Accelr8 Technology Corp., of Denver, received a notice of allowance for patent related to its BACcel rapid diagnostic platform for identifying drug-resistant bacteria and their resistance mechanisms. The patent covers methods used in the BACcel and also claims alternative methods that a competitor might otherwise use to circumvent the BACcel's specific design.

Active Biotech AB, of Lund, Sweden, said MediGene AG, of Martinsried, Germany, received U.S. Patent No. 7,276,505, covering its rheumatoid arthritis drug candidate RhuDex. The patent protects the substance RhuDex (and related small molecules) and its pharmaceutical composition.

Borean Pharma ApS, of Aarhus, Denmark, received a notice of allowance in for a patent relating to HIV fusion inhibitors for treating AIDS. The patent will cover six drug candidates capable of inhibiting HIV from infecting human cells.

Epigenomics AG, of Berlin, was issued U.S. Patent No. 7,229,759, which covers its HeavyMethyl technology for sensitive detection of methylated DNA. The company uses that technology for the early detection of cancer.

Idera Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Cambridge, Mass., was issued U.S. Patent No. 7,276,489, titled "Modulation of Immunostimulatory Properties of Oligonucleotide-Based Compounds By Optimal Presentation of 5' Ends." It covers oligonucleotide compositions in which two oligonucleotides are attached through their 3' ends and contain various synthetic immune stimulatory motifs.

Immunomedics Inc., of Morris Plains, N.J., received U.S. Patent No. 7,282,567, titled "Monoclonal antibody hPAM4." It covers the composition of matter for the MUC1-antigen binding humanized antibody and its use in the diagnosis and therapy of pancreatic cancers.

ISTO Technologies Inc., of St. Louis, received a patent, titled "Method for Chondrocyte Expansion with Phenotype Retention," which protects the company's core technology for cell-based cartilage repair.

Nanogen Inc., of San Diego, was granted U.S. Patent No. 7,252,940, titled "Abasic site endonuclease assay," which extends the underlying real-time PCR technology used in the company's MGB Alert products to a new product offering commercialized as research reagents for replication validation following genome-wide scanning.