Biotech Week articles from November 2003

Biotech Week archives from November 2003

Causal relationship suggested between reflux and sleep apnea.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The results of a recent study to be presented at the 68th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology suggest that gastroesophageal reflux (GER) of any sort - not just acid...

Study describes medical breakthrough in 3-D tissue.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers at Oxford University's department of engineering science have recently made great lengths in both engineering and monitoring 3-dimensional tissue. Engineering tissue involves the seeding...

Virus-mediated gene delivery extends the correction of canine hemophilia A.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Virus-mediated gene delivery extends the correction of canine hemophilia A. According to a study from the United States, "gene therapy for hemophilia A requires efficient delivery of the factor VIII...

Manufacture of clinical product initiated for Chronogesic.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Durect Corporation (DRRX) announced that it has initiated the manufacturing of clinical product for its anticipated pharmacokinetic study and other initial clinical studies in the phase III program for...

Molecular test measures extent of remission, potential for relapse.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- An international consortium of researchers reported the first use of a sensitive molecular test to measure the precise extent of remission or the likelihood of relapse in cancer patients being treated...

Passing "stop sign" cures gene disease.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Simply popping a pill might be enough to overcome the type of genetic defect responsible for many cases of cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy, and hemophilia. An experimental drug called PTC124...

Estrogen receptor alpha mediates the dynamics of orphan nuclear receptors.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Estrogen receptor alpha mediates the dynamics of orphan nuclear receptors. "Hormonal status can influence diverse metabolic pathways. Small heterodimer partner (SHP) is an orphan nuclear receptor...

Healthcare professionals updated on new CDC hand hygiene guidelines.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- 3M Health Care has sponsored a new video to make it easier for healthcare professionals to update their procedures in light of the new hand hygiene guidelines issued recently by the U.S. Centers for...

Second study initiated with Neugene antisense drug.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- AVI BioPharma, Inc., (AVII) announced it would begin a second clinical study evaluating its Neugene antisense drug AVI-4020 in patients with West Nile virus (WNV). The new study will allow expanded...

Herpes simplex virus induces the chemokine RANTES/CCL5.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Herpes simplex virus infection induces the chemokine RANTES/CCL5; IRF-3, NF-kappaB are involved. According to published research from Denmark, "Chemokines regulate migration of leukocytes to sites...

NIH grant to be used for development of stem cell treatment.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Aastrom Biosciences, Inc., (ASTM) announced that it has received a $100,000 Phase I Small Business Innovation Research grant from the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop a bone marrow...

Humira (adalimumab) clinical trial program expanded.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Abbott Laboratories (ABT) announced the expansion of its immunology clinical trials program to include an additional phase III study evaluating the potential of Humira (adalimumab) in psoriatic...

Alliance to develop RNAi compounds, gene regulation research.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Acacia Research Corporation (CBMX, ACTG) announced that CombiMatrix is collaborating with researchers at the Seattle Biomedical Research Institute (SBRI). The collaboration was formed to conduct a...

U.S. patent granted for measuring cell surface proteins.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Aclara BioSciences (ACLA) announced the issuance of a U.S. patent (No. 6,627,400) titled "Multiplexed Measurement of Membrane Protein Populations" covering the use of Aclara's eTag technology for the...

Pharmaceutical firm prices IPO.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Acusphere, Inc., (ACUS) announced the pricing of its initial public offering of 3,750,000 shares of its common stock at $14.00 per share, before underwriting discounts and commissions. The offering...

Protease inhibitors used for treating HIV also block Kaposi sarcoma.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Protease inhibitors used for treating HIV also block Kaposi sarcoma. According to recent research from Italy, "HIV protease inhibitors are antiretroviral drugs that block the enzyme required for...

$2.4M SBIR grant to be used for development of pain drug.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Advanced Targeting Systems, Inc., announced that it has received a Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) under the program announcement for...

Commercialization agreement signed for home nebulizer.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Aerogen, Inc., (AEGN) and Medical Industries America, Inc., (MIA) announced that they have entered into an agreement for manufacturing and marketing of the Aeroneb Go Nebulizer (Aeroneb Go), which...

Healthcare plan educates members about proton-pump inhibitors.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- As part of a long-standing commitment to educating its members and helping them maximize available benefits, Aetna will provide approximately 100,000 pharmacy members with educational information about...

Data released for 120,000 validated SNPs into public domain.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Affymetrix, Inc., (AFFX) released genotype data for 120,000 validated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) selected from both public SNP databases and the proprietary SNP database developed by...

High-tech devices help gauge calories burned.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Three new high-tech devices may help in the fight against obesity, America's No. 1 nutrition problem. The instruments make it easier, faster, and less expensive to determine how many calories a person...

Cyclosporin A reduces pigment production in cultured human melanocytes.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Cyclosporin A reduces melanocyte proliferation, tyrosinase, and pigment production in melanocytes in vitro. According to a study from South Korea, "Cyclosporin A (CsA) is a widely used...

African tick bite fever is a risk in sub-saharan Africa, French West Indies.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- African tick bite fever from Rickettsia afficae is a risk to travelers to sub-saharan Africa and the French West Indies. "African tick bite fever is an acute febrile illness that is frequently...

Pharmaceutical company completes $40.5M financing.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Akorn, Inc., (AKRN) announced that it has completed its $40.5 million financing. On September 25, 2003, the company announced that it had entered into a preferred stock and note purchase agreement...

Panel to examine intravenous medication harm prevention.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Alaris Medical Systems, Inc., (AMI), provider of practical solutions for medication safety, announced its sponsorship of an industry-wide workgroup to examine the potential for harm from intravenous...

Hierarchical model of gene regulation by TGF-beta discovered.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Scientists have discovered a hierarchical model of gene regulation by transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta). According to a study from the United States, "Transforming growth factor betas...

RNI effects on M. tuberculosis gene expression clarified.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The effects of RNI treatment on M. tuberculosis gene expression have been elucidated. "Nitric oxide (NO) and related reactive nitrogen intermediates (RNI) are effective anti-mycobacterial agents and...

Target-membrane-inserted fusion protein of Semliki Forest virus visualized.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Investigators report the visualization of the target-membrane-inserted fusion protein of the Semliki Forest virus by combined electron microscopy and crystallography. According to a study from the...

Risperdal Consta approved in France.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Alkermes, Inc., (ALKS) announced that its partner, Janssen-Cilag S.A., has received approval from the French regulatory authorities to market Risperdal Consta. The product will be launched...

Asthma may occur due to vagal reflex stimulation from gastroesophageal reflux.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Vagal reflex stimulation may be involved in the airway hyperresponsiveness that can accompany gastroesophageal reflux. "Airway hyperresponsiveness is among the defining phenomena in asthma. In this...

Patent issued for ovarian cancer treatment from European patent office.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- AltaRex Corp. (ALXFF, AXO) announced that it has been granted a multi-epitopic patent from the European Patent Office (EPO) applicable to the company's lead product OvaRex MAb (oregovomab). The...

Promotion agreement signed with Baxter for vaccine manufacturing services.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Althea Technologies, Inc., a provider of gene-based manufacturing and testing services to accelerate drug development, announced that it has entered into an agreement with Baxter Healthcare Corporation...

NIH grant awarded to develop treatment for chronic abdominal pain.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Altus Biologics, Inc., announced that it has been awarded a $750,000 Phase II Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) grant from the National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases...

Ganoderma lucidum, a mushroom, may prevent cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Ganoderma lucidum, a mushroom, may prevent cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity. According to recent research published in the journal Current Science, "Cisplatin (cisplatinum (II) diamine dichloride)...

Max Link becomes chairman of orthopedics-products company board.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Amedica Corp.'s board of directors has elected as its new chairman Dr. Max Link, the recently retired chairman and CEO of Centerpulse. Amedica's outgoing chairman, Peter D. Meldrum, will remain...

Lifestyle factors blamed for majority of cancer deaths.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Two-thirds of cancer deaths in the United States could be prevented through lifestyle changes in diet, exercise, cancer screening, and especially tobacco use, American Cancer Society CEO John Seffrin...

Three-year pact signed for congestive heart failure patient management.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- American Healthways, Inc., (AMHC) announced the signing of a 3-year agreement with Horizon Healthcare Services, Inc., and its subsidiary, Horizon Healthcare of New Jersey, Inc., (Horizon) to provide the...

Biotech firm engages provider of investment banking services.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- American Oriental Bioengineering, Inc., (AOBO) announced that the company has engaged Westminster Securities Corporation to provide investment banking services. Westminster Securities will assist...

Massachusetts aerosol manufacturing operation sold to Amphastar.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Andrx Corporation (ADRX) announced that it has sold Armstrong Pharmaceuticals, Inc., its Massachusetts-based aerosol manufacturing company, to Amphastar Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a California-based generic...

Canadian approval granted for new premix CoSeal.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Angiotech Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (ANPI; ANP) announced that it has received approval from Health Canada to market a new premixed configuration of CoSeal, the same formulation that was approved by the...

Deal signed to market new Coolscope.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Apollo Telemedicine, Inc., announced that it has entered into a strategic agreement to market Nikon's "Coolscope" integrated with Apollo's suite of telepathology solutions. The leading provider of...

Services launched for biorepository management.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Ardais Corporation announced the availability of its Biomaterials and Information for Genomic Research (BIGR) Biospecimen Management System (BMS), a comprehensive set of services and licenses that...

Researchers study global analysis of G-protein-coupled receptor signaling.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers study global analysis of G-protein-coupled receptor signaling in human tissues. "The G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) family mediates a host of cell-cell communications upon activation...

Pharmaceutical company amends stockholders agreement.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (ARNA) announced that the stockholders agreement dated as of January 17, 2003, with its largest stockholder, Biotechnology Value Fund, L.P. and certain related entities...

Apatite formation on dental ceramics can be modified by a bioactive glass.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Apatite formation on dental ceramics can be modified by a bioactive glass. "Restorative dental materials are considered biocompatible without exhibiting any bioactive behavior," investigators in...

Tissue to be used to determine genetic cause of cancer.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Asterand, the Detroit-based human tissue bank, is re-examining research materials and data donated over 30 years ago for new clues to the genetic causes of breast cancer. "October is breast cancer...

Scanning array-designed antisense oligonucleotides predict effective therapy.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Scanning array-designed antisense oligonucleotides predict effective therapy. According to a study from England, "scanning oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) arrays appear promising in vitro tools for the...

MedPointe expands sales force to, among other duties, promote ZOMIG.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- MedPointe, Inc., has created three new sales forces and is in the process of recruiting 260 additional experienced pharmaceutical-sales representatives. The company is on track to fully staff these...

Once-a-day "smart drug" testing expands.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- It is a drug suffused in promise, a next-generation therapy that has shown glimmers of powerful potential. Iressa is the kind of treatment that oncologists dream of - a pill that can be swallowed once a...

U.S. patent granted for psoriasis treatment.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Astralis, Ltd., (ASTR) announced that a notice of allowance from the United States Patent and Trademark Office was granted for the patent related to Psoraxine, Astralis' immunotherapeutic agent for the...

Vaccine maker files shelf registration statement for 15M shares.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Avant Immunotherapeutics, Inc., (AVAN) announced the filing of a shelf registration on Form S-3 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Once declared effective by the SEC, the shelf...

Agreement to sell gastrointestinal products signed.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Aventis announced it has agreed to sell Axcan Pharma, Inc., the North American rights to three Aventis gastrointestinal products. Under the terms of the agreement, Axcan will acquire Carafate and...

CTL in vitiligo patients react to gp100, not MelanA/MART-1 or tyrosinase.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Of melanocyte antigens gp100, MelanA/MART-1, and tyrosinase, only gp100 stimulated cytotoxic T lymphocyte reactivity in vitiligo patients. According to recent research published in the Journal of...

Biochip company starts commercial shipment of SealChip16.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Biochip and cell biology solution provider Aviva Biosciences Corp. announced that it has started the commercial shipment of SealChip16, a single-use disposable product that performs automated high...

Not approvable letter issued for Helicide.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Axcan Pharma, Inc., has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has determined that the New Drug Application (NDA) that Axcan re-submitted for Helicide for the eradication of...

Rights acquired for use of compound with broad surgical applications.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- BTG (BGC) announced that it has acquired the exclusive rights for the development of MESNA (sodium-2-mercaptoethane sulfonate) as a chemical dissection agent for surgical applications of all types. ...

Patent that protects Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo challenged.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Barr Laboratories, Inc., (BRL) announced that it has initiated a challenge of the patent protecting Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical, Inc.'s Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo oral contraceptive. Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo...

Rights acquired to new aerosol inhalation device.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Bayer Biological Products (BP) announced the signing of a deal with Inamed GmbH (Gemuenden, Germany) for exclusive use of its new advanced inhalation technology for the dosing of alpha-1 antitrypsin...

Study: Complexed PSA test more accurate than traditional total PSA test.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A major study on detecting prostate cancer indicates that measurement of serum concentration of complexed prostate-specific antigen (cPSA) is more accurate than the total PSA (tPSA) test currently used...

Study shows success with Levitra in men unsuccessful with other treatments.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The first clinical study to evaluate Levitra (vardenafil HCl) in men with erectile dysfunction (ED) who were unresponsive by history to Viagra showed that men were three times more likely to complete...

Streptococcus genotypes with high prevalance among USAF pilots identified.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Streptococcus genotypes highly prevalent among United States Air Force pilots have been identified. "Contemporary molecular genetic analysis methods have not been used to study large samples of...

Acetyl-CoA carboxylase mutant mice protected from obesity and diabetes.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Acetyl-CoA carboxylase 2 mutant mice are protected against obesity and diabetes induced by high-fat/high-carbohydrate diets. "Malonyl-CoA, generated by acetyl-CoA carboxylases ACC1 and ACC2, is a...

Genetic therapy options for HIV patients reviewed.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Gene therapy options for HIV patients have been reviewed. "Despite the tremendous success of highly active antiretroviral treatment (HAART) introduced nearly eight years ago for the treatment of...

Dendritic cell vaccine induces T-cell immunity in stage IV melanoma patients.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Single injection of CD34+ progenitor-derived dendritic cell vaccine can lead to induction of T-cell immunity in patients with stage IV melanoma. According to a study from the United States, "There...

HPV DNA testing has a role in predicting cervical intraepithelial lesions.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- HPV DNA testing has a role in predicting cervical intraepithelial lesions. According to recent research from the United States, "Human papillomavirus (HPV) is widely accepted as the primary agent...

Alliance to expand immunoassay portfolio.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Beckman Coulter, Inc., (BEC) announced that they have entered into an agreement with R&D Systems, a wholly owned subsidiary of Techne Corporation (TECH). Effective immediately, the non-exclusive,...

Genome deserts yield DNA gold.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Vast regions of the human genome thought to be genetic "deserts" harboring DNA sequences of no value may actually contain heretofore hidden nuggets of DNA gold. A team of researchers at Lawrence...

Biologic marker specific for the diagnosis of Alzheimer disease.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Berlex Pharmaceuticals, a U.S. affiliate of Schering AG Germany (SHR), announced that it has discovered that a receptor protein molecule, CCR1, that is usually found on the surface of white blood cells...

Communicating clinical trial results drives product uptake.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Executives at top pharmaceutical companies consider factors such as audience receptivity and location when communicating clinical study results to consumers, according to a newly released study by...

Pharmaceutical companies count on training to avoid regulatory notices.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- In the middle of increased regulation and U.S. Food and Drug Administration scrutiny of manufacturing and quality-control processes, global business leaders avoid regulatory notices by creating...

Report: When launching blockbusters, early investments fuel maximum impact.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- In order to boost market uptake to a maximum first-year peak, successful pharmaceutical executives ramp up investments in prelaunch-marketing activities, according to a study from...

CRO announces recent management promotions.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- BioReliance Corporation (BREL) announced three recent senior management promotions. John L. Coker was named senior VP, finance and administration, chief financial officer, secretary and treasurer;...

Phase III clinical trial of Bio-E-Gel initiated.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- BioSante Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (BPA) announced that it has initiated a pivotal phase III clinical trial of Bio-E-Gel (estradiol topical gel) for the treatment of moderate-to-severe hot flushes and...

Amended agreement signed to sell Eligix HDM System.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- BioTransplant, Inc., announced that it has entered into an amended agreement relating to the sale of its Eligix HDM Cell Separation System to Miltenyi Biotec GmbH. Because certain of the biological...

Vaccine developer receives patent for delivery platform.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- BioVex Limited announced that it has received a Notice of Allowance from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in relation to one of its core patents. The patent relates to the use of herpes simplex...

Cancer vaccine company completes UKP 17M financing.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- BioVex, Ltd., announced the completion of a UKP 17 million (U.S. $28 million) private placement. The placement was led by Scottish Equity Partners (U.K.). Other new investors participating in the...

Alliance to focus on discovery of new biomarkers of inflammatory disease.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- BioVisioN AG, Hannover, and the international pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca have signed a collaboration agreement. The collaboration will focus on the discovery of new biomarkers of...

IDEC joint proxy statement cleared by the SEC.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- IDEC Pharmaceuticals Corp. (IDPH) and Biogen, Inc., (BGEN) announced that IDEC's registration statement on Form S-4 filed in connection with their proposed merger has been declared effective by the U.S....

NCI grant to be used for development of platelet-stimulating proteins.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Bolder BioTechnology, Inc., announced that it has been awarded a $863,245 Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant, entitled "Long-Acting IL-11 for Treating Thrombocytopenia," from the...

Holldack named chief operating officer at pharmaceutical company.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Borean Pharma announced the appointment of Johanna Holldack, MD, as chief operating officer. With more than 13 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries, Holldack has been...

New directors elected at device firm.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Boston Biomedica, Inc., (BBII) announced that R. Wayne Fritzsche and Calvin A. Saravis were elected directors of the company. Both Fritzsche and Saravis will serve until the company's annual...

Pharmaceutical company names president, chief operating officer.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Boston Life Sciences, Inc., (BLSI) announced that Marc Lanser, founder of the company in 1992 and currently executive VP, chief scientific officer as well as a member of the board, was requested by the...

Fas can induce apoptosis in B cells, but other surface receptors may intervene.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Fas can induce apoptosis in B cells, but other surface receptors determine to susceptibility to it, unlike other cells. "Engagement of the cell surface receptor Fas/APO-1 (CD95) initiates a...

FDA approves Durasphere EXP.
November 5, 2003... 2003 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Boston Scientific Corporation (BSX) and Carbon Medical Technologies (CMT) announced U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of Durasphere EXP, a second-generation injectable bulking agent for...