxins and methods of using the immunotoxins for the treatment of focal muscle spasms. A specific immunotoxin covered by this technology is MAB-Ricin. The immunotoxins are targeted via an antibody that is specific to acetylcholine receptors present in large numbers on the muscle side of the neuromuscular junction, allowing the specific destruction of muscle cells.

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 part 404.7. The prospective exclusive license may be granted unless within sixty (60) days from the date of this published notice, the 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 part 404.7.

Applications for a license in the field of use filed in response to this notice will be treated as objections to the grant of the contemplated exclusive license. Comments and objections submitted 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 14, 2008.

Richard U. Rodriguez,

Director, Division of Technology Development and Transfer, Office of Technology Transfer, National Institutes of Health.