* Alexion Pharmaceuticals Inc., of New Haven, Conn., receivedpatent No. 5,523,226, titled Transgenic swine compositions andmethods. The patent, which Alexion licensed from the Biotechno-logy Research and Development Corp., covers composition ofporcine embryonic stem cells for producing transgenic pigs, whichare used in xenotransplantation.

* Cypros Pharmaceutical Corp., of Carlsbad, Calif., received asecond patent for its drug, CPC-211, for protecting brain cells fromdamage caused by stroke and head injury. The compound is designedto inhibit lactate accumulation by stimulating an enzyme thatgenerates adenosine triphosphate.

* MedImmune Inc., of Gaithersburg, Md., received patent No.5,508,186, titled B19 parvovirus capsids, covering the company'sMEDI-491 vaccine for human B19 parvovirus infection, whichcauses a variety of problems, such as miscarriages, reduction of redblood cells in sickle cell anemia patients and acute arthritis.MedImmune licensed the patent from the National Heart, Lung andBlood Institute of the National Institutes of Health, in Bethesda, Md.

* Xoma Corp., of Berkeley, Calif., received patent No. 5,523,288, foruse of its bactericidal permeability-increasing (BPI) protein drugswith antibiotics. BPI protein is a naturally occurring molecule that thecompany says kills bacteria, neutralizes bacterial endotoxin andinhibits growth of new blood vessels.

(c) 1997 American Health Consultants. All rights reserved.