Nanogen Inc., of San Diego, was issued U.S. Patent No. 6,780,584 titled "Electronic Systems and Component Devices for Macroscopic and Microscopic Molecular Biological Reactions, Analyses and Diagnostics."

NitroMed Inc., of Lexington, Mass., received U.S. Patent No. 6,784,177, covering the use of BiDil for the treatment of African-Americans with heart failure, with additional claims to specific indications and dosing ranges for the treatment of heart failure and other conditions in black patients.

Peregrine Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Tustin, Calif., was granted U.S. Patent No. 6,783,760, which is directed toward the development of compounds that deliver cancer drugs directly to tumor blood vessels to enhance standard cancer therapy.

Pharmos Corp., of Iselin, N.J., received a notice of allowance on an application relating to synthetic, non-psychotropic cannabinoids that are specific agonists of the peripheral cannabinoid-2 receptor.

Point Biomedical Corp., of San Carlos, Calif., was issued U.S. Patent No. 6,776,761, expanding its microsphere technology patent portfolio by covering a method of enhancing the diagnostic use of ultrasound by providing a microsphere imaging agent with controlled fragility.

StemCells Inc., of Palo Alto, Calif., was issued U.S. Patent No. 6,777,233 covering composition-of-matter claims for the human neural stem cell, including cultures derived from embryonic, fetal, neonatal and adult tissue.

Xechem International Inc., of New Brunswick, N.J., received U.S. Patent No. 6,765,015 B2, with 37 claims for a second-generation paclitaxel.