[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 236 (Thursday, December 7, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76658-76659]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-31217]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health


Prospective Grant of Exclusive License: Compositions and Methods 
for the Stimulation of Proliferation and Differentiation of Pancreatic 
Cells Ex Vivo

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice in accordance with 15 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 any 
U.S. patents 5,888,705 (03/30/1999) and 5,587,309 (12/24/1996) or 
foreign applications corresponding to PCT Patent Application PCT/US95/
00521, entitled ``Compositions and Method of Stimulating the 
Proliferation and Differentiation of Human Fetal and Adult Pancreatic 
Cells Ex Vivo'' published as WO 95/29989 (11/09/1995) to PanCel Corp., 
of California. The prospective exclusive license may be limited to the 
development of therapeutic applications, including compositions and 
methods using adult pancreatic cells, to be used in the treatment of 
diabetes.

DATES: Only written comments and/or applications for a license which 
are received by NIH on or before February 5, 2001, will be considered.

ADDRESSES: Requests for a copy of these patent applications, inquiries, 
comment and other materials relating to the contemplated license should 
be directed to Susan S. Rucker, J.D., Patent and Licensing Specialist, 
Office of Technology Transfer, National Institutes of Health, 6011 
Executive Boulevard, Suite 325, Rockville, Maryland 20852-3804; 
telephone: 301/496-7056 ext 245; fax: 301/402-0220. A signed 
Confidentiality Agreement will be required to receive copies of the 
patent applications.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The patents and patent applications describe 
the use of the compound Hepatocyte Growth Factor/Scatter Factor (HGF/
SF) for the stimulation of proliferation and differentiation of 
pancreatic cells. Upon exposure to HGF/SF the pancreatic cells 
proliferate and differentiate and are able to produce insulin. The 
ability to stimulate pancreatic cells to proliferate and differentiate 
into cells capable of producing insulin may provide a means

[[Page 76659]]

for improving the treatment of Type I and Type II diabetes.
    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 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.
    Applications for a license (i.e., a completed ``Application for 
License to Public Health Service Inventions'') in the indicated 
exclusive field of use filed in response to this notice will be treated 
as objections to the grant of the contemplated license. Comments and 
objections will not be made available for public inspection and, to the 
extent permitted by law, will not be subject to disclosure under the 
Freedom of Information Act 35 U.S.C. 552.

    Dated: November 29, 2000.
Jack Spiegel,
Director, Division of Technology Development and Transfer, Office of 
Technology Transfer.
[FR Doc. 00-31217 Filed 12-6-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P