Responsible Regional Contact Point
Organisation:	BAYERN INNOVATIV - BAVARIA
Contact person:	Dr. Borris Haupt
Contact details:	haupt@bayern-innovativ.de +49 91120671175
Organisation Details
Founded (Year):	2004
No of employees:	1-10
Organisation Type:	Other
Company (Organisation) details
We are a patent and licensing agency focusing on clinical biomedical sciences. Our clients are German university clinics and Interdisciplinary Centers for Clinical Research (ICCR) in all patent right matters relevant to the sciences. Since 2004 our company is a department of the University Clinic of Münster, based in Munich. Serving as a bonding link between science and business, our goal is the efficient marketing of research results in biology, medicine, biotechnology and medical technology as merchandizable products. The patent manager of our company insures that the university clinics and the inventors receive their fair share of the marketing profits for their inventions. Our main goal is the systematic identification of market relevant inventions in the field of clinical biomedicine and their successful commercialization in the interest of its clients, the university clinics.
Areas of activity:
-  Medicine, Human Health -  Veterinary, Animal Health -  Biology/Biotechnology -  Genome Research -  Micro- and Nanotechnology in Biological sciences -  Cosmetics
1) Technology Offer
Target specific fluorochrome for in vivo imaging of endothelin receptors
ABSTRACT: Our company represents in the current profile a known German university hospital. Its known Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Radiology has found a new fluorescent photoprobe for the imaging of endothelin receptors.The new imaging agent can be used for non-invasive detection of molecular targets (i.e. cells or tissues expressing endothelin receptors) that promote or are associated with tumor progression. DESCRIPTION: Endothelins (ET) play an important role in numerous diseases, like atherosclerosis, congestive heart failure and cancer. Particularly, ET-1 is an important factor in the pathophysiology of certain human cancers, e.g. prostatic, or breast carcinoma. The ETA-receptor is closely involved in tumor angiogenesis and has been indentified as poor prognostic marker e.g. for breast cancer. Molecular optical imaging is a new emerging imaging tool for various diseases with many advantages, e.g. high sensitivity for label detection, capability for multiwavelengths imaging and the absence of radioisotopes or other ionizing radiation. Imaging techniques like fluorescence reflectance imaging (FRI) or fluorescence mediated tomography (FMT) are interesting alternatives to the use of nuclear imaging techniques like SPECT or PET. Therefore, an optical method for the visualization of ETA-receptor density in affected tissues would be invaluable for clinical diagnosis and the evaluation of therapy. The present invention relates to the use of special compounds for the preparation of a diagnostic composition, which would be used for the diagnosis of cancer, the evaluation of cancer biology and/or monitoring of anticancer therapy. The results of numerous experiments (e.g. in vitro binding assays with the breast adenocarcinoma cell line MCF-7 and in vivo FMT studies) indicate that the modified photoprobes tightly bind to ETA- receptors and thus qualify as a potent candidate for the in vivo imaging of ETA-overexpressing tissues. The diagnostic compositions of the invention are preferably employed for fluorescence mediated tomography (FMT) or fluorescence reflectance imaging methods. Specifically, the detection of ETA-receptor expressing breast cancer cells should be greatly facilitated. INNOVATIVE ASPECTS: The invention relates to a endothelin receptor antagonist conjugate of a special formula. Furthermore, it relates to a diagnostic composition comprising the compounds of the invention. The invention also relates to the use of the compounds of the invention for the preparation of a diagnostic composition for the diagnosis of cancer, the evaluation of cancer biology and/or monitoring of anti-cancer therapy. Further on, the invention relates to kits comprising the compounds of the invention. MAIN ADVANTADGES / BENEFITS: The fluorescent photoprobes enhance the ability for: - early diagnosis of cancer - the evaluation of cancer biology (i.e. “grading”) leading to specific treatment protocols - monitoring of molecular targeted anti-cancer therapy The compounds represent biocompatible, targeted fluorochromes, with a high binding potency for endothelin A receptor. The molecule has a low molecular weight so that the tracer can be rapidly eliminated from the organism. TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS: CURRENT STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT: Development Phase INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS (IPR): Patent Applied for but not yet Granted in Europe TYPE OF COLLABORATION SOUGHT: License Agreement Technical Co-operation PARTNER PROFILE: Partner Qualification Criteria: The partner should be from industry, specially in one of the following areas: Nuclear medicine, radiology, diagnostic imaging products, medical diagnosis Tasks to be Performed by Partner: The partner should work on the diagnostic imaging field, e.g. producer of contrast agent. Support Provided by Your Organisation: The inventors would give their expertise and could help to develop the invention.
Market application:
-  HUMAN/ANIMAL HEALTH -  Health issue diagnosis
Further comments	Non-invasive Medical Imaging (in vivo) Diagnosis of Cancer Monitoring of Anti-Cancer therapy
2) Technology Offer
Special isatin derivatives and their use for non-invasive diagnostic imaging
ABSTRACT: Our company presents the current technology on behalf of a known German university hospital. Its known Institute of Nuclear Medicine has found a new class of radiotracer (imaging agents) that can be used for diagnosis of disorders connected with apoptosis and/or monitoring therapeutic responses connected with apoptosis. The new derivatives can be directly applied in non-invasive nuclear medicinal diagnosis for imaging of caspase activity in vivo. They are looking for a licensee in diagnostic field. DESCRIPTION: The particularity of imaging techniques in nuclear medicine using Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) or Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is inter alia the possibility to detect diseases (e.g. cancer, myocardial infarction, neurodegenerative disorders, stroke). Deregulation of apoptosis (programmed cell death) is associated with the pathogenesis of numerous diseases, like e.g. cancer. Therefore it is desirable to find compounds that are capable of detecting apoptosis. Caspases, which belong to an enzyme class that play a critical role in execution of the apoptosis, represent an important in vivo target to diagnose potentially directly diseases. The present invention relates to novel 5-pyrrolidinylsulfonyl isatin derivatives, non-peptidyl Caspase binding Radioligands (CbRs) and CbR-transporter conjugates derived from said isatin derivatives, diagnostic compositions comprising said compounds of the invention and their use for non-invasive diagnostic imaging. More particularly the invention considers targeting intracellularly the apoptotic process with non-peptidyl imaging agents (namely radiolabelled non-peptidyl caspase inhibitors) that specifically bind to activated caspases (cysteinyl aspartate-specific proteases). The new imaging agents, CbRs, can be used for the diagnosis of disorders connected with apoptosis and/or monitoring therapeutic responses connected with apoptosis. Therefore, they can be applied in the diagnosis of atherosclerosis, acute myocardial infarction, chronic heart failure, allograft rejection, stroke or neurodegenerative disorders and/or therapeutic responses (induction of apoptosis in tumours etc.) that correlate immediately with the apoptotic process. INNOVATIVE ASPECTS: The present invention relates to novel 5-pyrrolidinylsulfonyl isatin derivates, non-peptidyl caspase binding radioligands (CbR) and CbR-transporter conjugates derived from said derivates, diagnostic compositions comprising said non-peptidyl CbR and CbR-transporter conjugates of the invention and their use for non invasive diagnostic imaging. MAIN ADVANTADGES / BENEFITS: The new imaging agents enable a specific imaging of apoptosis leading to enhanced efficiency and precision of therapeutic interventions and new perspectives in many areas of disease management. This new class of radiotracer has also a high clinical impact to differentiate between balanced (physiological) and unbalanced culminated (pathological) apoptosis. The CbRs and CbR-transporter conjugates are capable to directly target apoptosis and thereby excluding the imaging of necrotic processes. TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS: CURRENT STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT: Development Phase - Laboratory tested INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS (IPR): Patent Applied for but not yet Granted in Europa TYPE OF COLLABORATION SOUGHT: License Agreement PARTNER PROFILE: Partner Qualification Criteria: Industrial partner in the field of: Nuclear medicine, diagnostic imaging products, medical diagnosis. Tasks to be Performed by Partner: The partner should work in the diagnostic imaging field. Support Provided by Your Organisation: The inventors would give their expertise and could help to develop the invention.
Market application:
-  HUMAN/ANIMAL HEALTH -  Health issue diagnosis
Further comments	Non-invasive Medical Imaging (in vivo) Radiotracer to distinguish between apoptosis and necrosis Diseases of application: - Atherosclerosis - acute myocardial infarction - stroke - neurodegenerative disorders
3) Technology Offer
New drugs for the treatment of diseases associated with an excess transport of hyaluronan
ABSTRACT: Our company represents here a known German university hospital. Its known physiological chemistry institute has found new drugs for the therapy of inter alia arthritis. The inventor could demonstrate that the new drugs have beneficial effects so that the symptoms of e.g. arthritis, edema can be prevented, ameliorated and/or treated. The invention can be applied for the treatment of diseases which are associated with an excess transport of hyaluronan across a lipid bilayer. DESCRIPTION: The invention relates to the use of at least one inhibitor of at least one ABC-transporter capable of transporting hyaluronan across a lipid bilayer. This enables the preparation of a pharmaceutical composition for the treatment of diseases associated with an excess transport of hyaluronan across a lipid bilayer, e.g. arthritis. The invention proposes also a method for screening compounds which could be suitable to use in the pharmatheutical composition, as well as a method for screening compounds which could reduce the transport of hyaluronan mediated by (an) ABC-transporter(s). Other methods identified by the invention include: - Identifification of subjects at risk for the fore mentioned diseases. - Prevention, amelioration and/or treatment of symptoms of those diseases in a subject thanks to the beneficial effects recognised in the drugs used in the experiments. The results of the in vitro-studies (cell- and organcultures, e.g. human chondrocytes, bovine articular cartilage) and the in vivo-studies (e.g. wistar rats) could clearly reinforce the basic principle of the invention. INNOVATIVE ASPECTS: The basic principle of the invention is the discovery that the initial aggrecan loss is not caused by excessive protease production, but by increased hyaluronan synthesis. The invention further indicates that aggrecan loss can be prevented by a large spectrum of drugs that have been used for many years or that are currently under clinical trials for the treatment of other diseases. Diseases which can be treated with these drugs are associated with an excess transport of hyaluronan across a lipid bilayer. MAIN ADVANTADGES / BENEFITS: The drugs used in the invention are yet under clinical trials or are already used to treat other diseases (first medical use) as those described herein. The drugs can not only be used in the treatment of arthritis but also in the treatment of diseases which are associated with an excess transport of hyaluronan across a lipid bilayer, e.g. ischemic or inflammatory edema (second medical use). TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS: CURRENT STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT: Development Phase INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS (IPR): A European and a PCT patent application have been filed. TYPE OF COLLABORATION SOUGHT: License Agreement PARTNER PROFILE: Partner Qualification Criteria: Pharmaceutical industry (research areas e.g. arthritis, edemas)
Market application:
-  HUMAN/ANIMAL HEALTH -  Health issue treatment
Further comments	Diseases which are associated with an excess transport of hyaluronan across a lipid bilayer e.g. arthritis, edema.
Entry/Update:	2006-10-30  /  2007-09-13