Applied Genetics Inc. Dermatics, of Freeport, N.Y. was issued four patents for a new class of compounds called bicyclic monoterpene diols. AGI Dermatics is developing these compounds for sunless tanning and treatment of pigmentation disorders. The most recent patent, U.S. Patent No. 6,294,585, covers the use of the compounds for treating nerve damage and neurodegenerative diseases.

Avigen Inc., of Alameda, Calif., was issued U.S. Patent No. 6,309,634 covering a gene therapy approach for treating Parkinson¿s disease. The treatment entails using Avigen¿s adeno-associated virus vector technology to deliver a gene for an enzyme that is deficient in patients with Parkinson¿s disease.

AxCell Biosciences Corp., a subsidiary of Cytogen Corp., of Princeton, N.J., was awarded U.S. Patent No. 6,309,820 titled ¿Polypeptides Having a Functional Domain of Interest and Methods of Identifying and Using Same,¿ for the company¿s Cloning of Ligand Targets proteomics technology.

CV Therapeutics Inc., of Palo Alto, Calif., said it received a notice of allowance from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for a patent application titled ¿Partial Fatty Acid Oxidation Inhibitors in the Treatment of Congestive Heart Failure.¿ Allowed claims include the use of all partial fatty acid oxidation inhibitors, including ranolazine, for the treatment of congestive heart failure.

GenSci OrthoBiologics Inc., of Irvine, Calif., a subsidiary of GenSci Regeneration Sciences Inc., was awarded U.S. Patent No. 6,309,569 titled ¿Reverse Phase Connective Tissue Repair Composition.¿ This patent covers the subsidiary¿s DynaGraft Putty, DynaGraft Gel, OrthoBlast and OrthoBlast Paste products.

Immunex Corp., of Seattle, was awarded U.S. Patent Nos. 6,027,915, 6,309,841 and 6,312,951 on a gene expression technology that enhances expression, or production, of recombinant proteins.

Kosan Biosciences Inc., of Hayward, Calif., was awarded U.S. Patent No. 6,303,342 for methods for producing epothilone D in recombinant host cells. Separately, Kosan said the European Patent Office issued EP Patent No. 725,778, which is exclusively licensed to Kosan by The Leland Stanford Jr. University. The claims of this patent cover methods, recombinant cells and DNA vectors for producing polyketides in heterologous host cells, as well as making novel polyketides from hybrid polyketide synthase enzymes made using recombinant DNA technology.

Microbia Inc., of Cambridge, Mass., said U.S. Patent No. 6,303,302 was awarded to the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research and exclusively licensed to Microbia. The patent protects methods for regulating fungal gene expression that enable Microbia¿s approach to antifungal drug discovery and development.

Sangamo Biosciences Inc., of Richmond, Calif., was granted a patent in the UK titled ¿Selection of Sites for Targeting by Zinc Finger Proteins and Methods of Designing Zinc Finger Proteins to Bind to Preselected Sites.¿

Symyx Technologies Inc., of Santa Clara, Calif., was awarded U.S. Patent No. 6,306,658 covering the company¿s Parallel Pressure Reactor, which is used in various research activities such as polymer research.

The Scripps Research Institute, of La Jolla, Calif., was awarded U.S. Patent No. 6,309,834. The patent relates to Digital Gene Technologies Inc.¿s total gene expression technology, aspects of which are licensed from The Scripps Institute.

Transkaryotic Therapies Inc., of Cambridge, Mass., was awarded U.S. Patent No. 6,303,379 titled ¿In Vivo Protein Production and Delivery System for Gene Therapy.¿ The patent covers the transfection of cells relating to the delivery of therapeutic proteins.

Viral Genetics Inc., of South Pasadena, Calif., a wholly owned subsidiary of 5 Starliving Online Inc., was notified that its patent application for its primary product, TNP, has been approved by the European Patent Commission.

Vivus Inc., of Mountain View, Calif., was awarded U.S. Patent No. 6,306,841 titled ¿Treatment of Female Sexual Dysfunction.¿ The patent covers the use of nitrovasodilators, either alone or in combination with other pharmacologic agents.

Vyrex Corp., of La Jolla, Calif., received a notice of allowance from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on all claims of its U.S. patent application for ¿Water-Soluble Prodrugs of Propofol for the Treatment of Migraine.¿