aaiPharma Inc., of Wilmington, N.C., said it was granted U.S. Patent No. 6,258,853. It covers pharmaceutical formulations comprising fluoxetine hydrochloride Form A, including the distinct pure crystalline form of the active ingredient found in Prozac. The patent consists of 20 approved claims.

Arcus Therapeutics LLC, of Watertown, Mass., said it received U.S. Patent No. 6,261,535 titled ¿Diagnostic Methods for Targeting the Vasculature of Solid Tumors.¿ It covers the use of Vascular Target Agent technology for the imaging and diagnosis of vascularized tumors.

Ariad Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Cambridge, Mass., said it received U.S. Patent No. 6,258,823 covering a new class of antifungal small-molecule drugs known as rapamycin analogs.

BioMicro Systems Inc., of Sandy, Utah, said it was granted a U.S. patent titled ¿Fluid Circuit Components Based Upon Passive Fluid Dynamics.¿ The patent describes a method of controlling the flow of tiny amounts of fluid through hair-sized channels formed in plastic, glass or silicon microchips in order to perform more accurate and less-costly chemical and biological sample processing.

Boston Biomedica Inc., of West Bridgewater, Mass., said it was granted U.S. Patent No. 6,258,534 titled ¿Pressure Controlled Nucleic Acid Hybridization.¿ It covers the use of high pressure to control nucleic acid hybridization, the process that forms the current basis of molecular identification and detection procedures. The company also received U.S. Patent Nos. 6,270,723 and 6,274,726 covering its proprietary Pressure Cycling Technology to sterilize biological materials and purify nucleic acids.

Gambro AB, of Stockholm, Sweden, said its Gambro BCT subsidiary was granted a U.S. patent for a method of inactivating viruses and bacteria in fluids that contain biologically active protein, blood or blood components. The company¿s method adds a non-toxic photosensitizer to the fluid and then exposes it to light.

Genteric Inc., of Alameda, Calif., said it received U.S. Patent No. 6,255,289 titled ¿Gene Therapy by Secretory Gland Expression¿ for a method of delivering a protein into the bloodstream via the pancreas. The patent covers the delivery of naked DNA encoding any gene using either viral or nonviral vectors. The company also received U.S. Patent No. 6,258,789 for a method of oral delivery of DNA to include all secreted proteins for the treatment of such diseases as hemophilia and anemia.