Gangjee Gains Five New Patents

Dr. Aleem Gangjee, Distinguished Professor of Medicinal Chemistry, has had five patents issued in four months.

Gangjee’s work focuses on creating cancer-fighting agents as well as compounds to help cancer patients and others keep opportunistic infections and diseases at bay.

The grants he received most recently are:

• Aug. 15, US 8,258,143, Methods of Using Chemotherapeutic Agents for Targeting Tumor Cells
• Aug. 28, US 8,252,804, Selective Proton Coupled Folate Transporter and Folate Receptor, and GARFTase Inhibitor Compounds, and Methods of Using the Same (with Dr. Larry Matherly of Wayne State University)
• Nov. 7, European Patent 2037932 (Germany, Great Britain, Switzerland), Chemotherapeutic Compound for Selectively Targeting Tumor Cells with FR Type Receptors
• Nov. 13, US 8,309,564, Tricyclic Compounds Having Antimitotic and Antitumor Activity and methods of Use Thereof
• Nov. 20, US 8,314,114, Tricyclic Compounds Having Antimitotic and Antitumor Activity and Methods of Use Thereof.

“Professor Gangjee has been one of our most prolific researchers with a particular ability to translate his scholarly achievements in medicinal chemistry into practical chemotherapeutics with real clinical promise,” said Dr. Alan Seadler, associate academic vice president for research.

“Dr. Gangjee’s interest in seeing his compounds become available drugs has motivated his efforts to patent the intellectual property so that we find a commercial partner who can make these compounds commercially available to help physicians treat patients suffering from cancer.”

The Office of Research guides faculty members through the patent and licensing process.