BioWorld International articles from June 2003

BioWorld International archives from June 2003

IsoTis getting foothold in U.S. through acquisition of GenSci.
June 4, 2003... IsoTis SA unveiled a definitive merger agreement Tuesday to acquire GenSci Regeneration Sciences Inc., a Toronto-based orthobiologics firm emerging from Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The deal, which is scheduled to close in the fall, would create...

Mouse study shows new angle on treating Parkinson's disease.
June 4, 2003... LONDON -- Neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's disease may be due to an imbalance between the generation of new neurons throughout life and the death of neurons, a team of researchers in Sweden suggests. The scientists, whose...

Germany companies Mtm, 4SC each completes 9m [euro] financing.
June 4, 2003... MUNICH, Germany -- Two German companies raised 9 million [euro] each in investments closed this week, contributing to a steady stream of biotechnology firms beating difficult market conditions. Heidelberg-based mtm laboratories AG raised the...

EU ministers reach compromise on regulatory drug framework. (European Union Roundup).
June 4, 2003... BRUSSELS, Belgium -- European Union ministers watered down plans to boost innovative high-technology pharmaceuticals when they met here Monday. Their fears about the impact on national health care costs drove them to nuance proposals for...

GPC presents promising results from oral prostate cancer drug. (European Union Roundup).
June 4, 2003... MUNICH, Germany -- A compound from GPC Biotech AG could mark a significant step forward in the treatment of prostate cancer. Phase III trials of satraplatin, a platinum derivative, showed a significant increase in the time to disease...

London Exchange eases listing rules to entice overseas firms.
June 4, 2003... LONDON -- The London Stock Exchange is changing the listing rules for its junior market to offer fast-track admission for smaller international companies. Instead of needing to produce a prospectus, companies that already have a listing on one...

Active Biotech AB. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
June 4, 2003... * Active Biotech AB, of Lund, Sweden, said initial analysis of a Phase IIa trial of its candidate cancer treatment, TTS (Tumor Targeted Superantigens) CD2 showed encouraging results. The majority of renal cancer patients included in the study...

Axxima Pharmaceuticals AG. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
June 4, 2003... * Axxima Pharmaceuticals AG, of Munich, Germany, appointed Gerhard Mueller chief scientific officer, where he will be responsible for all research activities, and to a position on the company's executive board. Mueller joins Axxima from Organon...

BioVex Ltd. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
June 4, 2003... * BioVex Ltd., of Oxford, UK, announced further data from the Phase I trial of its lead oncology product OncoVEX GM-CSF, at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting in Chicago. The product is the first oncolytic virus that also...

Cambridge Antibody Technology Group plc, of Cambridge, UK, was encouraged by the announcement from partner Abbott Laboratories that Abbott raised 2003 sales forecasts for its newly launched rheumatoid arthritis treatment, Humira, from $200 million to $250 million. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
June 4, 2003... * Cambridge Antibody Technology Group plc, of Cambridge, UK, was encouraged by the announcement from partner Abbott Laboratories that Abbott raised 2003 sales forecasts for its newly launched rheumatoid arthritis treatment, Humira, from $200...

Crucell NV, of Leiden, the Netherlands, said it signed a research license agreement with Merck and Co. Inc., of Whitehouse Station, NJ., covering the use of Crucell's PER.C6 cell line in investigating the production of certain protein products, including monoclonal antibodies. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
June 4, 2003... * Crucell NV, of Leiden, the Netherlands, said it signed a research license agreement with Merck and Co. Inc., of Whitehouse Station, NJ., covering the use of Crucell's PER.C6 cell line in investigating the production of certain protein...

SIRTeX shareholders block Cephalon acquisition attempt.
June 4, 2003... SYDNEY, Australia -- Minority shareholders barely blocked an A$271 million (US$176.1 million) bid by Cephalon Inc. to purchase Sydney-based SlRTeX Medical Ltd. Cephalon's offer of A$4.85 per share launched in February gained acceptances...

Cyprotex plc, of Macclesfield, UK, a bioinformatics company specializing in evaluating and optimizing drug metabolism in silico, agreed to a collaboration with Avidex Ltd. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
June 4, 2003... * Cyprotex plc, of Macclesfield, UK, a bioinformatics company specializing in evaluating and optimizing drug metabolism in silico, agreed to a collaboration with Avidex Ltd., of Oxford, UK, to optimize small-molecule drug leads discovered in...

Domantis Ltd., of Cambridge, UK, announced pre-clinical results for its lead anti-TNFalpha domain antibody (dAb) showing it completely prevented the onset of rheumatoid arthritis in an industry standard, in vivo model of the disease. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
June 4, 2003... * Domantis Ltd., of Cambridge, UK, announced pre-clinical results for its lead anti-TNFalpha domain antibody (dAb) showing it completely prevented the onset of rheumatoid arthritis in an industry standard, in vivo model of the disease. The dAb,...

Faust Pharmaceuticals. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
June 4, 2003... * Faust Pharmaceuticals, of Strasbourg, France, was granted European and U.S. patents covering new compounds and their use for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, and more specifically its candidate drug for Alzheimer's disease,...

Cobra Bio buying manufacturing facility following 4.6m [pounds sterling] funding.(Brief Article)
June 4, 2003... LONDON -- DNA vaccines manufacturer Cobra Bio-Manufacturing plc raised 4.65 million [pounds sterling] (US$7.4 million) net in a placing and open offer, allowing it to buy a manufacturing facility in Oxford capable of producing products for...

The French Ministry of Agriculture approved 14 applications for field trials of genetically modified crops in 2003. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
June 4, 2003... * The French Ministry of Agriculture approved 14 applications for field trials of genetically modified crops in 2003. They will bring the total area of authorized GM crop plantings for experimental purposes in France to nearly 2,000 sq. km. The...

GATC Biotech AG, of Constance, Germany, began a long-term cooperation with Genovac AG, of Freiburg, Germany, in antibody production. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
June 4, 2003... * GATC Biotech AG, of Constance, Germany, began a long-term cooperation with Genovac AG, of Freiburg, Germany, in antibody production. The companies will jointly offer their complete chain of production, from tissue or DNA to antibody...

Genetic Technologies Ltd., of Melbourne, Australia, signed a cross-licensing agreement with Orchid Biosciences Inc., of Princeton, N.J., that gives Genetic technologies a combined cash and intellectual property payment estimated to be worth more than A$3 million (US$1.95 million). (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
June 4, 2003... * Genetic Technologies Ltd., of Melbourne, Australia, signed a cross-licensing agreement with Orchid Biosciences Inc., of Princeton, N.J., that gives Genetic technologies a combined cash and intellectual property payment estimated to be worth...

The German Ministry of Education and Research. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
June 4, 2003... * The German Ministry of Education and Research reported on the results of its pilot project to ease the process of spinning companies off from university research. Since mid-2001, the ministry has invested about 7.5 million [euro] to support...

KS Biomedix Holdings plc. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
June 4, 2003... * KS Biomedix Holdings plc, of Guildford, UK, said the FDA granted orphan drug status to KSB303 for the treatment of pancreatic cancer. The product, a radiolabeled antibody, has completed a Phase I imaging study in patients with metastatic...

Novuspharma SpA. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
June 4, 2003... * Novuspharma SpA, of Milan, Italy, is planning a second Phase II trial of BBR 3576, its candidate treatment for advanced hormone-refractory prostate cancer (HRPC), following promising data from an open-label Phase II trial. The trial, due to...

Pharming Group NV. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
June 4, 2003... * Pharming Group NV, of Leiden, the Netherlands, said it raised 4 million [euro] from European Bioscience Investments, a recently established fund that invests in what it considers undervalued European life sciences firms. The transaction...

New Irish institute formed to focus on trials of orphan drugs.
June 11, 2003... CORK, Ireland -- Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., Pfizer Inc. and the Irish government are the initial backers of a new not-for-profit institute at University College Cork (UCC) that aims to establish a pan-European network specializing in conducting...

Metastasis study offers clues to failure of adjuvant therapy.
June 11, 2003... LONDON -- A new analysis of the genetic abnormalities in breast cancer cells that already have spread around the body by the time of surgery could explain why chemotherapy is often unsuccessful in preventing recurrence of breast cancer. A...

British companies look to Cuba for collaborative opportunities.
June 11, 2003... LONDON -- British biotechnology companies are being encouraged to form partnerships in Cuba under a United Nations-sponsored collaboration program between the countries. The program offers a customized support service, covering every stage...

Galapagos Genomics enters osteoporosis deal with P&G.
June 11, 2003... PARIS -- The Belgian firm Galapagos Genomics NV signed an agreement with the Procter & Gamble Co., providing for the latter to validate two therapeutic targets for osteoporosis emanating from Galapagos' in-house research. Galapagos...

French researchers encouraged by gene therapy results in mice.
June 11, 2003... PARIS -- Researchers at France's National Institute for Health and Medical Research (INSERM) obtained "encouraging" results from a trial in mice of a gene therapy for spinal muscular atrophy. The therapy entailed the transfer of the...

Actelion Ltd., of Basel, Switzerland, and Discovery Partners International Inc., of San Diego, began a three-year collaboration under which Actelion will produce drug discovery capabilities from Discovery Partners. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
June 11, 2003... * Actelion Ltd., of Basel, Switzerland, and Discovery Partners International Inc., of San Diego, began a three-year collaboration under which Actelion will procure drug discovery capabilities from Discovery Partners. Actelion, which was founded...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
June 11, 2003... A story on IsoTis SA acquiring GenSci Regeneration Sciences Inc. in the June 4, 2003, issue of BioWorld International should have said GenSci (not IsoTis) revamped its product line after settling patent infringement claims. Editor's note:...

Europeans agree to rules on transboundary GMO movement. (European Union Roundup).
June 11, 2003... BRUSSELS, Belgium -- The European Union reached agreement Friday on new EU rules governing the transboundary movements of genetically modified organisms. The agreement won backing from the European Parliament two days earlier. A formal...

International Science Council supports ag-bio. (European Unions Roundup).(Brief Article)
June 11, 2003... The International Council for Science released Tuesday a new overview of GM crops that provides strong support for the use of biotechnology in agriculture. The report, "New Genetics, Food and Agriculture: Scientific Discoveries--Societal...

Amsterdam Molecular Therapeutics BV. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
June 11, 2003... * Amsterdam Molecular Therapeutics BV, of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, said its candidate gene therapy treatment for lipoprotein lipase (LPL) deficiency demonstrated efficacy in a murine model of the disease. An adeno-associated virus vector...

UK government soliciting input on future of GM crops.
June 11, 2003... LONDON -- The UK government launched GM Nation?--a national consultation on the future of genetically modified crops in Britain, at a meeting in Birmingham last week. About 230 members of the public turned up to discuss issues such as: Are...

Celltech Group plc, of Slough, UK, said last week it has valid acceptances from shareholders giving it control of approximately 90 percent of the issued share capital of Oxford GlycoSciences plc, of Abingdon, UK, and has commenced the procedure for the compulsory acquisition of the remaining OGS shares. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
June 11, 2003... * Celltech Group plc, of Slough, UK, said last week it has valid acceptances from shareholders giving it control of approximately 90 percent of the issued share capital of Oxford GlycoSciences plc, of Abingdon, UK, and has commenced the...

Schroder closes $402m fund to invest in young companies.(Brief Article)
June 11, 2003... LONDON -- Schroder Ventures Life Sciences announced the final closing of its third fund with total commitments of $402 million, enough to back 30 to 35 companies over the next four to six years. While not necessarily a sign that the funding...

Gyros AB. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
June 11, 2003... * Gyros AB, of Uppsala, Sweden, introduced a CD-based microlaboratory offering, Gyrolab MALDI IMAC, which is designed to detect phosphorylated peptides by MALDI mass spectrometry. Duplicate protein digests are prepared, and then one of the...

Ingenium Pharmaceuticals AG, of Munich, Germany, will use its Ingenotyping technology to develop animal models with defined gene alterations for Oxagen Ltd., of Abingdon, UK. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
June 11, 2003... * Ingenium Pharmaceuticals AG, of Munich, Germany, will use its Ingenotyping technology to develop animal models with defined gene alterations for Oxagen Ltd., of Abingdon, UK. The companies will focus on genes related to metabolic diseases,...

Jerini AG. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
June 11, 2003... * Jerini AG, of Berlin, appointed Bernd Rosenkranz vice president of clinical development and Rainer Kramer vice president of business development. Rosenkranz has held senior functions in clinical pharmacology with Hoechst Marion Roussel...

LION bioscience AG, of Heidelberg, Germany, began a multiyear development and marketing collaboration with Silicon Genetics, of Redwood City, Calif. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
June 11, 2003... * LION bioscience AG, of Heidelberg, Germany, began a multiyear development and marketing collaboration with Silicon Genetics, of Redwood City, Calif. The companies will integrate their software, aiming for seamless data transfer and improved...

METabolic EXplorer. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
June 11, 2003... * METabolic EXplorer, of Paris, appointed Philippe Soucaille as scientific director. Soucaille holds a professorship at the National Institute of Applied Science in Toulouse and previously was scientific director and project manager of Genencor...

NeuroSearch A/S, of Ballerup, Denmark, said it received its first milestone payment from its alliance with Abbott Laboratories, of Abbott Park, Ill., to discover and develop ion channel modulators for central and peripheral nervous system diseases. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
June 11, 2003... * NeuroSearch A/S, of Ballerup, Denmark, said it received its first milestone payment from its alliance with Abbott Laboratories, of Abbott Park, Ill., to discover and develop ion channel modulators for central and peripheral nervous system...

Newron Pharmaceuticals SpA. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
June 11, 2003... * Newron Pharmaceuticals SpA, of Bresso, Italy, said its candidate neuropathic pain therapy ralfinamide (NW-1029) was well tolerated and demonstrated bioavailability in multiple Phase I trials in human volunteers. The compound, a sodium channel...

Peplin Biotech Ltd. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
June 11, 2003... * Peplin Biotech Ltd., of Brisbane, Australia, raised A$3.5 million (US$2.2 million) to accelerate development of the company's portfolio of drug candidates. The funds were raised by placing shares with major institutional investors. Peplin...

Tepnel Life Sciences plc. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
June 11, 2003... * Tepnel Life Sciences plc, of Manchester, UK, agreed to a collaboration with the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology for the development of novel ribosome-based antimicrobial screening technologies, for use in drug...

Transgene SA. (Other News to Note).(Brief Article)
June 11, 2003... * Transgene SA, of Strasbourg, France, announced the results of a Phase I trial of its gene therapy for muscular dystrophy at the annual congress of the American Society of Gene Therapy. The therapy entails the transfer of a plasmid containing...

Vernalis Group plc, of Wokingham, UK, said F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., of Basel, Switzerland, terminated its option on Vernalis' A2A antagonist program. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
June 11, 2003... * Vernalis Group plc, of Wokingham, UK, said F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., of Basel, Switzerland, terminated its option on Vernalis' A2A antagonist program. Vernalis now will seek new partners to take the work forward. The most advanced compound,...

Xenova Group plc, of Slough, UK, agreed to a two-year deal with Pharmexa A/S, of Horsholm, Denmark, to carry out the manufacture of clinical supplies of a vaccine targeting the HER-2 protein in the treatment of breast cancer. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
June 11, 2003... * Xenova Group plc, of Slough, UK, agreed to a two-year deal with Pharmexa A/S, of Horsholm, Denmark, to carry out the manufacture of clinical supplies of a vaccine targeting the HER-2 protein in the treatment of breast cancer. Pharmexa...

Can-Fite closes $12m round; CF101 phase II trials planned.
June 18, 2003... ZICHRON YA'AKOV, Israel -- Privately held Can-Fite BioPharma Ltd., focused on targeted treatments for cancer and inflammatory diseases, completed a financing round nearing $12 million, at a post-money valuation of $22 million. Giza Venture...

Genetic study examines source of chimp virus that became HIV.
June 18, 2003... LONDON -- If the origins of the human immunodeficiency virus lie with the simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) that infects chimpanzees, as scientists have recently concluded, that begs the question of where the chimpanzee SIV came from. ...

Troubled Peptor cuts staff; Teva arbitration continues.(Brief Article)
June 18, 2003... ZICHRON YA'AKOV, Israel -- Peptor Ltd. seems to be looking for a buyout, according to the local business daily Globes, and minority shareholder Teva Pharmaceuticals Ltd. is said to be negotiating to take over Peptor, as are companies in Germany...

BioProtein licenses protein production rights from GTC.(Brief Article)
June 18, 2003... PARIS -- BioProtein Technologies signed a licensing agreement with GTC Biotherapeutics granting BioProtein certain rights to GTC's European patent for a process of producing recombinant proteins in the milk of transgenic rabbits. The...

Actelion Ltd., of Allschwil, Switzerland, and Axovan AG, also of Allschwil, joined forces to optimize and develop molecules identified by the latter firm as drugs that act on endothelial drug targets belonging to the G protein-coupled receptor family. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
June 18, 2003... * Actelion Ltd., of Allschwil, Switzerland, and Axovan AG, also of Allschwil, joined forces to optimize and develop molecules identified by the latter firm as drugs that act on endothelial drug targets belonging to the G protein-coupled...

Adjuvantix Ltd. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
June 18, 2003... * Adjuvantix Ltd., of Sheffield, UK, a vaccines adjuvant company, said it received further investment from the White Rose Technology Seedcorn Fund, bringing its total funding to 400,000 [pounds sterling] (US$640,000). The money will be spent on...

Arrow Therapeutics Ltd., of London, is to collaborate with Acambis plc, of Cambridge, UK, on the discovery of vaccines using Arrow's technology. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
June 18, 2003... * Arrow Therapeutics Ltd., of London, is to collaborate with Acambis plc, of Cambridge, UK, on the discovery of vaccines using Arrow's technology for finding all the virulence genes that must be deleted or attenuated in an individual virus to...

PowderJect threatens legal action against Active Biotech.
June 18, 2003... PowderJect Pharmaceuticals plc told Active Biotech AB it might issue legal proceedings against the Swedish firm, regarding PowderJect's acquisition of the SBL Vaccin unit in 2001. The maximum potential penalty associated with any such...

ICSU study assesses value, impact of world's GM crops.
June 18, 2003... PARIS -- A report titled "New Genetics, Food and Agriculture: Scientific Discoveries, Societal Dilemmas," published by the International Council for Science (ICSU), concluded that genetically modified foods are safe but that there are gaps in...

Astex Technology Ltd. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
June 18, 2003... * Astex Technology Ltd., of Cambridge, UK, announced the discovery of a form of protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTB1B), which it says has implications for companies targeting the protein in the discovery of diabetes and obesity treatments....

Bavarian Nordic A/S, of Copenhagen, Denmark, manufactured and shipped 5,000 doses of its smallpox vaccine, MVA-BN, to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, a division of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md., two months ahead of schedule. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
June 18, 2003... * Bavarian Nordic A/S, of Copenhagen, Denmark, manufactured and shipped 5,000 doses of its smallpox vaccine, MVA-BN, to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, a division of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md.,...

Biota Holdings Ltd. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
June 18, 2003... * Biota Holdings Ltd., of Melbourne, Australia, raised A$2.5 million (US$1.6 million) by placing shares with fund management company and financier Babcock & Brown Pty Ltd., of Sydney, Australia. The money will be used to develop Biota's drug...

Crucell NV. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
June 18, 2003... * Crucell NV, of Leiden, the Netherlands, said it would develop a vaccine against West Nile virus using its PER.C6 cell expression system. Crucell also said it entered a license agreement with Kimron Veterinary Institute of Israel to develop a...

European industry welcomes Swiss rejection of GM halt.
June 18, 2003... BRUSSELS, Belgium -- The Swiss Parliament voted June 12 to reject any moratorium on genetically modified crops and the European biotechnology industry immediately welcomed the decision. However, that same week other countries to the south of...

MMI forming joint venture with two universities for HIV therapy.(Brief Article)
June 18, 2003... LONDON -- The technology management group Medical Marketing International plc announced a joint venture with two universities to develop a treatment for HIV infections based on a technique for preventing the virus from entering host cells. ...

German Ministry supports biotech with words, funds.
June 18, 2003... MUNICH, Germany -- "Biotechnology is one of the greatest hopes for the [German] high-tech sector," said State Secretary Christoph Matschie, one of the top-ranking civil servants in the German Ministry of Education and Research. Speaking at...

Roslin Institute granted license for embryonic stem cell work.
June 18, 2003... LONDON -- The birthplace of Dolly the cloned sheep, Roslin Institute in Edinburgh, was granted a license to carry out research on human embryonic stem cells, which includes permission to create embryos by artificially stimulating donated human...

Cyprotex plc. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
June 18, 2003... * Cyprotex plc, of Macclesfield, UK, launched Cloe (Cyprotex Lead Optimization Engine) PK, a software system for predicting the pharmacokinetics of potential drug compounds. Cloe PK uses a virtual model of the human body to make accurate...

SkyePharma pursuing versions of several blockbuster biologics.
June 18, 2003... LONDON -- SkyePharma plc outlined its strategy for applying its drug delivery technologies to enter the biologics market at a research and development day in London last week, revealing it has developed sustained-release formulations of eight...

Etiologics Ltd., of Oxford, UK, acquired the preclinical respiratory research group of Bayer Pharma Research, including 20 staff. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
June 18, 2003... * Etiologics Ltd., of Oxford, UK, acquired the preclinical respiratory research group of Bayer Pharma Research, including 20 staff. The deal includes fully validated respiratory disease models and image and screening technologies. Etiologics...

European Research Commissioner. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
June 18, 2003... * European Research Commissioner Philippe Busquin said some 2,000 proposals have been submitted to the European Union for projects to be conducted under its new research program for sciences, genomics and biotechnology for health. About 80 of...

Genzyme Corp., of Cambridge, Mass., and BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc., of Novato, Calif., gained approval from the European Commission for Aldurazyme as a treatment for mucopolysaccharidosis-1 (MPS-I). (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
June 18, 2003... * Genzyme Corp., of Cambridge, Mass., and BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc., of Novato, Calif., gained approval from the European Commission for Aldurazyme as a treatment for mucopolysaccharidosis-1 (MPS-I). The compound is the first treatment...

German Ministry of Education and Research. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
June 18, 2003... * The German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) announced positive results from a research program in regenerative medicine. The results, reported at a two-day conference in Bonn, Germany, included progress in stimulating growth in...

GPC Biotech AG, of Martinsried, Germany, and Altana Pharma AG, of Konstanz, Germany, inaugurated the U.S. Altana Research Institute, an establishment planned by the five-year cooperation the companies initiated in November 2001. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
June 18, 2003... * GPC Biotech AG, of Martinsried, Germany, and Altana Pharma AG, of Konstanz, Germany, inaugurated the U.S. Altana Research Institute, an establishment planned by the five-year cooperation the companies initiated in November 2001. The...

ImmunoBiology Ltd. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
June 18, 2003... * ImmunoBiology Ltd., of Cambridge, UK, raised 720,000 [pounds sterling] (US$1.2 million) to fund its respiratory vaccine program. The round was lead by Generics Asset Management Ltd. The initial target is tuberculosis, in which the company has...

Micromet AG, of Munich, Germany, and MedImmune Inc., of Gaithersburg, Md., agreed to jointly develop Micromet's B-cell tumor drug, MTI03, and to create up to six drug candidates using Micromet technology. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
June 18, 2003... * Micromet AG, of Munich, Germany, and MedImmune Inc., of Gaithersburg, Md., agreed to jointly develop Micromet's B-cell tumor drug, MTI03, and to create up to six drug candidates using Micromet technology. MTI03 will be developed first for...

NeuroSearch A/S, of Ballerup, Denmark, and partner Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH, of Ingelheim, Germany, initiated a Phase II study of NS2330 in early diagnosed Parkinson's patients in the U.S. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
June 18, 2003... * NeuroSearch A/S, of Ballerup, Denmark, and partner Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH, of Ingelheim, Germany, initiated a Phase II study of NS2330 in early diagnosed Parkinson's patients in the U.S. The study will enroll about 250 subjects and is...

NeuTec Pharma plc. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
June 18, 2003... * NeuTec Pharma plc, of Manchester, UK, announced data from a Phase IIb study of Aurograb, a treatment for the hospital infectious agent, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), showing the drug was well tolerated and demonstrated a...

PamGene International BV. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
June 18, 2003... * PamGene International BV, of 'S-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands, named Jean Deleage chairman. Deleage, a board member since December 2000, takes over the role from Pieter Strijkert. Deleage was a managing general partner and founding member of...

Pharming Group NV, of Leiden, the Netherlands, entered a manufacturing agreement with DSM Biologics, of Groningen, the Netherlands, for the purification of Pharming's lead product, recombinant human C1 inhibitor (rhC1INH), which it is developing for treatment of hereditary angioedema. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
June 18, 2003... * Pharming Group NV, of Leiden, the Netherlands, entered a manufacturing agreement with DSM Biologics, of Groningen, the Netherlands, for the purification of Pharming's lead product, recombinant human C1 inhibitor (rhC1INH), which it is...

The Genetics Company paying cash, shares for Abeta's assets.
June 18, 2003... The Genetics Company AG closed its second acquisition in six months, picking up the assets of German firm Abeta GmbH in a cash-and-shares deal that CEO Harald Eistetter said would be cash neutral in the short term and cash positive in the...

PowderJect Pharmaceuticals plc, of Oxford, UK, announced a 85 million [pounds sterling] (US$142.6 million) investment over five years in its vaccine manufacturing facilities in Liverpool, which attracted 20 million [pounds sterling] of public funding from the Northwest Development Agency. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
June 18, 2003... * PowderJect Pharmaceuticals plc, of Oxford, UK, announced a 85 million [pounds sterling] (US$142.6 million) investment over five years in its vaccine manufacturing facilities in Liverpool, which attracted 20 million [pounds sterling] of public...

Primagen Holding BV. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
June 18, 2003... * Primagen Holding BV, of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, filed for a European patent on a new enterovirus it identified, along with its scientific collaborators. It was identified from clinical samples obtained from several patients with severe...

Scil Biomedicals GmbH, of Martinsried, Germany, signed agreements with Laxdale Ltd., of Stirling, Scotland, and Scarista Ltd., of Isle of Man, UK, to gain the exclusive sales rights for Lyxia. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
June 18, 2003... * Scil Biomedicals GmbH, of Martinsried, Germany, signed agreements with Laxdale Ltd., of Stirling, Scotland, and Scarista Ltd., of Isle of Man, UK, to gain the exclusive sales rights for Lyxia. Lyxia is being developed to treat Huntington's...

Xcellsyz Ltd. (Other News To Note).(Brief Article)
June 18, 2003... * Xcellsyz Ltd., of Newcastle, UK, announced it identified the mechanism of action of its lead compound for the treatment of diabetes, XD4241, at the American Diabetes Association meeting in New Orleans. Using the company's conditionally...

PPL suffers setback on news that Bayer is ending AAT work.
June 25, 2003... LONDON -- The prospect of a commercial return from the technology that produced Dolly the cloned sheep was effectively killed last week, when Bayer Healthcare LLC announced it was pulling the plug on the development of alpha-1-antitrypsin...