Faculty members, research teams awarded patents

Several CU faculty members and research teams recently were awarded patents for their work.  A research team led by Associate Professor Michael Stowell (MCDB, Mechanical Engineering (affiliate), Center for Neuroscience) was given a patent for a new peptide manufacturing process. Now being developed by CU startup company AmideBio, the BiopureTM process enables rapid structure activity relationship (SAR) studies on peptide therapeutics as well as ultimately decreasing costs of difficult-to-manufacture peptides. Initial research has focused on the production of amyloid peptides for the study of Alzheimer’s disease, novel thermo stable insulins for treatment for diabetes, and a solution stable glucagons for emergency hypoglycemia and orphan indications such as hyperinsulinemia.

The CU Technology Transfer Office (TTO) began prosecuting this family of patents (which includes multiple issued and pending patents in the U.S. and internationally) in November 2009 on behalf of the university; U.S. 8,796,431 (“Efficient Production of Peptides”) was issued on Aug. 5, 2014. Other inventors listed on the patent include MCDB research associate Jonathan Caruthers, former MCDB undergraduate student Travis Nemkov, former MCDB Graduate Student Brian Hiester, and AmideBio CEO Misha Plam.

Gregory Everson (School of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology/Hepatology; University of Colorado Hospital) was awarded a patent for less-invasive measurement of liver function. This technology, along with others that are being developed by CU startup company HepQuant, enables researchers and drug developers to more accurately stage liver disease and assess drug efficacy.

U.S. 8,778,299, “Methods for Diagnosis and Intervention of Hepatic Disorders,” is part of a large portfolio of intellectual property developed by Everson and his collaborators; TTO began prosecuting this family of patents (which includes several issued and pending U.S. and international patent applications) in 2005 on behalf of the university. This most recent patent was issued on July 15, 2014.

The research group of Xuedong Liu (Chemistry and Biochemistry and IQ Biology Program) was awarded a patent for a new group of compounds useful as HDAC (histone deacetylase) inhibitors. HDAC inhibitors are a group of drugs that are being intensively researched as possible treatments for diseases ranging from cancer to inflammatory diseases.

TTO began prosecuting this family of patents (which includes multiple issued and pending patents in the U.S. and internationally) in May 2010; the patent (U.S. 8,754,050, “Macrocyclic Compounds Useful as Inhibitors of Histone Deacetylases”) was issued on June 17, 2014. In addition to Dr. Liu, other inventors on this patent include former CU associate professor Andrew Phillips (now of Yale University), and former CU research associates Christopher Nasveschuk, Donna Peak (listed as Dana Ungermannova) and Gan Zhang.