BioWorld International articles from April 2002

BioWorld International archives from April 2002

Spinout from Roche Italian research unit raises EUR22m.(BioXell S.p.A.)
April 3, 2002... Italy's first major biotechnology start-up of the year is a spinout from the Milan research unit of F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. BioXell SpA, which was formed at the beginning of January, held a public launch last week and disclosed its...

Celltech signs drug conjugate deal with Seattle Genetics.(Brief Article)
April 3, 2002... LONDON -- Celltech Group plc is aiming to extend the capabilities of its therapeutic antibodies, signing a US$30 million deal to use technology from Seattle Genetics Inc. to link drug conjugates to antibody fragments targeted at specific...

French companies unveil world's first cloned rabbits.(BioProtein Technologies, Vivalis, and the French National Institute for Agronomic Research)
April 3, 2002... PARIS -- Two French biotechnology companies, BioProtein Technologies and Vivalis, and France's National Institute for Agronomic Research (INRA) reported the first successful cloning of a rabbit. The cloning was performed by INRA's...

Protherics releases positive data from hypertension trial.(Protherics PLC trial of hypertension vaccine)
April 3, 2002... LONDON -- Protherics pie announced positive results from a Phase IIa trial of its angiotensin vaccine for the treatment of hypertension, showing that all 17 patients developed antibodies against angiotensin and that there was a subsequent...

Astex, Aventis collaborate on drug-metabolizing enzymes.(Astex Technology Ltd., Aventis Pharmaceuticals AG)
April 3, 2002... LONDON -- Astex Technology Ltd. signed a collaboration with Aventis Pharmaceuticals AG to elucidate how P450 enzymes involved in drug metabolism complex with Aventis' compounds. This is Astex's second deal with big pharma to use its...

British Biotech receives FDA approval for BB-10153 trial.(Brief Article)
April 3, 2002... LONDON -- British Biotech plc received FDA approval to test its novel thrombolytic, BB-10153, in heart attack patients. The Phase II trial will be conducted by one of the leading groups in the field, the Thrombolysis in Mycocardial Infarction...

Alizyme PLC. (Other News To Note).(has approval for mucositis treatment trial)(Brief Article)
April 3, 2002... * Alizyme plc, of Cambridge, UK, said it has approval for a Phase lb trial of ATL-104 in the treatment of mucositis. The aim is to determine safety and tolerance of repeat dosing, before starting a Phase II trial in cancer patients in the...

Amaxa GmbH AG. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
April 3, 2002... * Amaxa GmbH AG, of Cologne, Germany, launched a device for transfection of previously hard-to-transfect cell lines such as with hematopoietic cancer cells. With its new "Cell Line Optimization Nucleofector Kit" researchers could save up to 70...

DeveloGen AG. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
April 3, 2002... * DeveloGen AG, of Gottingen, Germany, and a group of academic researchers from Germany, Italy, Switzerland, the UK and Sweden were granted up to EUR1.8 million (US$1.6 million) by the European Commission to fuel a search aimed at finding new...

Evotec OAI AG, of Hamburg, Germany, and MediGene AG, of Martinsried, Germany successfully completed the screening for new active compounds to treat cardiac diseases. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
April 3, 2002... * Evotec OAI AG, of Hamburg, Germany, and MediGene AG, of Martinsried, Germany, successfully completed the screening for new active compounds to treat cardiac diseases. Evotec OAI expects to receive a milestone payment. The novel compounds...

KS Biomedix PLC. (Other News To Note).(TransMID-107 granted orphan drug status)(Brief Article)
April 3, 2002... * KS Biomedix plc, of London, has been granted orphan drug status in Europe for TransMID-107, its treatment for glioma. The company said it is on target to start a Phase III trial in patients with recurrent inoperable glioma in the second half...

MediGene AG, of Martinsried, Germany, said that it will appeal the final judgment entered by the U.S. District Court in Chicago in its dispute with Loyola University, of Chicago, MedImmune Inc., of Gaithersburg, Md., and an individual defendant relating to ownership of the CVLP technology. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
April 3, 2002... * MediGene AG, of Martinsried, Germany, said that it will appeal the final judgment entered by the U.S. District Court in Chicago in its dispute with Loyola University, of Chicago, MedImmune Inc., of Gaithersburg, Md., and an individual...

Modex Therapeutics Ltd. (Other News To Note).(EpiDex skin grafting technology)(Brief Article)
April 3, 2002... * Modex Therapeutics Ltd., of Lausanne, Switzerland, said its Phase II trial six-month follow-up data have further confirmed the clinical superiority of its EpiDex skin graft technology, which is derived from adult stem and precursor cells...

Vernalis Group PLC, of Wokingham, UK, said partner Elan Corp. PLC, of Dublin, Ireland is waiving repayment of a $10 million loan in return for a reduced royalty rate on U.S. sales of Frova, Vernalis' migraine treatment. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
April 3, 2002... * Vernalis Group plc, of Wokingham, UK, said partner Elan Corp. plc, of Dublin, Ireland, is waiving repayment of a $10 million loan in return for a reduced royalty rate on U.S. sales of Frova, Vernalis' migraine treatment. At the same time,...

Xerion Pharmaceuticals AG, of Martinsried, Germany, achieved two milestones in its target validation collaboration with Byk Gulden Lomberg Chemische Fabrik GmbH, of Constance, Germany. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
April 3, 2002... * Xerion Pharmaceuticals AG, of Martinsried, Germany, achieved two milestones in its target validation collaboration with Byk Gulden Lomberg Chemische Fabrik GmbH, of Constance, Germany. Xerion now expects to receive milestone payments. Xerion...

Amrad drugs dropped by GlaxoSmithKline, DevCo.
April 10, 2002... SYDNEY, Australia -- Melbourne-based Amrad Ltd. blamed a general industry shift into late-stage research projects on the decision by GlaxoSmithKline plc and DevoCo Pharmaceuticals Ltd. to separately abandon development work on Amrad compounds....

Zealand Pharmaceuticals moves ZP120 into Phase I development.
April 10, 2002... Danish biopharmaceutical firm Zealand Pharmaceuticals A/S moved into clinical development its second compound, a candidate treatment for patients with acutely decompensated heart failure who suffer from excessive fluid retention. The drug...

Ark IPO aims For 40m [pounds sterling], looks to end UK public offering dry spell.(Ark Therapeutics Group PLC)
April 10, 2002... LONDON -- The 18-month drought in biotechnology IPOs in the UK could come to an end with the announcement from Ark Therapeutics Group plc that it is joining the London Stock Exchange. The company said it expects to raise 30 million [pounds...

RiboTargets signs with ICR to develop inhibitors of HSP90.(Institute of Cancer Research)
April 10, 2002... LONDON -- RiboTargets Ltd. made a move to diversify its portfolio away from anti-infectives and into cancer, signing a deal with the Institute of Cancer Research to identify and develop inhibitors of the chaperone protein HSP90. Chaperone...

Australian governments agree on stems cells; Senate must OK.(Brief Article)
April 10, 2002... After considerable debate, the Australian federal government and state governments agreed to a compromise that will allow stem cell research on embryo surpluses from Australian fertility programs. But the legislation to permit the work...

Antisoma PLC. (Other News To Note).(results of Thoplatin tests)(Brief Article)
April 10, 2002... * Antisoma plc, of London, said that Thioplatin, its tumor-targeted version of the cancer chemotherapeutic platin, has properties distinct from other platin drugs and also shows activity on cisplatin-resistant cells. Thioplatin, licensed from...

British Biotech PLC, of Oxford, UK, said E21R has been designated an orphan drug by the European Union for the treatment of juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
April 10, 2002... * British Biotech plc, of Oxford, UK, said E21R has been designated an orphan drug by the European Union for the treatment of juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia. This disease affects fewer than 500 children a year in the EU, and current treatment...

NicOx SA. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
April 10, 2002... * NicOx SA, of Sophia Antipolis, France, announced positive results from a Phase IIa trial of HCT-1026, its nitric oxide-releasing derivative of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug flurbiprofen, in the treatment of disorders of the lower...

Correction.(Brief Article)(Correction Notice)
April 10, 2002... A story in the March 27, 2002, issue of BioWorld International about ReGen Therapeutics plc's trials of colostrinin in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease should have said the trials are at Phase IIa, and not Phase III as stated. Editor's...

Evologic uses forced evolution to create microbial organisms.
April 10, 2002... PARIS -- Evologic SA is a young French biotechnology company that uses "forced evolution" to create novel microbial organisms whose genetic codes are different from their original ones and would not have evolved naturally. By reprogramming the...

CeNeS Pharmaceuticals PLC, of Cambridge, UK, and Bioglan Pharma PLC, of Hertfordshire, UK, agreed to the termination of their collaboration in pain control and drug delivery, first agreed to in January 2000 and extended in April 2000. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
April 10, 2002... * CeNeS Pharmaceuticals pie, of Cambridge, UK, and Bioglan Pharma pie, of Hertfordshire, UK, agreed to the termination of their collaboration in pain control and drug delivery, first agreed to in January 2000 and extended in April 2000. All...

MyoContract Pharmaceutical Research Ltd., of Basel, Switzerland, and MelTec GmbH, of Magdeburg, Germany, entered a collaboration based on the progressive muscular wasting disease Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
April 10, 2002... MyoContract Pharmaceutical Research Ltd., of Basel, Switzerland, and MelTec GmbH, of Magdeburg, Germany, entered a collaboration based on the progressive muscular wasting disease Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). The companies will jointly...

Medivir, Roche in $42M pact for preclinical HIV compound.
April 17, 2002... Swedish biotechnology firm Medivir AB unveiled Monday its biggest drug development deal to date -- a licensing agreement worth up to US$42 million with F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. for Medivir's candidate HIV treatment, MV026048. The...

Gene expression variations may account for chimp-human divide.
April 17, 2002... LONDON -- It is difficult to understand how humans and chimpanzees are so different, when their genomes differ by a mere 1.3 percent. Now researchers in Europe and the U.S. have confirmed what was first hypothesized 25 years ago -- that the...

Abbott seeks approvals for CAT's monoclonal antibody.(Abbott Laboratories; Cambridge Antibody Technology Group PLC)(Brief Article)
April 17, 2002... LONDON -- Cambridge Antibody Technology Group plc could see its first product on the market next year following the announcement by partner Abbott Laboratories that it submitted D2E7, a human monoclonal antibody discovered by CAT, for approval...

Hybrigenics raises $14.8M in third funding round.
April 17, 2002... PARIS -- The French functional proteomics company Hybrigenics SA raised EUR17 million (US$14.8 million) in a third funding round, bringing to EUR47 million the total funding it has raised since it was founded at the end of 1997. The lead...

Micromet, Enzon collaborate on single-chain antibodies.(Brief Article)
April 17, 2002... MUNICH, Germany -- Micromet AG and Enzon Inc. entered a collaboration to identify and develop treatments based on antibody fragments. The companies will combine their patent estates, cooperate on single-chain antibody (SCA) technology and...

Active Biotech AB. (Other News To Note).(SAIK-MS trial)(Brief Article)
April 17, 2002... * Active Biotech AB, of Lund, Sweden, said it enrolled the first patients in its Phase II trial of its multiple sclerosis treatment, SAIK-MS. Initial recruitment was undertaken in Sweden, but the company plans to involve centers in the UK, the...

Alizyme PLC. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
April 17, 2002... * Alizyme plc, of Cambridge, UK, said it received FDA approval to conduct its first study in the U.S. of renzapride in the treatment of constipation predominant irritable bowel syndrome. The compound is in Phase IIb trials in the UK and five...

ExonHit Therapeutics S.A. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
April 17, 2002... * ExonHit Therapeutics SA, of Paris, announced the appointment of Christina Hedberg as senior director, business development of its U.S. subsidiary, ExonHit Therapeutics Inc., of Gaithersburg, Md. Hedberg, who will be responsible for developing...

Paradigm, Genmab collaborate in therapeutic antibodies deal.(Paradigm Therapeutics Ltd.)
April 17, 2002... LONDON -- Paradigm Therapeutics Ltd. signed a collaboration with Genmab A/S to jointly discover and develop therapeutic antibodies to targets generated by Paradigm's functional genomics technology. The two will share development costs and any...

Genzyme Corp. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
April 17, 2002... * Genzyme Corp., of Cambridge, Mass., combined most of its operations in Germany into a single facility in Neu Isenburg, near Frankfurt, and opened the facility Thursday. The company specializes in treatments for genetic disorders and...

GW Pharmaceuticals PLC. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
April 17, 2002... * GW Pharmaceuticals plc, of Salisbury, UK, which is developing pain killers derived from cannabis, said it is expanding the Phase III program to four further indications, bringing the total number of trials to seven. In the double-blind,...

Gyros AB. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
April 17, 2002... * Gyros AB, of Uppsala, Sweden, said Schroder Ventures Life Sciences added US$6 million to its recent second-round financing, boosting the total funding to US$36 million. Gyros disclosed the original US$30 million financing late last year, but,...

Start-up CareX raises $5.2M in initial funding round.
April 17, 2002... PARIS -- CareX, a functional genomics company focused on the discovery of drugs for the treatment of metabolic disorders, raised EUR6 million (US$5.2 million)in an initial funding round. The lead investor was Paris-based Sofinnova Partners,...

Epidauros, Pharmacia broaden pharmacogenetics collaboration.(Epidauros Biotechnologie AG)(Brief Article)
April 17, 2002... MUNICH, Germany -- Epidauros Biotechnologie AG and Pharmacia Corp. signed a three-year agreement under which Epidauros will make its pharmacogenetic technology and expertise available for a number of Pharmacia research projects related to...

Two Peptech directors, chairman resign after only three months.
April 17, 2002... SYDNEY, Australia -- Three directors of Peptech Ltd., including the board chairman, abruptly departed the company, reportedly due to shareholder concerns over how the company will spend major income streams it is set to receive. The three...

Prana releases positive news in phase II of Alzheimer's drug.(Prana Biotechnology Ltd.)
April 17, 2002... SYDNEY, Australia -- The share price of Prana Biotechnology Ltd. in Melbourne nearly doubled before falling back, after the company announced at an international conference a successful Phase II trial of a treatment for Alzheimer's disease. ...

EU advisory group calls for changes in biotech proposals. (European Union Roundup).
April 17, 2002... BRUSSELS, Belgium -- One of the European Union's key advisory bodies, the Economic and Social Committee, has warned that current EU attempts to fill in the gaps on its biotechnology legislation could add unnecessarily to manufacturers' costs....

Pharmexa reveals GSK option on breast cancer vaccine.
April 17, 2002... Danish therapeutic vaccine developer Pharmexa A/S disclosed that GlaxoSmithKline plc holds an exclusive option to negotiate a license for its AutoVac HER-2 Protein project for breast cancer. GlaxoSmithKline, of London, has held this position...

Hybrigenics S.A. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
April 17, 2002... * Hybrigenics SA, of Paris, named Anne-Fabienne Weitsch managing director, a newly created post in which she will report to the company's CEO and chairman, Donny Strosberg. Weitsch has 13 years of experience in the international pharmaceutical...

Oxxon Pharmaccines Ltd. of Oxford, UK, strengthened its hold on the use of Modified Vaccinia virus Ankara (MKA). (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
April 17, 2002... * Oxxon Pharmaccines Ltd., of Oxford, UK, strengthened its hold on the use of Modified Vaccinia virus Ankara (MKA) in therapeutic vaccines, agreeing to a license with Alphapharma Inc. covering the worldwide use of recombinant virus in...

Phytopharm PLC, of Godmanchester, UK, said it expanded the manufacturing capacity for its appetite suppressant. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
April 17, 2002... * Phytopharm plc, of Godmanchester, UK, said it expanded the manufacturing capacity for its appetite suppressant, P57, in support of further development of the product. P57, derived from an extract of Hoodia gordonii, a South African succulent...

SkyePharma PLC. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
April 17, 2002... * SkyePharma plc, of London, a drug delivery specialist, reported a profit of 2.2 million [pounds sterling] in the second half of 2001, and said it expected to be profitable in 2002, joining the elite club of profitable UK biotechs. However,...

Xenova Group PLC. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
April 17, 2002... * Xenova Group plc, of Slough, UK, said patient dosing has begun in a Phase IIa dose-escalation trial of its vaccine, TA-CD, for the treatment of cocaine addiction. The aim is to mop up cocaine in the bloodstream, thus preventing it from...

Xenova enters potential $63M deal with Genentech for OX40.(Brief Article)
April 24, 2002... LONDON -- Xenova Croup pie signed a deal worth up to US$63 million plus royalties with Genentech Inc. for rights to Xenova's preclinical OX40 program in immune inflammatory diseases. Genentech will pay license fees of up to $5 million...

Leukemia case report gives gene therapy projects pause for thought.(Brief Article)
April 24, 2002... LONDON -- A group of researchers in Germany is calling for additional stringent safety controls on gene therapy initiatives, having observed what they admit is a very rare instance of leukemia in mice transplanted with genetically manipulated...

Finnish companies Biotie, Contral, Carbion plan three-way merger.(Brief Article)
April 24, 2002... Three Finnish biotechnology firms agreed to a merger that would create the country's largest biotechnology company, with compounds in Phase I, II and III trials, and 115 employees. Biotie Therapies Oyj and Oy Contral Pharma Ltd. and its...

Apovia raises EUR19M privately to fund vaccine development.(Brief Article)
April 24, 2002... MUNICH, Germany -- Apovia AC closed a third round of financing, raising EUR19 million (US$17.1 million) from a private consortium of investors led by Heidelberg Innovation. "Apovia has a platform technology which, given the preclinical...

YM BioSciences plans floats on AIM, TSE to raise up to C$40M.(Alternative Investment Market)(Toronto Stock Exchange)(Brief Article)
April 24, 2002... LONDON -- YM BioSciences Inc. plans to float simultaneously on the Alternative Investment Market in London and the Toronto Stock Exchange, to raise up to C$40 million gross (US$25.4 million). David Allan, chairman and CEO, told BioWorld...

Faust Pharmaceuticals obtains $2.6M to develop CNS drugs.(central nervous system)(Brief Article)
April 24, 2002... PARIS -- Faust Pharmaceuticals, a start-up developing new compounds for the treatment of central nervous system disorders and neurodegenerative diseases, closed an initial funding round in which it raised EUR3 million (US$2.6 million). ...

Genetic Technologies Ltd., of Sydney, Australia, sold two licences for intron sequences patents it holds, for a total of A$1.6 million (US$0.85 million). (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
April 24, 2002... * Genetic Technologies Ltd., of Sydney, Australia, sold two licences for intron sequences patents it holds, for a total of A$1.6 million (US$0.85 million). One licence was sold to Nanogen Inc., of San Diego, which specializes in microarray...

GroPep Ltd. (Other News To Note).(managing director)(Brief Article)
April 24, 2002... * GroPep Ltd., of Adelaide, Australia, said its board "terminated" the employment contract of Managing Director John Ballard, 14 months before it was due to expire. A statement by the board said: "The board has before it a number of strategic...

Microscience Ltd. (Other News To Note).(delivery system)(Brief Article)
April 24, 2002... * Microscience Ltd., of Wokingham, UK, said it was granted a European patent on its spi-VEC oral vaccines delivery system, which can induce a strong mucosal and system immune response to a range of antigens. The company is using the technology...

NicOx SA. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
April 24, 2002... * NicOx SA, of Sophia Antipolis, France, reported positive results from Phase I/IIa clinical trials of its nitric oxide-releasing aspirin derivative, NCX 4016, which is being developed to treat cardiovascular disease. The drug was found to be...

Peptech Ltd. (Other News To Note).(managing director)(Brief Article)
April 24, 2002... * Peptech Ltd., of Sydney, Australia, said its managing director, Stephen Kwik, has agreed to stay on following the departure of three board members, including the chairman. Kwik had been scheduled for replacement around June by the board but...

Phytopharm plc. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
April 24, 2002... * Phytopharm plc, of Godmanchester, UK, said it started the second Phase I study of P58, a treatment for age-related cognitive dysfunction. The study will enroll 30 healthy subjects aged 55 and over in a randomized, double-blind,...

SkyePharma plc, of London, said that GlaxoSmithKline plc, of London, launched Paxil CR. (Other News To Note).(antidepressant drug)(Brief Article)
April 24, 2002... * SkyePharma plc, of London, said that GlaxoSmithKline plc, of London, launched Paxil CR, a controlled-release version of the antidepressant drug formulated using SkyePharma's Geomatrix oral drug delivery technology. The launch triggers a...