Procter & Gamble, the makers of Tide laundry detergent, Pampers diapers and Crest toothpaste, has given seven patent families and a restricted cash grant to the University of Nebraska Medical Center. The restricted cash grant will support research in the laboratory of David B. Bylund, Ph.D., professor of pharmacology as well as patent costs for the next three years.
The patents cover five different classes of alpha-2 adrenergic agonist compounds that are proven to be useful in treating nasal congestion and migraine headaches. None of the compounds contain pseudoephedrine, a prime ingredient used to make methamphetamines.
“The alpha-2 receptors act as vasoconstrictors, meaning they constrict blood vessels,” said Dr. Bylund, who has studied alpha-2 receptors since 1979 and is considered an expert in the field. “The main clinical use for these has always been in regulating fluid pressure.”
All rights, title and interest to the patents now belong to the university. The seven patent families include 13 U.S. patents and 40 foreign patents. The restricted cash grant was given to help the university pay the fees that go along with maintaining those patents and to support Dr. Bylund’s research, thereby financially seeding the project for success.
“Dr. Bylund has the capability, knowledge and expertise to lead the team of researchers that will further the development of these compounds and hopefully some day benefit the public good as new drugs,” said Dr. Greg Hillebrand, manager, university strategic alliances and external business development, Procter & Gamble.
“P&G conducted research on the safety and efficacy of the compounds since 1990,” said Dr. Mark Dato, section head, P&G Pharmaceuticals who led the project at P&G. “While the compounds showed excellent efficacy for use as a nasal decongestants they didn’t prove superior to currently available therapies. Alpha-2 adrenergic agonists can have utility in other areas of health care that are not of strategic interest to P&G. By donating the technology to UNMC, Dr. Bylund and his team can develop the compounds for these other areas with the hope of bringing new drugs to people who need them.”
“An advantage of a donation of this type is that the groundwork has already been done and now we can focus on identifying the best uses for the compounds,” said Dr. Bylund. “We are pursuing several avenues, some basic and some clinical.”