Athersys Inc., of Cleveland, was issued U.S. Patent No. 6,361,972 titled "Compositions and Methods for Non-Targeted Activation of Endogenous Genes" and covering aspects of its RAGE (Random Activation of Gene Expression) technology.

Avigen Inc., of Alameda, Calif., was awarded U.S. Patent No. 6,325,998 covering the use of recombinant adeno-associated virus, free of both wild-type AAV and infectious helper virus, to deliver any therapeutic gene to muscle cells. A second issued patent, U.S. Patent No. 6,335,011, covers methods for delivering genes via AAV to muscle tissue to treat any of the lysosomal storage diseases, including Gaucher's disease and Hurler's disease. A third issued patent, U.S. Patent No. 6,365,403, covers the compositions and cells Avigen has developed for high-efficiency manufacturing of AAV.

BioMedicines Inc., of Emeryville, Calif., received a notice of allowance from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office covering the use of its cytokine inhibitor Biomed 101 in patients with kidney cancer or melanoma who also are receiving interleukin-2. Biomed 101 binds to the leukotriene B4 receptor.

Cepheid Inc., of Sunnyvale, Calif., was issued U.S. Patent No. 6,369,893 broadly covering the company's fundamental I-Core module technology for simultaneous, real-time optical excitation and detection of two or more nucleic acids. It was also issued U.S. Patent No. 6,368,871 covering the automated preparation of biological samples using chip-based microfluidics technology.

Hybridon Inc., of Cambridge, Mass., was issued U.S. Patent No. 6,372,427 covering novel design of antisense oligonucleotides. The novelty resides in the interaction of short oligonucleotides, which bind to adjacent sites on the messenger RNA and to each other, resulting in the formation of an active antisense complex.

Ixion Biotechnology Inc., of Alachua, Fla., was issued U.S. Patent No. 6,355,242 relating to treatment or prevention of oxalate-related diseases in animals through the delivery of oxalate-degrading bacteria and enzymes.

Maxim Pharmaceuticals Inc., of San Diego, was issued U.S. Patents No. 6,335,429 and No. 6,342,611, both titled "Fluorogenic or Fluorescent Reporter Molecules and their Applications for Whole-Cell Fluorescence Screening Assays for Caspases and other Enzymes and the Use Thereof."

Maxygen Inc., of Redwood City, Calif., was issued U.S. Patent No. 6,368,861 directed to its GeneHarvest synthetic gene assembly technology. The patent covers a wide range of ligase- and/or polymerase-based techniques for assembly populations of synthetic nucleic acid fragments into new genetic variants.

Molecular Staging Inc., of New Haven, Conn., was awarded new U.S. patents for Rolling Circle Amplification Technology. U.S. Patent No. 6,344,329, "Rolling Circle Replication Reporter Systems" was issued to Paul Lizardi of Yale University and is exclusively licensed to MSI. U.S. Patent No. 6,329,150 titled "Unimolecular Segment Amplification was issued in December to Lizardi. It also is exclusively licensed to MSI.

Nabi Biopharmaceuticals, of Rockville, Md., was issued U.S. Patent No. 6,355,625 covering the composition of beta-glucans and specific antibodies known as hyperimmune immunoglobulins, as well as the method of using those compositions for preventing and treating infections caused by certain microorganisms.

NeoTherapeutics Inc., of Irvine, Calif., was issued U.S. Patent No. 6,350,752 B1 titled "Carbon Monoxide Dependent Guanylyl Cyclase Modifiers and Methods of Use." The patent is one of a family of patents on purine derivatives and covers the use of Neotrofin and related compounds to treat certain conditions related to oxidative stress.

PharmaSeq Inc., of Monmouth Junction, N.J., was issued U.S. Patent No. 6,361,950 covering the use of microtransponders in the field of DNA diagnostics. The patent is titled "Multiplex Assay for Nucleic Acids Employing Transponders" and builds on previous patents.

Prometheus Laboratories Inc., of San Diego, was issued U.S. Patent No. 6,355,623 for a method of treating inflammatory bowel disease and related conditions in which drug metabolite levels in circulating red blood cells help to determine subsequent dosage of the medications.

Vyrex Corp., of La Jolla, Calif., was awarded U.S. Patent No. 6,362,234 for its water-soluble prodrugs of propofol for the treatment of migraine.