By SHERRY HALBROOK
Medical researchers may spend decades seeking new insights that could lead to treatments and cures for the maladies that destroy lives.

For too long, some valuable discoveries by PEF scientists have had difficulty reaching the people who could benefit.

Now, after nearly 15 years of determined effort, PEF has finally reached agreement on patent policies with the state Office of Mental Health (OMH) and the Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (OMRDD).

These policies will make it easier for discoveries made by PEF members (scientists and others such as adaptive equipment specialists) at OMH and OMRDD to become patented and possibly developed to benefit patients.

“It’s been a long time coming, but was worth the wait,” said PEF member Henry Sershen, a research scientist at OMH and a steward in PEF Division 235.

Sershen, who helped negotiate the policy as a member of the PEF Research Scientists Committee, said it has been greeted with gratitude by his fellow researchers at the Nathan Kline Institute in Orangeburg.

“This policy will benefit the state, our PEF members and the public," said PEF Executive Board Member Nithia Chatterjie, a research scientist at OMRDD’s Institute for Basic Research on Staten Island and also a member of PEF’s Research Scientists Committee.

The policies establish a procedure for the agencies to determine if they want to patent and license potential income-generating technologies.

If the agency gets a patent and that technology makes money, 50 percent of the net income will be shared with the inventor. If the agency does not proceed with the patent, then the rights to the technology will be released to the inventor who may then proceed with patenting the invention.