• Bolder BioTechnology Inc., of Boulder, Colo., received U.S. Patent Nos. 7,214,779, and 7,232,885, broadening the protection of the company's second-generation granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor analog and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor analog programs.
• Digilab Peptidomics GmbH, of Hanover, Germany, was granted a patent for a panel of biomarkers for the diagnosis of chronic dementia or a predisposition to such diseases using its Peptidomics Technologies.
• Dynavax Technologies Corp., of Berkeley, Calif., was issued U.S. Patent No. 7,255,868 B2, relating to the company's second-generation TLR9 agonists. Claims cover linear chimeric immunomodulatory compounds, with or without antigen, for application across a wide range of therapeutic categories.
• Introgen Therapeutics Inc., of Austin, Texas, received U.S. Patent No. 7,244,617, titled "Diminishing Viral Gene Expression by Promoter Replacement." That patent is licensed exclusively from the University of Texas System M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.
• Koronis Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Seattle, was issued U.S. Patent No. 7,244,732, titled "Prodrugs of Heteroaryl Compounds," which covers the use and composition of KP-1461, an oral, small-molecule antiviral designed to work by viral decay acceleration.
• Nastech Pharmaceutical Corp. Inc., of Bothell, Wash., was issued U.S. Patent No. 7,244,709, titled "Compositions and Methods for Enhanced Mucosal Delivery of Parathyroid Hormone," relating to its nasal spray for osteoporosis. It also received U.S. Patent No. 7,244,412, titled "Methods for Manipulating Upper Gastrointestinal Transit, Blood Flow and Satiety, and for Treating Visceral Hyperalgesia," which relates to the company's PYY nasal spray for obesity.
• Oncolytics Biotech Inc., of Calgary, Alberta, was granted U.S. Patent No. 7,252,817, titled "Viruses for the Treatment of Cellular Proliferative Disorders." Its claims cover the use of modified herpes simplex viruses to treat disorders such as neoplasia.
• Rosetta Genomics Ltd., of Rehovot, Israel, received U.S. Patent No. 7,250,496, which relates to human microRNA miR-492.
• Senomyx Inc., of San Diego, was issued U.S. Patent No. 7,241,880, titled "T1R Taste Receptors and Genes Encoding Same," which contains broad claims covering the human T1R2 taste receptor.
• Targeted Genetics Corp., of Seattle received U.S. Patent No. 7,241,447, titled "Adeno-Associated Virus Vectors and Uses Thereof." It is issued to the University of Iowa Research Foundation and exclusively licensed to Targeted Genetics.
• VGX Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Blue Bell, Pa., was granted U.S. Patent No. 7,238,522, titled "Device and Methods for Biomaterial Production," which covers its DNA plasmid manufacturing technology. The company also received U.S. Patent No. 7,245,963, titled "Electrode Assembly for Constant-Current Electroporation and Use," covering a device for the delivery of macromolecules, including DNA plasmids, to tissues.