BioWorld International articles from June 2002

BioWorld International archives from June 2002

EU ministers formally approve biotechnology research program.
June 5, 2002... BRUSSELS, Belgium -- European Union ministers Monday at last gave their formal and final backing to the proposed 17 billion [euro] (US$16 billion) research assistance program that will provide significant support for biotechnology research...

Population data analysis holds lessons for vaccine designers.
June 5, 2002... LONDON -- Researchers in Australia have developed a computer program to help scientists work out which parts of the human immunodeficiency virus should be included in a vaccine against HIV. Their studies, which were carried out on a population...

Novuspharma acquires rights to anti-angiogenesis program.
June 5, 2002... Italian anticancer drug development firm Novuspharma SpA acquired full rights to an anti-angiogenesis program from its UK partner, Oxford-based Prolifix Ltd. Terms were not disclosed, but Novuspharma, previously a 50 percent partner in the...

Merck scouts Israeli market for promising compounds.
June 5, 2002... ZICHRON YA'AKOV, Israel -- Merck & Co. Inc. invited about 80 Israeli biotechnology and drug discovery companies, academic institutions and research organizations with biotechnology and drug development activities to an open meeting in Herzilya...

Wilex, German universities start Phase III to assess uPA's utility.
June 5, 2002... MUNICH, Germany -- Wilex AG and the Technical University of Munich have started a Phase III trial in high-risk patients with primary breast cancer to test the effectiveness of treatments following chemotherapy. The randomized, multicenter...

Pharmagene extends Argenta collaboration, shifts focus.
June 5, 2002... LONDON -- Pharmagene plc made further progress on the road to transforming itself from a drug discovery services provider to a company focused on drug discovery, announcing an extension of its collaboration with Argenta Discovery Ltd. for lead...

Australian federal government officials awarded A$46.5 million (US$26.7 million) in funding to a new center called the Biotechnology Centre of Excellence, which will be part of another center, the Centre for Stem Cells and Tissue Repair at Monash University in Melbourne. (Other News To Note).
June 5, 2002... Australian federal government officials awarded A$46.5 million (US$26.7 million) in funding to a new center called the Biotechnology Centre of Excellence, which will be part of another center, the Centre for Stem Cells and Tissue Repair at...

British Biotech plc, of Oxford, UK, said it was granted approval in the UK to carry out a second Phase I/II study of BB-10901, a tumor-activated prodrug, in the treatment of solid tumors. (Other News To Note).
June 5, 2002... British Biotech plc, of Oxford, UK, said it was granted approval in the UK to carry out a second Phase I/II study of BB-10901, a tumor-activated prodrug, in the treatment of solid tumors. The trial is due to start later this year, and will...

Crucell NV, of Leiden, the Netherlands, said it granted an exclusive license to MedImmune Inc., of Gaithersburg, Md., for use of Crucell's human cell line PER.C6 in the latter company's influenza vaccine programs. (Other News To Note).
June 5, 2002... Crucell NV, of Leiden, the Netherlands, said it granted an exclusive license to MedImmune Inc., of Gaithersburg, Md., for use of Crucell's human cell line PER.C6 in the latter company's influenza vaccine programs. Terms were not disclosed....

Cytomyx plc, of Cambridge, UK, signed a contract with M-phasys AG, of Tubingen, Germany, to use its genomics technology to provide M-phasys with more than 250 full-length genes coding for cell membrane receptors. (Other News To Note).
June 5, 2002... Cytomyx plc, of Cambridge, UK, signed a contract with M-phasys AG, of Tubingen, Germany, to use its genomics technology to provide M-phasys with more than 250 full-length genes coding for cell membrane receptors. That will enable M-phasys to...

Evotec OAI AG, of Hamburg, Germany, entered a drug discovery collaboration with Taisho Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., of Tokyo. (Other News To Note).
June 5, 2002... Evotec OAI AG, of Hamburg, Germany, entered a drug discovery collaboration with Taisho Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., of Tokyo. Evotec will research and develop selected Taisho targets and screen the targets against compounds from its library. Taisho...

French researchers discover new actor in genome assembly.
June 5, 2002... PARIS -- French researchers at two cancer research and treatment centers discovered a second protein involved in the assembly of the nucleosome, the structure at the heart of the double helix of DNA. The role of CAF-1 (chromatin assembly...

UK body proposes criminalizing misuse of genetic information.
June 5, 2002... LONDON -- The UK likely will make DNA theft a criminal offense, following a major report on safeguarding genetic privacy published last month by the government's advisory body, the Human Genetics Commission (HGC). The report also...

Medivir moving MIV-310 to Phase IIa trial in resistant HIV.
June 5, 2002... Swedish drug development firm Medivir AB is planning to move its nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor MIV-310 to Phase lib clinical trials, following the release of encouraging data from a Phase IIa clinical study conducted in 15 patients...

GeneScan Europe AG. (Other News To Note).
June 5, 2002... GeneScan Europe AG, of Freiburg, Germany, has combined database and online services in a new offering called DataBridge. The service allows real-time collaboration on analysis between laboratory experimenters and GeneBridge specialists. A...

German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. (Other News To Note).
June 5, 2002... German Federal Ministry of Education and Research has released "Genomic Explorer," a free computer game available on CD-ROM and on the Internet, to encourage schoolchildren to learn about using genomic research to combat disease. The game is...

Proteome Sciences paying 12.6m [pounds sterling] for Aventis' Proteomics division.
June 5, 2002... Proteome Sciences plc entered into an agreement to acquire Xzillion Proteomics GmbH & Co. KG, the proteomics division of Aventis Research and Technologies GmbH & Co. KG. "The technology fit is absolutely perfect," Proteome CEO Christopher...

Gyros AB, of Uppsala, Sweden, said it entered an agreement with Kratos Analytical Ltd., a subsidiary of Shimadzu Corp., of Kyoto, Japan, to develop a microlaboratory for sample preparation prior to mass spectrometry analysis that will be based on its microfluidic technology platform. (Other News To Note).
June 5, 2002... Gyros AB, of Uppsala, Sweden, said it entered an agreement with Kratos Analytical Ltd., a subsidiary of Shimadzu Corp., of Kyoto, Japan, to develop a microlaboratory for sample preparation prior to mass spectrometry analysis that will be based...

Isogenica Ltd., of Cambridge, UK, signed a deal with Invitrogen Corp., of San Diego, giving Invitrogen rights to use Isogenica's covalent display technology (CDT) to generate molecular libraries. (Other News To Note).
June 5, 2002... Isogenica Ltd., of Cambridge, UK, signed a deal with Invitrogen Corp., of San Diego, giving Invitrogen rights to use Isogenica's covalent display technology (CDT) to generate molecular libraries. CDT is a molecular evolution technology capable...

TopoTarget acquires Prolifix for cash, stock; raises $15.3m.
June 12, 2002... Danish oncology firm TopoTarget A/S acquired UK cell cycle specialist Prolifix Ltd. in a combined cash and shares deal. The Copenhagen-based company also raised DKK120 million (US$15.3 million) in new funding, from HealthCap of Stockholm and...

Chromosome-cap projections form targets for cancer drugs.
June 12, 2002... LONDON -- The prospect of a new generation of anticancer drugs that can target enzymes exclusive to cancer cells has edged closer, now that scientists have worked out the 3-dimensional structure of telomeres--the "caps" on the ends of the...

Curacyte, VitaResc merging as part of German consolidation.
June 12, 2002... MUNICH, Germany -- German firms Curacyte AG and VitaResc Biotech AG are merging to form an integrated biopharmaceutical company under the Curacyte name. VitaResc, located in both Munich and Durham, N.C., has concentrated on acute diseases...

Stem cell research moves forward around the world. (BIO 2002 International Convention & Exhibition).
June 12, 2002... TORONTO -- Stem cell research offers exciting prospects for new treatments, but the challenge is to find safe and effective, but also scaleable, approaches that will be available a reasonable cost to the large number of patients who could...

Genmab, Roche expand deal to develop antibody drugs.
June 12, 2002... Danish antibody development firm Genmab A/S added an extra USS20 million to an already substantial cash pile through an expansion of its existing collaboration with F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. The enlarged agreement potentially is worth...

Acambis plc, of Cambridge, UK, said it received 7 million [pounds sterling] (US$10.3 million) as the third installment due under its agreement with Baxter International Inc. agreed to in September 2000. (Other News To Note).
June 12, 2002... * Acambis plc, of Cambridge, UK, said it received 7 [pounds sterling] million (US$10.3 million) as the third installment due under its agreement with Baxter International Inc. agreed to in September 2000. Baxter is making four staged...

Autogen Ltd. (Other News To Note).
June 12, 2002... Autogen Ltd., of Melbourne, Australia, applied for a patent for a system of identifying treatments for depression, anxiety and even suicidal behavior by using Israeli sand rats as an animal model. The company also said that by using the rats it...

Israeli government selects two winners for biotech incubators.
June 12, 2002... ZICHRON YAAKOV, Israel -- The last act of Carmel Vernia, outgoing chief scientist of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, was the announcement late last month of the winners of the February tender for the Israel's first two privatized biotech...

Direvo Biotech AG, of Cologne, Germany, disclosed a three-year collaboration with Novozymes A/S. (Other News To Note).
June 12, 2002... * Direvo Biotech AG, of Cologne, Germany, disclosed a three-year collaboration with Novozymes A/S, of Bagsvaerd, Denmark, for Direvo to apply its molecular evolution processes to develop an optimized industrial enzyme. Novozymes agreed to make...

Genset SA. (Other News To Note).
June 12, 2002... Genset SA, of Paris, appointed Denis Ravel head of its San Diego Research Center, and named Hiroaki Tanaka vice president of bioinformatics and John Lucas vice president, intellectual property. Ravel joined Genset as director of pharmaceutical...

E&Y report: firms finding ways to thrive in downturn.
June 12, 2002... LONDON -- It may seem unlikely, in the face of the sharp downturn in global markets in general and technology stocks in particular, but the biotechnology industry worldwide is not only financially sound, it is also experiencing significant...

French researchers find pathway with Huntington's implications.
June 12, 2002... PARIS -- Biologists at two French medical research establishments discovered a new pathway for blocking neuron death in Huntington's chorea, one of a number of neurodegenerative diseases in which some neurons die without warning, impairing the...

CeNeS divests test division as part of restructuring.
June 12, 2002... LONDON -- CeNeS Pharmaceuticals plc announced further progress in its restructuring, divesting its cognitive testing division in a 1 million [pounds sterling] (US$1.5 million) management buyout. The new company, to be called Cambridge...

ML Labs divesting unit through flotation on AIM.
June 12, 2002... LONDON -- ML Laboratories plc plans to divest its DNA manufacturing unit, Cobra Bio-Manufacturing plc, through a flotation on the Alternative Investment Market in London, in a move expected to raise 7 million [pounds sterling] (US$10.3...

IntegraGen locates obesity genes using GenomeHIP.
June 12, 2002... PARIS -- IntegraGen said it confirmed the potency of its core technology, GenomeHIP, by taking only three months to identify the location of three genes linked to the early onset of obesity. The company, based south of Paris at the...

Immuno-Designed Molecules SA, of Paris, concluded an antigen production agreement with the U.S. pharmaceutical company Novavax Inc., of Columbia, Md. (Other News To Note).
June 12, 2002... Immuno-Designed Molecules SA, of Paris, concluded an antigen production agreement with the U.S. pharmaceutical company Novavax Inc., of Columbia, Md. The agreement, which is for "several" years, calls for Novavax to produce the prostate...

Modex Therapeutics Ltd. (Other News To Note).
June 12, 2002... Modex Therapeutics Ltd., of Lausanne, Switzerland, received a positive recommendation from the Swiss Federal Commission for Health Insurance Benefits for reimbursement of EpiDex. EpiDex, Modex's first product, is a human skin equivalent derived...

PanTherix Ltd., of Glasgow, Scotland, agreed to a license deal with GPC Biotech AG, of Munich, Germany, giving it access to GPC's antibacterials program, which is currently in preclinical development. (Other News To Note).
June 12, 2002... PanTherix Ltd., of Glasgow, Scotland, agreed to a license deal with GPC Biotech AG, of Munich, Germany, giving it access to GPC's antibacterials program, which is currently in preclinical development. GPC will receive milestones and royalties...

Proteome Sciences plc. (Other News To Note).
June 12, 2002... Proteome Sciences plc, of Cobham, UK, raised 2.6 million [pounds sterling] (US$3.8 million)in an institutional placing. The company said the money, when combined with cash of 3.5 million [pounds sterling] that comes with the acquisition of...

U3 Pharma AG, of Munich, Germany, agreed to provide cell assays to Evotec OAI AG, of Hamburg, Germany. (Other News To Note).
June 12, 2002... U3 Pharma AG, of Munich, Germany, agreed to provide cell assays to Evotec OAI AG, of Hamburg, Germany. U3 concentrates on developing compounds that target cellular signal transduction systems and will provide the assays to Evotec based on...

Vectura Ltd., of Bath, UK, licensed its pulmonary drug formulation technology to the pharmaceutical company Zambon Group SpA, of Italy, for the development of a dry powder inhaler product. (Other News To Note).
June 12, 2002... Vectura Ltd., of Bath, UK, licensed its pulmonary drug formulation technology to the pharmaceutical company Zambon Group SpA, of Italy, for the development of a dry powder inhaler product. The technology uses components called force control...

German BioChance program funds six start-up companies.
June 19, 2002... MUNICH, Germany -- The German Ministry of Education and Research is supporting six new biotech companies with grants of approximately 1 million [euro] (US$950,000) each. The investment is part of the BioChance program, which has delivered more...

Cancer genome project strikes gold with melanoma mutation.
June 19, 2002... LONDON -- A project to trawl through all 30,000 genes in the human genome looking for those that cause cancer already has borne fruit after its first year, with the discovery of a gene that causes two-thirds of malignant melanomas among the...

European Parliament finalizes biotechnology research plan.
June 19, 2002... BRUSSELS, Belgium -- The European Parliament last week finalized its views on the European Union's upcoming research program for 2002-2006, including how the 2.5 billion [euro] (US$2.4 billion) allocation for biotechnology research should be...

Europeans must trust leaders before they believe in biotech. (BIO 2002 International Convention and Exhibition).
June 19, 2002... TORONTO -- Policy makers in Europe must restore trust in the regulatory institutions if they are to turn the tide of public opinion in favor of biotechnology, Ann Van Gysel, communications manager at VIB-Flanders Interuniversity Institute for...

Antisoma plc. (Other News To Note).
June 19, 2002... * Antisoma plc, of London, said DMXAA, a vascular targeting agent for treating cancer, was well tolerated as a monotherapy at doses that reduced tumor blood flow in Phase I trials involving 109 patients with advanced-stage cancers. Antisoma...

Astex Technology plc, of Cambridge, UK, announced a third deal around its expertise in P450 cytochromes, with Mitsubishi Pharma Corp., of Japan. (Other News To Note).
June 19, 2002... * Astex Technology plc, of Cambridge, UK, announced a third deal around its expertise in P450 cytochromes, with Mitsubishi Pharma Corp., of Japan. Astex will apply its proprietary X-ray crystallography technologies to obtairi the crystal...

Cambridge Antibody Technology Group plc, of Melbourn, UK, said the first Phase III data on D2E7 (adalimumab) in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis was released by its partner, Abbott Laboratories, of Abbott Park, III. (Other News To Note).
June 19, 2002... * Cambridge Antibody Technology Group plc, of Melbourn, UK, said the first Phase III data on D2E7 (adalimumab) in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis was released by its partner, Abbott Laboratories, of Abbott Park, III. The data showed the...

MediGene AG. (Other News To Note).
June 19, 2002... * MediGene AG, of Martinsried, Germany, said that examination of data obtained from the Phase II clinical trial of its product candidate Etomoxir indicated that Etomoxir did not have the expected efficacy in the treatment of congestive heart...

Oxford Biomedica plc. (Other News To Note).
June 19, 2002... * Oxford Biomedica plc, of Oxford, UK, said its viral vector, LentiVector, has successfully been used by researchers to transfer genes to mouse embryos in utero, raising the possibility that human diseases caused by single gene defects could be...

ReGen Therapeutics. (Other News To Note).
June 19, 2002... * ReGen Therapeutics, of London, said it completed an interim funding round, raising 429,470 [pounds sterling] (US$634,000) from certain existing shareholders. The company said the money would allow it to continue development of Colostrinin, a...

Xenova Group plc. (Other News To Note).
June 19, 2002... * Xenova Group plc, of Slough, UK, announced Phase I data for two compounds, TA-NIC, an anti-nicotine vaccine, and DISC-GMSCF, a general anticancer vaccine. TA-NIC was safe and well tolerated and the vaccine generated antibodies that bind to...

Contral Pharma secures 15m [euro], keeps Biotie merger on track.
June 19, 2002... The three-way merger between Finnish biotechnology companies Biotie Therapies Oyj, Oy Contral Pharma Ltd. and its subsidiary, Carbion Inc., remains on track, following Contral's receipt of funding commitments of 15 million [pounds sterling]...

Merck chief considers building in U.S. rather than Germany.
June 19, 2002... MUNICH, Germany -- Despite efforts by the government to support the German biotechnology sector, some of the largest pharmaceutical firms are openly speculating about the industry's future in Germany. Bernhard Scheuble, chairman at Merck...

EU launches proposal regarding controls on human tissues, cells.
June 19, 2002... BRUSSELS, Belgium -- The European Union is on the brink of deciding on new controls on therapies derived from human tissues and cells, explicitly including starting materials for tissue- and cell-derived manufactured products. The...

Genfit development plan calls for trials by end of next year.
June 19, 2002... PARIS -- Genfit SA unveiled a development plan for the coming two years during which it aims to speed up its internal research programs, establish a presence in the U.S. and support the development of two spin-offs engaged in peripheral...

YM BioSciences Inc., of Mississauga, Ontario, fell well short of its target last week when it listed simultaneously on the Alternative Investment Market in London and the Toronto Stock Exchange. (Other News To Note).
June 19, 2002... * YM BioSciences Inc., of Mississauga, Ontario, fell well short of its target last week when it listed simultaneously on the Alternative Investment Market in London and the Toronto Stock Exchange. The company aimed to raise C$40 million gross...

IDM sets up U.S. operation, signs second agreement with Medarex.
June 19, 2002... PARIS -- Following the go-ahead it obtained from the FDA in May to conduct a Phase III trial of a cell therapy for ovarian cancer, Immuno-Designed Molecules SA has set up a U.S. operation in Irvine, Calif., in addition to its research center in...

FDA tells OGS that Vevesca is not approvable for Gaucher's.
June 26, 2002... LONDON -- Shares in Oxford GlycoSciences plc fell by 92.5 pence to 3 [pounds sterling] Monday after the company said the FDA had ruled its lead product, Vevesca, not approvable. At that price the market capitalization of OGS is less than its...

Molecular sticking point highlights target for atherosclerosis drugs.
June 26, 2002... LONDON -- The mystery of exactly how the blood vessel wall interacts with fat particles circulating in the blood in order to trigger the chain of events that leads up to atherosclerosis has been solved. A team of Swedish scientists and...

European drug industry warns of collapse without support.
June 26, 2002... BRUSSELS, Belgium -- The European pharmaceutical industry sees itself--and its research in biotechnology--as increasingly the victim of political incomprehension. At the annual meeting of the European Federation of Pharmaceutical...

Genset says suitor might offer cash for purchase of company.
June 26, 2002... PARIS -- Genset SA is in discussions with another company that could make an offer for all of its outstanding stock--ordinary shares, convertible bonds and American depositary shares (ADSs). The Paris-based genomics company made the...

Active Biotech AB. (Other News To Note).
June 26, 2002... Active Biotech AB, of Lund, Sweden, said it selected a candidate systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) treatment, ABR-215757, for clinical development. No new product has been registered for treatment of SLE, an autoimmune disease that primarily...

Alizyme plc. (Other News To Note).
June 26, 2002... Alizyme plc, of Cambridge, UK, was granted regulatory permission for a Phase lib trial of the lipase inhibitor ATL-962 in the treatment of obesity. It follows positive Phase lb trials that provided proof of concept, allowing Alizyme to avoid...

Amedis Pharmaceuticals Ltd., of Cambridge, UK, agreed to a collaboration with drug discovery services company Argenta Discovery Ltd., of Harlow, UK, under which Argenta will provide small-molecule inhibitors for members of the metallo and aspartyl protease enzyme families. (Other News To Note).
June 26, 2002... Amedis Pharmaceuticals Ltd., of Cambridge, UK, agreed to a collaboration with drug discovery services company Argenta Discovery Ltd., of Harlow, UK, under which Argenta will provide small-molecule inhibitors for members of the metallo and...

BioVex Ltd. (Other News To Note).
June 26, 2002... BioVex Ltd., of Oxford, UK, said it received permission for a Phase I trial of OncoVEX GM-CSF, a cancer vaccine. The safety and biological activity of the vaccine will be evaluated in melanoma, breast cancer, gastrointestinal cancer and head...

Charles River Laboratories International Inc., of Wilmington, Mass., said it paid 25 million [euro] in cash to acquire drug discovery and development services company Biological Laboratories Europe Ltd., of Ballina, Co. Mayo, Ireland. (Other News To Note).
June 26, 2002... Charles River Laboratories International Inc., of Wilmington, Mass., said it paid 25 million [euro] in cash to acquire drug discovery and development services company Biological Laboratories Europe Ltd., of Ballina, Co. Mayo, Ireland. BioLabs...

Devgen NV. (Other News To Note).
June 26, 2002... Devgen NV, of Ghent, Belgium, said it appointed Vincenzo Facchini as head of R&D in a move to strengthen its capabilities in small-molecule drug discovery and development. Facchini has more than 20 years of international pharmaceutical research...

GeneScan Analytics GmbH, of Freiburg, Germany, signed a global cooperation agreement with Bureau Veritas Quality International GmbH to support agricultural and food companies in setting up and certifying control systems to keep products from genetically modified organisms separate from conventionally produced products. (Other News To Note).
June 26, 2002... GeneScan Analytics GmbH, of Freiburg, Germany, signed a global cooperation agreement with Bureau Veritas Quality International GmbH to support agricultural and food companies in setting up and certifying control systems to keep products from...

Danish start-up focusing on role of hypothalamus in obesity.
June 26, 2002... Rheoscience A/S is applying more than 40 years of collective experience in researching the role of the hypothalamus in regulating food intake. Rheoscience, a Danish start-up focused on the identification of novel targets associated with...

Royalty Pharma cancels IPO, cites poor market conditions.
June 26, 2002... LONDON -- There was more bad news last week for biotechnology companies waiting for the capital markets to reopen when Royalty Pharma AG canceled its initial public offering on the Swiss Stock Exchange in Zurich. The drug investment...

Modex completes Phase I Allox trial, eyes industry consolidation.
June 26, 2002... MUNICH, Germany -- Modex Therapeutics Ltd. successfully completed a Phase I clinical trial of Allox, the company's second product for treating chronic skin wounds. Allox is an off-the-shelf allogeneic cell-based product, aimed at a market of 5...

Life sciences receive only 3 of 12 new BIRD-F projects.
June 26, 2002... ZICHRON YAAKOV, Israel -- Three of the 12 approved projects by the United States-Israel Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation (BIRD-F) Board of Trustees are in the life sciences. The Tel-Aviv based BIRD-F projects are...

Galapagos awarded research grants totaling $3.8 million.
June 26, 2002... PARIS -- The Belgian functional genomics company Galapagos Genomics NV was awarded two technology development grants totaling 4 million [euro] (US$3.8 million) by research institutes in Belgium and the Netherlands. It will receive 2.6...

Protherics plc. (Other News To Note).
June 26, 2002... Protherics plc, of Macclesfield, UK, said it filed for UK patents for a series of antigens against vascular endothelial growth factor for use in a vaccine to prevent cancer metastases by inhibiting angiogenesis. Several formulations of the VEGF...

Vernalis Group plc, of Winnersh, UK, said it received a milestone payment of more than $5 million last week, when its lead product, Frova, for the treatment of migraine, was launched on the U.S. market. (Other News To Note).
June 26, 2002... Vernalis Group plc, of Winnersh, UK, said it received a milestone payment of more than $5 million last week, when its lead product, Frova, for the treatment of migraine, was launched on the U.S. market. The payment came from Elan Corp. plc, of...