Targepeutics Inc., of Hershey, Pa., was issued U.S. Patent No. 6,296,843 for its mutated interleukin-13 technology for malignant glioma, a brain tumor. The mutated IL-13 compounds are designed to provide greater specificity to the IL-13 receptor that is overexpressed in brain tumors.

Targeted Genetics Corp., of Seattle, said U.S. Patent No. 6,319,516 titled “Acid Salts of Cholesterol” was issued to the University of Tennessee Research Corp. and McMaster University, and licensed to Targeted Genetics. The patent covers a variety of cholesterol-derived gene delivery systems.

Triad Therapeutics Inc., of San Diego, was awarded a patent related to its use of NMR spectroscopy for the design of nanomolecular-level inhibitors for a broad class of protein drug markets. The patent covers a method to use NMR to elucidate the structure of the binding sites of biligand enzymes, which comprise approximately one-sixth of all human enzymes and are the targets for a number of currently available drugs.

Zyomyx Inc., of Hayward, Calif., was awarded U.S. Patent No. 6,329,209 titled “Arrays of Protein-Capture Agents and Methods of Use Thereof,” which establishes a broad coverage for creating surfaces ideally suited to the study of protein interactions.