Advanced Tissue Sciences Inc., of La Jolla, Calif., was issued U.S. Patent No. 6,027,935 directed to nucleic acid encoding a mammalian RASP-1 protein, which is upregulated in regenerating liver tissue. It also was issued U.S. Patent No. 6,022,743 directed to 3-dimensional pancreas cultures.

Ambi Inc., of Purchase, N.Y., was issued a notice of allowance from the U.S. patent office on an application for a new use of calcium taurate to help people on antihypertensive medications maintain healthy blood pressure levels. The company also said it was issued U.S. Patent No. 6,028,051 for the use of lysostaphin to treat the most virulent form of staphylococcal infections that can cause life-threatening diseases, such as endocarditis.

Aradigm Corp., of Hayward, Calif., was granted U.S. Patent No. 6,012,450 covering the use of its AERx Pulmonary Drug Delivery System for the delivery of hematopoietic drugs.

Athersys Inc., of Cleveland, filed U.S. patent applications covering more than 10,000 novel gene sequences identified using the company¿s RAGE-GD (Random Activation of Gene Expression for Gene Discovery) technology.

Cell Genesys Inc., of Foster City, Calif., said The Salk Institute was issued U.S. Patent No. 6,013,516, which includes a broad composition of matter claims and methods of production claims for lentiviral gene delivery systems of both human and non-human origin.

Chiron Corp., of Emeryville, Calif., was granted U.S. Patent No. 6,015,686 and No. 6,015,694. The patents are directed to novel vaccine technology derived from alphavirus replicons, which are gene delivery vectors that have been shown to induce potent immunity to expressed antigens in order to combat infectious disease.

Cortex Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Irvine, Calif., received a notice of allowance from the U.S. patent office for claims that cover the use of AMPA receptor modulating compounds, regardless of structure, to treat sexual dysfunction. The patent covers Cortex¿s Ampakines, as well as compounds made by others that are positive modulators of the AMPA receptor and which are useful for treating sexual dysfunction.

Endorex Corp., of Chicago, was issued U.S. Patent No. 6,004,534 titled ¿Targeted polymerized liposomes for improved drug delivery.¿ It describes improved methods for oral and/or mucosal delivery of vaccines, allergens and therapeutics using polymerized liposomes as delivery vehicles.

IGT Pharma Inc., of Vancouver, British Columbia, was issued U.S. Patent No. 6,011,041 covering the new cancer drug, Anhydrovinblastine.

Immunicon Corp., of Huntingdon Valley, Pa., was issued U.S. Patent No. 6,013,188 and No. 6,013,532 covering claims related to its innovative cell presentation and analysis system, CPAS. The first patent describes methods for biological substance analysis employing internal magnetic gradient separation and an externally applied transport force, while the second covers methods for magnetic immobilization and manipulation of cells.

Lynx Therapeutics Inc., of Hayward, Calif., was issued U.S. Patent No. 6,013,165 covering a new technology for separating complex mixtures of proteins. The technique combines the speed advantages of capillary electrophoresis with the resolving power of 2-dimensional gel-based techniques. Lynx also added to its property portfolio U.S. Patent No. 6,013,445 covering its use of encoded adaptors in its Massively Parallel Signature Sequencing technology, and U.S. Patent No. 5,149,625 in an exclusive license from Harvard Medical School covering a molecular tagging technology.

Maxim Pharmaceuticals Inc., of San Diego, said the U.S. Patent Office has allowed two key patents supporting the mechanism of action of the Maxamine technology for the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases.

Ribozyme Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Boulder, Colo., was issued U.S. Patent No. 6,017,756 covering ribozymes targeting hepatitis B virus.

Symyx Technologies Inc., of Santa Clara, Calif., was issued U.S. Patent 6,004,617, expanding its position in the field of high-speed materials discovery. It covers more than 60 claims directed toward the synthesis and screening of arrays of materials where there are at least two arrays prepared under different conditions.

Techniclone Corp., of Tustin, Calif., was granted U.S. Patent No. 6,004,554 and No. 6,004,555, which extend patent coverage for the Vascular Targeting Agent technology.