I
l
il  "  BY EMILY MORSE ‘_" _— ````
he University of Wisconsin basic patent for lasers, but the research sal administration of peptides. He is in-
put the Vitamin D in milk. is just as important. While the UKRF, terested in their potential as contracep-
The Univeristy of Florida which registers all patents, typically re- tives for men, and for women as agents
quenched our thirst with ceives five to six a year, the areas range to control hypertension and as anti-can-
Gatorade. Indiana University used to from agricultural engineering to new cer medications.
own the patent for Crest toothpaste. types of drugs and methods of drug The problem is the body’s natural
john Bryans’ rhimnophneumonitis dosage. ability to inactivate peptides, even when
vaccine, to prevent viral abortion in McDonald said, "Our patent pro- taken by nose. Hussain said when his
horses, is not commonly found in most gram is essentially a break-even pro- research finds a way to overcome this
households. It’s not as easy to say ei- cess, but it has supported additional re- problem, it will be a medical break-
ther, yet it has been one of the Univer- search and financial compensation to through.
sity of Kentucky’s most profitable and the researchers." Many of his inventions have started
familiar patents for its importance to As one of UK’s important research- paying off for the University. The Uni-
the horse industry. ers, Bryans chairs the nationally and in- versity received $75,000 in license fees
Sold 8 few Ye8fS 8gO t0 Ft. Dodge ternationally recognized department of last year, and expects more than
LabO1`8t0fieS, it H0 longer generates 8HY veterinary science in the Kentucky Ag- $100,000 this year, according to phar-
money {Of the UHiVefSitY, but 8S Jim ricultural Experiment Station. The de- macy dean joseph Swintosky.
MCDOn8ld, executive director of the partment has developed vaccines for Hussain has been very successful in
UK ReSe8FCh FOUI`1d&ti01'i (UKRF), horse diseases such as iniiuenza, viral finding laboratories interested in testing
points out, “It’s not just the money. arteritis, strangles and salmonellosis. his products. Once adrug receivesapa-
Patents are 8 way to get new ide8S into Currently, Bryans is working with de- tent it must go through a series of ex-
public use. veloping a vaccine to control the herpes pensive tests before reaching the stores.
"The whole idea of a patent, as rec- virus. Hussain has been able to convince the
ognized in the Constitution, is to pro- Anwar Hussain, a professor of phar- companies because he worked with drug
vide the inVent0l` with 8 legal YHOHOPOIY macy, has 40 patents to his credit, 9 companies like Ayerst and Alza for 10
for a limited time, as an incentive to since coming to UK in 1974. He works years before coming to Kentucky. He
motivation.” with improving drug delivery. His main w8S viCe·p1"eSident of Intefx in New
i Three of the University’s researchers research concerns the nasal administra- York.
in agricultural engineering have spent tion of compounds ineffective when In addition to out-of—state opportuni-
the past live years working with the used by mouth, that consequently must ties for UK’S invent0rS, Patrick
1 mechanization of burley tobacco. The be injected. DeLuca, a professor and associate dean
I main goal of Linus Walton, Larry Hussain said, "A lot of drug compa- in the College of Pharmacy, has re-
Swetnam and James Casada, has been nies, large and small, are working in ceived inquiries from japan and Bel-
~ not to make money, but ease the work- this area of drug administration, but we gium concerning his new type of drug
load in a crop that is largely done by (UK researchers) laid the ground- delivery.
‘ hand. They concentrated on making the work." The new system involves porous mi-
machinery, which transplants, culti- His patents in the area of nasal ad- croscopic particles, called micro-
vates, sidedresses, sprays and harvests ministration include a contraceptive for spheres, which carry drugs to various
the crop, aH`ordable to the small to me- women and the drug propranolol (used parts of the body. Because they are po-
dium income farmer. They also made in cardiac conditions). His most recent rous, various drugs can be incorporated
the equipment applicable to more than is important to chronic aspirin-users, within them during the manufacturing
one crop so it would be a better buy for like people with arthritis, who develop process. Slow release of the drugs is one
the farmers. ulcers from taking three to four a day. of the main advantages.
In the manufacture of these ma- It alters the molecular level so that aspi- DeLuca said, "One great advantage
chines, UK does not expect to rival the rin loses its stomach-upsetting quality. of this technology is that the drugs can
Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Currently, he is working with the na- be targeted to specific organs and be
UK 9