Nearly every academic institution relies on outside attorneys to file its patents. But beginning this year, OMRF is blazing a different path. And we think this new course offers a significant advantage to our commercialization partners.
In January, we filed OMRF’s first provisional patent application prepared exclusively by in-house staff.
Although, as a patent agent, I technically filed the application, it was a team effort. Dr. Hemangi Shah of the Office of Technology Ventures led the initiative. And longtime outside patent counsel Edwin Flores generously guided us through the process.
The application is based on the work of OMRF scientist Dr. Chi Fung Lee, and it involves methods to treat cardiovascular diseases caused by diabetes, obesity, hypertension, oxidative stress or aging by modulating depletion of an enzyme known as nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, or more simply, NAD+.
According to the World Health Organization, heart disease is the number one cause of death globally. And for patients with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, heart disease is the most common cause of death. NAD+ depletion is a hallmark in the pathogenesis of diabetic, aged or pressure-overloaded hearts.
For Lee, working with in-house staff “allows much quicker feedback, which enabled the filing to move faster.” And the deep scientific understanding that Ph.D. researchers like Hemangi and I can bring to the process results in a better patent, which will ultimately benefit industry partners that license our technologies.
As of this writing, we’ve prepared a second provisional patent that we plan to file any day now. For our Office of Technology Ventures staff, it’s an exhilarating process, one that ties us more deeply to OMRF’s science. And both for our partners and us, that’s an extremely good thing.
In July, Simanti Das will join OMRF as our new Technology Transfer Associate. Simanti’s primary role will be facilitating material transfer agreements, but she will also help with licensing activities and contract negotiations.
Simanti is a doctoral candidate who comes to OMRF from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, where for five years, she has specialized in cancer biology. Her particular focus is on a tumor-suppression gene.
She also completed an internship in technology commercialization at UTSW and served as an international student representative for the medical school. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research in Kolkata.
Simanti’s expertise in medical research and her experience in technology commercialization make her a perfect fit for this position and the Technology Ventures team. We’re very happy to welcome her to OMRF.
Andrew Westmuckett, Ph.D.
Director, Technology Ventures
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