OMRF’s Technology Transfer Office serves as the link between the research generated by our scientific staff and its patent and licensing process. The TTO matches the ground-breaking work of OMRF scientists with commercial partners to bring life-saving therapies to patients around the world. The TTO manages OMRF’s intellectual property (IP) and serves as an educational resource on IP and licensing matters for the OMRF community. The office has successfully marketed technologies to pharmaceutical, diagnostic and research reagent companies around the world, and continues to search for homes for new technologies.
An important duty of the TTO staff is to organize and develop spin-off companies on OMRF’s technology platform. OMRF’s commitment to the growth of Oklahoma’s economy drives our spin-off company activities. As we grow, more technologies are transferred from research labs into the pharmaceutical market place, and the TTO will continue to help us achieve our primary mission “… that more may live longer, healthier lives.”
Watch a short powerpoint about us
Contact Information:
Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation
825 NE 13th St MS#52
Oklahoma City, OK 73104-3600
Phone: (405) 271-1845
Fax: (405) 271-1708
Email: kennedyl@omrf.org or nicklesc@omrf.org
Available technologies contact : deborah-moorad@omrf.org
Larry Kennedy was trained as a microbiologist, receiving his BS and MS from Kansas State College, Emporia and an MBA from Rockhurst University in Kansas City, MO. He initially worked for Midwest Research Institute, Kansas City, MO, where early research efforts concentrated on the development of early biotechnology concepts in the production of viral insect pathogens and food systems for sustained space flights. He later joined Richardson-Merrill, Inc.’s, Jen-Sal Division, developing and manufacturing vaccines. After acquiring an MBA he transitioned to management, and progressed up the ranks. Some of the positions that Kennedy has held over the past 30 years include, Vice President of Manufacturing and Operations, Vice President of Business Development, Director Business Development, Acquisitions and Licensing and Director of Human Resources. During his career Kennedy worked for a number of different pharmaceutical, chemical and animal health companies, including Richardson-Merrill, Inc. (Vicks), Burroughs Wellcome, Co. (Wellcome Foundation), Coopers Animal Health (joint venture Zeneca/ Wellcome), International Minerals and Chemicals (IMCERA), Mallinckrodt, Inc. and Schering Plough. In the ten years prior to joining OMRF, Kennedy’s efforts were focused on business development, strategic planning, acquisitions/ divestitures and licensing. Kennedy brought these skills and experiences to the OMRF Technology Transfer Office in October of 1998.
Deborah Moorad-Watts holds her undergraduate degree in Biochemistry and a MBA from the University of Central Oklahoma. Prior to joining OMRF, she was responsible for clinical trial negotiations at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and worked in the Special Services Department for Hartford Insurance, where she was recognized as a Hartford Elite and Hartford leader in the community. Deborah joined OMRF in 2011, when she was hired as a Licensing & Marketing Associate, where she is responsible for the marketing and licensing strategy for OMRF technologies. Outside work, Deborah enjoys traveling, outside activities, and serving as a mentor at a local high school.
Originally from Spamtown USA (aka Austin, Minnesota), Melissa Alcorn first came to OMRF in 1997 as a graduate student. She received her PhD in 2002 and transitioned into law school that fall at University of Oklahoma College of Law, receiving a full scholarship as a Comfort Scholar. After completing her JD, Melissa returned to OMRF as the in-house patent attorney in the Technology Transfer Office where she is responsible for the oversight of the patent portfolio and all contracts in/out of OMRF relating to intellectual property. She also serves on the Conflicts of Interest Committee and OMRF IRB. Melissa was recognized by OKC Business publication as a member of the “40 Under 40” and is an alum of Leadership Oklahoma City Class XXVII. In her spare time she scales cliffs and frozen waterfalls, paddles her kayak around Oklahoma waterways, and serves as President of Touchstone Youth Project.
Carla Nickles began her career at OMRF in September, 2006, as an Intellectual Property Assistant. Carla handles all incoming/out Material Transfer Agreements, office management, financials, monitor patent portfolio and database. Prior to OMRF Carla worked as an Administrative Law Judge and Legal Assistant at the Oklahoma Water Resources Board, and has worked for law firms around the Oklahoma City area bringing with her an extensive legal background. Carla works to promote Organ/Tissue donations in the state and has been a Key Note Speaker on the importance of Organ Donation.
Contact Information:
Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation
825 NE 13th St MS#52
Oklahoma City, OK 73104-3600
Phone: (405) 271-1845
Fax: (405) 271-1708
Email: kennedyl@omrf.org or nicklesc@omrf.org
Available technologies contact : deborah-moorad@omrf.org
Discoveries that make a difference
OMRF Technology Transfer Office is currently seeking industry partners to collaborate with us (in the form of research collaboration, licensing, etc.) to develop and commercialize the following technologies. Please contact mooradd@omrf.org for more information regarding these or other available technologies.
| PRODUCTION OF PLURIPOTENT STEM CELLS THROUGH INHIBITION OF BRIGHT / ARID3A Inventors Dr. Carol Webb and Dr. Paul Kincade OMRF’s technology identified Bright or ARID3a (as its know in humans), promotes reprogramming of somatic cells into induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPS) – like state. The use of Bright/ARID3a inhibitors has significant potential as a method of producing populations of stem cells for a variety of regenerative medicine indications |  |
| EXTRACELLULAR HISTONES AS BIOMARKERS AND MOLECULAR TARGETS Inventors Dr. Charles Esmon and Dr. Jun Xu OMRF’s technology uses inhibitors of extracellular histones to treat patients suffering from hyper inflammatory disease and other disease resulting from extracellular histone cytotoxicity. This new approach could be used to treat sepsis patients who are non-responsive to APC. |  |
| FULLY HUMAN ANTIBODIES TO HUMAN AUTOANTIGENS OMRF’s technology is a more efficient approach to make antibodies. OMRF’s approach is to use cells that we choose to make antibodies. This powerful and fast approach will be useful in various therapeutic targets (anthrax, influenza, smallpox, etc). |  |
| AVAILABLE TECHNOLOGIES OMRF scientists are dedicated to understanding and developing more effective treatments for human disease, focusing on such critical research areas as heart disease, cancer, lupus, and Alzheimer’s disease. This link provides a list of OMRF’s available technologies. |  |
The work of OMRF scientists also has yielded more than 500 domestic and international patents. These patents speed the movement of discoveries from bench to bedside, ensuring that patients receive the treatments they need in the shortest possible time. And every one of these patented discoveries represents a potential revenue source. With each patent that gives birth to a new drug, OMRF—and Oklahoma’s economy—can reap millions of dollars. Each patented discovery also represents a potential new business venture, and OMRF has spun off numerous biotech start-up companies. These companies, in turn, fuel widespread private-sector growth, creating high-quality, high-paying jobs, many right here in Oklahoma.
OMRF Spinoff Companies:
Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Bridge-Blood Technology (now part of Bioenvision, Inc.)
Centaur, Inc. (now a part of Renovis, Inc.)
HealthAide, Inc.
InterGenetics, Inc.
J.K. Autoimmunity
Molecular Image, Inc.
Onconos, INC.
ProteomTech, Inc.
Riley Genomics, Inc.
Zapaq, Inc. (now part of Athenagen, Inc.)
Contact Information:
Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation
825 NE 13th St MS#52
Oklahoma City, OK 73104-3600
Phone: (405) 271-1845
Fax: (405) 271-1708
Email: kennedyl@omrf.org or nicklesc@omrf.org
Available technologies contact : deborah-moorad@omrf.org
