Federal Bio-Technology Transfer Directory: Preface

[The Preface from the book published in 1994]

The Federal Bio-Technology Transfer Directory is a new information resource primarily designed to provide the U.S. biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries and the biomedical and life sciences research communities with access to federal technology transfer opportunities and activities, and to provide a reference book for competitive intelligence and technology assessment concerning federal research, development and commercialization activities. Much of the federal technology transfer information presented in this book has never before been publicly disclosed and this is the first publication providing access to this information.

This Directory describes federal biomedical and basic biotechnology inventions and technology transfers from 1980 through the start of the 1994 federal fiscal year (October 1, 1993) with patent coverage through the end of 1993. This includes:

* 2,100 federal inventions including 1,200 U.S. patents and 900 pending applications

* 990 invention licenses/transfers including 270 exclusive licenses, 640 nonexclusive licenses
and 85 inventions shared (co-assigned) with other organizations

* 510 Collaborative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs)

* 140 biological materials licenses and transfer agreements

Most of this information is recent with about 1,250 (60%) inventions since 1990, including over 515 (43%) patents and 715 (79%) patent applications, and about 80% of CRADAs presumed to be active in late 1993. All of this information is abstracted, cross-referenced and indexed in-depth with over 36,000 Subject Index entries. Organization, Inventor/Investigator and other indexes are also provided. Consistent terminology is used in Subject Index entries and abstracts. Sources and contacts for further information concerning federal research and technology transfer are provided.

The federal government by far has the largest portfolio of biomedical and biotechnology-related inventions available for licensing and is the most important source for transfer of this technology worldwide. While a few of the largest pharmaceutical companies may have patent portfolios comparable in size, their inventions are not as available as federal inventions (essentially all of which are available for licensing) and tend to be narrower and more defensive in nature. Federal inventions and technology transfer opportunities include: broadly enabling and fundamental technologies; blockbuster and orphan therapeutic, diagnostic and other products; and specialized and broadly useful methods, processes, reagents and apparatus. The federal patent portfolio is unsurpassed in many areas such as cancer, viral and other infectious diseases, gene therapy, genome sequencing, vaccines, and many broad and enabling biotechnologies.

This is the first edition of the Federal Bio-Technology Transfer Directory. This initial effort involved the collection and organization of all information available from federal sources, including federal technology transfer offices, U.S. patent databases and from pharmaceutical, biotechnology and technology transfer trade publications and reference sources. Annual update editions are planned which will further expand upon and confirm the information provided here. A periodical updating the Directory and including in-depth articles highlighting technology transfer opportunities and activities may be initiated. The Directory will also be available in database formats.

Information for this Directory was collected and compiled over a nearly 2.5 year period involving nearly two man-years of effort. No funds or assistance (other than public information) were received from any federal or other sources. Comments, corrections and suggestions for improvement of the Directory and the development of related information products and services are welcome.

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