Active Biotech AB, of Lund, Sweden, said it received a notice of allowance for its patent application regarding a prostate cancer project. The patent includes product and methodological requirements designed to protect that form of prostate and breast cancer treatment. The patent also extends the protection already obtained by the company for its so-called Q-competence platform, which includes SAIK-MS, among others.

Lorus Therapeutics Inc., of Toronto, said the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office allowed a patent covering a component of its antisense drug development program that demonstrated promising anticancer properties in preclinical studies.

NeoTherapeutics Inc., of Irvine, Calif., was granted U.S. Patent No. 6,338,963 titled “Use of Carbon Monoxide Dependent Guanylyl Cyclase Modifiers to Stimulate Neuritogenesis,” which covers the use of Neotrofin and related compounds to stimulate the sprouting of nerve endings.

Oncolytics Biotech Inc., of Calgary, Alberta, was granted U.S. Patent No. 6,344,195 titled “Reovirus for the Treatment of Neoplasia,” which covers the use of human, mammalian and avian reoviruses as a treatment for ras-mediated neoplasms.

Targeted Genetics Corp., of Seattle, was issued U.S. Patent No. 6,251,677 covering the use of small regulatory control elements in conjunction with sequences within the adeno-associated virus genome to drive gene expression. The use of vectors described in the patent may help to maximize gene expression efficiency with little or no loss in viral payload.