Pluristem Life Sciences Inc., of Haifa, Israel, received U.S. Patent No. 6,911,201, titled "Method of Producing Undifferentiated Hematopoietic Stem Cells Using a Stationary Phase Plug Flow Bioreactor." It protects the company's PluriX bioreactor, and covers the concept of creating a three-dimensional bone-like environment that supports expansion of hematopoietic stem cells from cord blood samples.

Power3 Medical Products Inc., of The Woodlands, Texas, was issued U.S. Patent No. 6,855,554, covering a method of discovering and detecting breast cancer through protein markers identified in breast nipple aspirate fluid. The company licensed rights from the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.

Pozen Inc., of Chapel Hill, N.C., was issued U.S. Patent No. 6,926,907, titled "Pharmaceutical Compositions for the Coordinated Delivery of NSAIDs." This covers Prozen's proton pump inhibitor/nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug candidates.

Pro-Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Newton, Mass., received U.S. Patent No. 6,914,055, titled "Delivery of a Therapeutic Agent in a Formulation for Reduced Toxicity," covering methods for reducing toxicity of a toxic agent in which a polysaccharide galactomannan is administered with a chemotherapeutic agent.

Proteus SA, of Nimes, France, was granted U.S. Patent No. 6,951,719 for L-Shuffling, a gene shuffling technology aimed at generating and optimizing proteins for commercial product applications.

Provectus Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Knoxville, Tenn., received a notice of allowance covering the use of its anticancer agent, Provecta, for radiosensitization.

PSivida Ltd., of Perth, Australia, received U.S. Patent No. 6,929,950, covering the classification of porous silicon into monodispersed particles with tight size distribution.

Rib-X Pharmaceuticals Inc., of New Haven, Conn., was issued U.S. Patent Nos. 6,952,650, 6,947,845, 6,947,844, and 6,939,848, covering its work on crystal structures on the 50S subunit of the ribosome, and the complexes it forms with antibiotics. Rib-X said 50S has been known as an antibiotic target.

Scolr Pharma Inc., of Bellevue, Wash., was issued U.S. Patent No. 6,936,275 for its amino acid CDT drug delivery platform, which can be used for difficult-to-formulate drugs.

Seattle Genetics Inc., of Bothell, Wash., was issued U.S. Patent No. 6,946,129, titled "Recombinant anti-CD40 antibody and uses thereof," covering the humanized monoclonal antibody employed in the company's SGN-40 product candidate for multiple myeloma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Semafore Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Indianapolis, received U.S. Patent No. 6,949,537, covering its lead clinical candidate, SF1126, and other prodrug compositions of the P13K inhibitor, LY294002, that Semafore is evaluating in cancer and other diseases.