Notice: Prospective Grant of Exclusive License: Method To Treat Psoriasis 
in Humans

Federal Register: April 29, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 83)             
                  Page 23263-23264

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

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, Department 
of Health and Human Services, is contemplating the grant of an 
exclusive patent license to practice the inventions embodied in U.S. 
Provisional Patent Application No. 60/855,422 and PCT Application 
Serial No. PCT/US07/083027 and foreign equivalents thereof, entitled 
``Smoothened Polypeptides and Methods of Use'' [HHS Ref. No. E-014-
2007/0], to Lee's Pharmaceuticals, Ltd., which is located in Hong Kong, 
China. The patent rights in these inventions have been assigned to the 
United States of America.
    The prospective exclusive licensed territory may be Asia and the 
field of use may be limited to the use of Licensee's proprietary 
delivery formulation for the treatment of

[[Page 23264]]

psoriasis 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 June 
30, 2008 will be considered.

ADDRESSES: Requests for copies of the patent application, inquiries, 
comments, and other materials relating to the contemplated exclusive 
license should be directed to: Jennifer Wong, Technology Licensing 
Specialist, Office of Technology Transfer, National Institutes of 
Health, 6011 Executive Boulevard, Suite 325, Rockville, MD 20852-3804; 
Telephone: (301) 435-4633; Facsimile: (301) 402-0220; E-mail: 
wongje@mail.nih.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The technology describes inhibitors 
Smoothened protein (SMO), a receptor involved in the Hedgehog/Patched 
(HH/PTCH) pathway. HH/PTCH is a common pathway involved in 
proliferative disorders including cancer and psoriasis.
    The technology is directed towards several synthetic peptides 
(including all-D analogs) corresponding to specific region of the SMO 
protein. Experiments in vitro demonstrate that they potentially 
suppress the growth of cancer cells and inhibit the expression of the 
HH/PTCH pathway genes. Due to their high hydrophobic properties, these 
peptide inhibitors can be easily formulated for specific intratumor 
delivery or topical creams for skin disorders.
    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 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: April 21, 2008.
David Sadowski,
Deputy Director, Division of Technology Development and Transfer, 
Office of Technology Transfer, National Institutes of Health.
 [FR Doc. E8-9254 Filed 4-28-08; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4140-01-P