Glyko Inc. has received a broad patent for diagnostic use of itslabeling and detection system in carbohydrates.

Patent No. 5,205,917, issued to the Novato, Calif., company onApril 27, may be applied to diagnosis of carbohydratemetabolic diseases in which the body lacks key enzymes forbreakdown of sugar-based compounds, as well as to tracingsugar-containing "ID tags" in cancer, liver or bone marrowdiseases and autoimmune disease. Monitoring carbohydratechanges in response to treatment is also included in the patent.

The company (TSE:GBL) offers analytical enzymes for assessingcarbohydrate structure, and a carbohydrate imaging systemcalled FACE for fluorophore assisted carbohydrateelectrophoresis.

John Hamilton, vice president and chief financial officer, toldBioWorld that this patent gives a "franchise" in the field ofdiagnosis based on use of fluorophore imaging. Five otherissued patents have already been assigned to the company,which went public in December 1992 and is the only companypursuing diagnostic carbohydrates.

This is the first patent issued directly to the company. Twelveother patent applications have been filed, Hamilton said. --Nancy Garcia

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