[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 207 (Monday, October 27, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55648-55649]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-28381]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health


Prospective Grant of Exclusive License: Synthetic, Anti-
Complement Protein and Gene Useful in Transplant Therapeutics

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice is 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 and world-wide license to practice the invention embodied 
in U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 07/906,983 (U.S. Patent No. 
5,187,268, issued February 16, 1993) entitled ``Gene Encoding an Anti-
Complement Protein From Vaccinia'' and U.S. Patent Application Serial 
No. 07/239,208 (U.S. Patent No. 5,157,110, issued October 20, 1992) 
entitled ``Synthetic, Anti-Complement Protein'' to Johns Hopkins 
University of Baltimore, Maryland. The patent rights in these 
inventions have been assigned to the United States of America.
    It is anticipated that this license may be limited to the field of 
transplant therapeutics.

DATES: Only written comments and/or applications for a license which 
are

[[Page 55649]]

received by NIH on or before December 26, 1997 will be considered.

ADDRESSES: Requests for a copy of these patents, inquiries, comments 
and other materials relating to the contemplated license should be 
directed to: Elaine F. Gese, Technology Licensing Specialist, Office of 
Technology Transfer, National Institutes of Health, 6011 Executive 
Blvd., Suite 325, Rockville, MD 20852; Telephone: (301) 496-7056, ext. 
282; Facsimile: (301) 402-0220.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: U.S. Patent No. 5,157,110 describes a 
synthetic protein which is capable of inhibiting the complement cascade 
by binding to the C4b component of complement, and thereby provides a 
method for controlling the complement cascade. U.S. Patent No. 
5,187,268 describes the cloned gene encoding this protein. Complement 
inhibitors may be used in compositions to prevent complement mediated 
attack and injury to cells prior to or during transplantation, or to 
prevent transplant rejection. In addition, complement inhibitors may be 
used in developing products for allogeneic and xenogeneic 
transplantation.
    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. 
This 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.
    Applications for a license filed in response to this notice will be 
treated as objections to the grant of the contemplated 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: October 15, 1997.
Barbara M. McGarey,
Deputy Director, Office of Technology Transfer.
[FR Doc. 97-28381 Filed 10-24-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-M