[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 239 (Friday, December 12, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Page 65433]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-32469]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health


Prospective Grant of Exclusive License: Promotion of Homologous 
Recombination DNA Pairing by RecA And RecA Peptides

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

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: This notice is 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 world-wide license to practice the inventions embodied in 
U.S. Patents No. 5,460,941, entitled, ``Method of Targeting DNA'' and 
5,510,473, entitled, ``Cloning of the RecA Gene From Thermus Aquaticus 
YT-1'', U.S. Patent Applications Serial Numbers 08/446,413, entitled, 
``Cloning of the RecA Gene From Thermus Aquaticus YT-1'', 08/483,115 
entitled, ``Promotion of Homologous Recombination DNA Pairing By Rec-A-
Derived Peptides'', 60/001,384 and 08/682,305, ``Rec A Assisted Cloning 
of DNA'', and corresponding U.S. and foreign patent applications to the 
Pangene Corporation of Menlo Park, California. The patent rights in 
these inventions have been assigned to the United States of America.

DATES: Only written comments and/or applications for a license which 
are received by NIH on or before February 10, 1998 will be considered.

ADDRESSES: Requests for copies of the patent applications, inquiries, 
comments and other materials relating to the contemplated licenses 
should be directed to: Raphe Kantor, Ph.D., Technology Licensing 
Specialist, Office of Technology Transfer, National Institutes of 
Health, 6011 Executive Boulevard, Suite 325, Rockville, Maryland 20852-
3804. Telephone: (301) 496-7735 ext. 247; Facsimile: (301) 402-0220. A 
signed Confidentially Agreement will be required to receive copies of 
the patent applications.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This technology covers methodology for 
inducing sequence-specific homologous recombination between an 
exogenous DNA sequence and the corresponding genomic DNA sequence by 
use of the E. coli RecA protein. The RecA protein brings together an 
exogenous DNA sequence and a corresponding genomic DNA sequences for 
homologous recombination. A peptide of RecA can be substituted for the 
entire E. Coli RecA protein to target a double-strand of DNA or to 
inhibit transcription of a given gene. The ability of a RecA peptide to 
induce homologous recombination gives this technology broad commercial 
applicability. The peptide can be used in site-specific targeting of 
DNA sequences for purposes of cleavage, protection or enrichment as a 
research reagent, a diagnostic tool or for use in gene therapy.
    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 sixty 
(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 of this exclusive license may be limited to human 
therapeutics.
    Applications for a license filed in response to this notice will be 
treated as objections to the grant of the contemplated licenses. 
Comments and objections submitted to this notice will not be 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: December 1, 1997.
Barbara M. McGarey,
Deputy Director, Office of Technology Transfer.
[FR Doc. 97-32469 Filed 12-11-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-M