BioWorld International articles from May 2004

BioWorld International archives from May 2004

Peptech, Agenix merging in effort to create Australian powerhouse.
May 5, 2004... SYDNEY, Australia -- Two biotech companies agreed to a share-swap merger in what they declare is the first move in building Australia's biggest pure biotech company, with more acquisitions to come. Mel Bridges, executive chairman of...

Serono secures rights to 4SC program in autoimmune disease.
May 5, 2004... PARIS -- Serono SA and the German drug discovery company 4SC AG signed an agreement granting Geneva-based Serono exclusive worldwide rights to develop and commercialize 4SC's program of dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH) inhibitors. The...

Work on telomere mechanism opens new avenues of research.
May 5, 2004... LONDON -- Identification of a new mechanism that allows cells to remain immortal could lead to novel therapies for about 10 percent of cancer cases, recent research suggests. The discovery centers on the function of an enzyme called RAD51D....

NicOx, Ferrer enter collaboration to develop dermatology drugs.
May 5, 2004... PARIS -- NicOx SA signed a licensing and co-development agreement with the Spanish company Grupo Ferrer covering the research, development and marketing of steroid derivatives for the treatment of dermatological diseases in certain markets. ...

Genmab moving HuMax-CD4 into pivotal program in CTCL.
May 5, 2004... Genmab A/S plans to move HuMax-CD4, a human monoclonal antibody that binds the D4 T-cell receptor, into a pivotal Phase III clinical trial in patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL), following its disclosure of positive Phase II data....

Active Biotech AB.(Other News To Note)
May 5, 2004... * Active Biotech AB, of Lund, Sweden, said results from the Phase II study of its laquinimod (SAIK-MS) for the treatment of multiple sclerosis were presented last week at the American Academy of Neurology's 56th annual meeting in San Francisco....

AGT BioSciences Ltd., of Geelong, Australia, and ChemGenex Therapeutics Inc., of Menlo Park, Calif., agreed to merge.(Other News To Note)
May 5, 2004... * AGT BioSciences Ltd., of Geelong, Australia, and ChemGenex Therapeutics Inc., of Menlo Park, Calif., agreed to merge. AGT would issue 28 million ordinary shares valued at about A$14 million (US$10.4 million) to ChemGenex shareholders. The...

Swedish biotech group decries state of the industry in country.
May 5, 2004... A lack of coherent government strategy and leadership is hampering the development of Sweden's biotechnology sector, according to the industry's representative body, SwedenBIO. The lobby group has published a strategy document that sets out the...

Aptanomics, Nanosyn enter deal to discover drugs for cancer.
May 5, 2004... PARIS -- Aptanomics SA and Nanosyn Inc. entered into a drug discovery collaboration in the field of oncology. The agreement provides for Lyon-based Aptanomics to use its peptide aptamer technology to screen the small organic compound...

Pharming moves rhC1INH into pivotal study in angioedema.
May 5, 2004... Pharming Group NV moved its lead drug candidate, recombinant human C1 inhibitor, into a pivotal Phase III clinical trial for treatment of hereditary angioedema (HAE). Chief Business Officer Rein Strijker told BioWorld International dosing...

Prana draws $20m investment following trial in Alzheimer's.
May 5, 2004... SYDNEY, Australia -- After seeing results from a Phase II trial of a lead molecule being developed by Prana Biotechnology in Melbourne, a group of institutional and professional investors in the U.S. invested $20 million in the company. ...

American Oriental Bioengineering Inc.(Other News To Note)
May 5, 2004... * American Oriental Bioengineering Inc., of Hong Kong, said its soybean protein peptide might inhibit the growth of tumor cells. The company's research centered on the application of soybean protein peptide toward inhibiting growth of tumor...

Australian Cancer Technology.(Other News To Note)
May 5, 2004... * Australian Cancer Technology, of Perth, Australia, said the Phase II trial of its Pentrys (formerly Pentrix), an antiidiotypic cancer vaccine, began last week with the vaccination of the first patient. The study is evaluating a new vaccine...

Innogenetics, third wave enter distribution pact for Europe.
May 5, 2004... PARIS -- Innogenetics NV signed a four-year marketing and distribution agreement with Third Wave Technologies Inc. that gives the Belgian company exclusive rights to market Third Wave's Invader genetic testing products throughout Europe. ...

Biogen Idec Inc., of Cambridge, Mass., said Israeli regulatory authorities approved Amevive (alefacept) for treating adult patients with moderate to severe chronic plaque psoriasis who are candidates for systemic therapy or phototherapy.(Other News To Note)
May 5, 2004... * Biogen Idec Inc., of Cambridge, Mass., said Israeli regulatory authorities approved Amevive (alefacept) for treating adult patients with moderate to severe chronic plaque psoriasis who are candidates for systemic therapy or phototherapy....

British Biocell International.(Other News To Note)
May 5, 2004... * British Biocell International, of Cardiff, UK, a specialist in rapid diagnostics, raised 4.5 million [pounds sterling] (US$8 million) in a flotation on the Alternative Investment Market in London. The money will be used to restructure the...

CliniGenetics.(Other News To Note)
May 5, 2004... * CliniGenetics, of Nimes, France, appointed Jeannette Fareh head of pharmacological and preclinical research, following encouraging results from preclinical trials of its lead compound, Nimoxine. CliniGenetics said Nimoxine demonstrated...

The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Australia's national research agency.(Other News To Note)
May 5, 2004... * The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Australia's national research agency, entered an agreement to license its DNA-delivered RNAi gene-silencing technology for certain crops to Bayer CropScience AG, of...

Cytomyx Holdings plc, of Cambridge, UK, agreed to commercialize 11 human brain-derived cell lines created by CellFactors plc.(Other News To Note)
May 5, 2004... * Cytomyx Holdings plc, of Cambridge, UK, agreed to commercialize 11 human brain-derived cell lines created by CellFactors plc, also of Cambridge, for use in drug discovery. The cell lines resemble the tissues from which they originate and can...

Elan Corp. plc, of Dublin, Ireland, completed its sale of Zonegran (zonisamide) to Eisai Co. Ltd., of Tokyo.(Other News To Note)
May 5, 2004... * Elan Corp. plc, of Dublin, Ireland, completed its sale of Zonegran (zonisamide) to Eisai Co. Ltd., of Tokyo. In exchange for about $130 million, Eisai acquired exclusive North American and European manufacturing, development and marketing...

Epigenomics AG.(Other News To Note)
May 5, 2004... * Epigenomics AG, of Berlin, received funding from the German Ministry for Education and Research for a three-year project to design and develop new techniques for high-throughput early cancer screening based on DNA methylation. The ministry...

Fumapharm AG, of Lucerne, Switzerland, and Biogen Idec Inc., of Cambridge, Mass., reported results from a Phase II study of BG-12, an oral fumarate, in patients with severe psoriasis.(Other News To Note)
May 5, 2004... * Fumapharm AG, of Lucerne, Switzerland, and Biogen Idec Inc., of Cambridge, Mass., reported results from a Phase II study of BG-12, an oral fumarate, in patients with severe psoriasis. Patients who received BG-12 in the trial showed greater...

Scancell gains interim funding for ImmunoBody technology.
May 5, 2004... LONDON -- Scancell Ltd. raised 1.3 million [pounds sterling] (US$2.3 million) in an interim funding round that will enable it to reach preclinical proof of principle for its ImmunoBody cancer vaccine technology. CEO Mike Capaldi told...

Glycoform secures funding for work in carbohydrate delivery.
May 5, 2004... LONDON -- Glycoform Ltd., a spin-out from Oxford University, raised 960,000 [pounds sterling] (US$1.6 million) in a second round to progress the development of a drug delivery system using carbohydrates to target specific cell receptors, and to...

Galen Holdings plc, of Craigavon, Northern Ireland, sold its UK-based pharmaceutical product sales and marketing business for $72 million in cash to a company under the control of Allen McClay.(Other News To Note)
May 5, 2004... * Galen Holdings plc, of Craigavon, Northern Ireland, sold its UK-based pharmaceutical product sales and marketing business for $72 million in cash to a company under the control of Allen McClay, the founder and former chairman of Galen. The...

Gamida-Cell Ltd.(Other News To Note)
May 5, 2004... * Gamida-Cell Ltd., of Jerusalem, said preclinical results showed that the injection of expanded populations of human stem cells improves cardiac function in animals that have suffered a heart attack. Another preclinical study found that...

Global Genomics AB.(Other News To Note)
May 5, 2004... * Global Genomics AB, of Stockholm, Sweden, said that in a recent study its tangerine gene-expression profiling platform demonstrated superior sensitivity in detecting gene expression when compared to a leading microarray platform. Studies were...

GW Pharmaceuticals plc.(Other News To Note)
May 5, 2004... * GW Pharmaceuticals plc, of Salisbury, UK, announced a further delay in the expected approval date for Sativex, its cannabis-derived spray for the treatment of multiple sclerosis. In January, the company said it expected approval in the second...

Icon Genetics AG.(Other News To Note)
May 5, 2004... * Icon Genetics AG, of Munich, Germany, published positive results in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of its technology for expressing plant genes. The company said it has developed an efficient method based on proviral RNA...

Immatics Biotechnologies GmbH.(Other News To Note)
May 5, 2004... * Immatics Biotechnologies GmbH, of Tuebingen, Germany, received private investments of 8.25 million [euro] in its first round of venture finance. The company uses its technologies to identify and validate compounds to treat various forms of...

Jerini AG, of Berlin, extended a three-year-old collaboration into a strategic alliance with Baxter Healthcare Corp., of Deerfield, Ill., to develop peptidomimetic drugs against an undisclosed target.(Other News To Note)
May 5, 2004... * Jerini AG, of Berlin, extended a three-year-old collaboration into a strategic alliance with Baxter Healthcare Corp., of Deerfield, Ill., to develop peptidomimetic drugs against an undisclosed target. Baxter also has an exclusive option to...

Karo Bio AB, of Huddinge, Sweden, got rights back to a compound from Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., of New York.(Other News To Note)
May 5, 2004... * Karo Bio AB, of Huddinge, Sweden, got rights back to a compound from Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., of New York. The pharmaceutical firm discontinued internal activities on the target, which stems from a six-year-old drug discovery collaboration...

Lipomed AG, of Arlesheim, Switzerland, will be the exclusive distributor of Thalidomide Pharmion in Switzerland and Austria, Pharmion Corp., of Boulder, Colo., said.(Other News To Note)
May 5, 2004... * Lipomed AG, of Arlesheim, Switzerland, will be the exclusive distributor of Thalidomide Pharmion in Switzerland and Austria, Pharmion Corp., of Boulder, Colo., said. Lipomed also will act as Pharmion's distributor partner in those countries...

MediGene AG.(Other News To Note)
May 5, 2004... * MediGene AG, of Martinsried, Germany, began a 60-patient Phase II trial of Polyphenon E ointment in Germany and Switzerland to treat actinic keratosis. Results are expected in 2005. MediGene had been developing the ointment to treat genital...

Mologen AG, of Berlin, began a collaboration with MEBO International Group, of Beijing, to develop cancer therapies and test their clinical effectiveness in China.(Other News To Note)
May 5, 2004... * Mologen AG, of Berlin, began a collaboration with MEBO International Group, of Beijing, to develop cancer therapies and test their clinical effectiveness in China. Mologen will contribute genetically modified and immunomodulated tumor cells,...

MTM Laboratories AG.(Other News To Note)
May 5, 2004... * MTM Laboratories AG, of Heidelberg, Germany, was awarded U.S. Patent No. 6,709,832, "Methods of early diagnosis of carcinomas," on its CINtec technology. The patent is based on techniques for detecting a protein designated p1 6INK4a, which is...

NeuroSearch A/S, of Ballerup, Denmark, said a next-generation compound called ABT-894 has emerged from its collaboration with Abbott Laboratories, of Abbott Park, Ill.(Other News To Note)
May 5, 2004... * NeuroSearch A/S, of Ballerup, Denmark, said a next-generation compound called ABT-894 has emerged from its collaboration with Abbott Laboratories, of Abbott Park, Ill. The partners are evaluating neuronal nicotine acetylcholine receptors...

Oxford BioMedica plc.(Other News To Note)
May 5, 2004... * Oxford BioMedica plc, of Oxford, UK, said it received FDA approval of an investigational new drug application for a Phase II trial of its cancer vaccine TroVax in patients with metastatic renal cancer. TroVax, which uses a viral vector to...

Phytopharm plc.(Other News To Note)
May 5, 2004... * Phytopharm plc, of Godmanchester, UK, said it successfully completed a Phase I trial of PYM 50018, which is being developed for the treatment of motor neuron disease. All subjects tolerated their allocated dose without any significant safety...

PPL Therapeutics plc.(Other News To Note)
May 5, 2004... * PPL Therapeutics plc, of Edinburgh, UK, said there is a second party in talks to buy the company. PPL was made famous by Dolly the cloned sheep, but is facing liquidation after shareholders refused to support a restructuring plan. Since...

pSiMedica Ltd.(Other News To Note)
May 5, 2004... * pSiMedica Ltd., of Malvern, UK, was granted approval for a Phase IIa trial of BrachySil in the treatment of liver cancer. The trial will take place in Singapore and will be managed by pSiMedica's subsidiary there, pSiOncology Pte. Ltd....

responsif GmbH.(Other News To Note)
May 5, 2004... * responsif GmbH, of Erlangen, Germany, said findings published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry showed that small molecules and proteins can be ferried into living cells via a new technique making use of artificial capsoids. The...

San Luigi Gonzaga Hospital in Torino.(Other News To Note)
May 5, 2004... * The San Luigi Gonzaga Hospital in Torino, Italy, said its researchers reported findings at the American Academy of Neurology meeting in San Francisco showing that increasing the dose of Betaferon (interferon beta-1b, from Chiron Corp. and...

Sanofi-Synthelabo SA, of Paris, said the European Commission authorized its merger with Aventis SA, of Strasbourg, France.(Other News To Note)
May 5, 2004... * Sanofi-Synthelabo SA, of Paris, said the European Commission authorized its merger with Aventis SA, of Strasbourg, France. Sanofi-Synthelabo said it filed a registration statement with the SEC, and would file additional documents as well. The...

Serono SA, of Geneva, and Pfizer Inc., of New York, said long-term data support early treatment with high-dose, high-frequency Rebif in reducing the long-term accumulation of brain lesion volume in patients.(Other News To Note)
May 5, 2004... * Serono SA, of Geneva, and Pfizer Inc., of New York, said long-term data support early treatment with high-dose, high-frequency Rebif in reducing the long-term accumulation of brain lesion volume in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple...

Sinovac Biotech Ltd.(Other News To Note)
May 5, 2004... * Sinovac Biotech Ltd., of Beijing, said clinical trials for its severe acute respiratory syndrome vaccine were ratified by members of the World Health Organization in Geneva on April 27. Sinovac specializes in the research, development,...

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.(Other News To Note)
May 5, 2004... * Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., of Jerusalem, said data reported at the American Academy of Neurology meeting in San Francisco showed that relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patients who remained on Copaxone (glatiramer acetate...

XenoTrans Ltd., of Melbourne, Australia, and Geron Corp., of Menlo Park, Calif., entered a nonexclusive license agreement.(Other News To Note)
May 5, 2004... * XenoTrans Ltd., of Melbourne, Australia, and Geron Corp., of Menlo Park, Calif., entered a nonexclusive license agreement in which XenoTrans gained rights to use Geron's nuclear transfer technology to produce transgenic pigs. XenoTrans plans...

Arpida raises CHF51.3M, plans to move Iclaprim into Phase III.
May 12, 2004... Arpida Ltd. raised CHF51.3 million (US$39.4 million) in a Series C funding round, bringing its total funding to date to CHF105 million. The Muenchenstein, Switzerland-based firm plans to move its lead drug, Iclaprim, into the first of two...

Faust Pharmaceuticals closes 16m [euro] second-round financing.
May 12, 2004... PARIS -- Faust Pharmaceuticals, which is developing therapies for chronic neurodegenerative diseases, completed a second funding round in which it raised 16 million [euro]. Faust's two original shareholders, Sofinnova Partners and Auriga...

Molecular switch that triggers apoptosis delivers drug target.
May 12, 2004... LONDON -- New cancer therapies could spring from a better understanding of how a molecule that helps cancer cells stay alive can convert into one that kills them. The molecule, called Mcl-1, normally plays a role in keeping cell numbers at the...

Eirx out-licenses apoptosis targets to OSI in $18.8m deal.
May 12, 2004... DUBLIN, Ireland -- Eirx Therapeutics plc disclosed its first drug target licensing deal, a pact worth up to $18.8 million, with OSI Pharmaceuticals Inc. The deal involves four genes implicated in the regulation of apoptosis. OSI, of...

Lectus gets investment from Takeda for PFD protein work.
May 12, 2004... LONDON -- Lectus Therapeutics Ltd., a specialist in ion channel drug discovery, attracted a 1 million-plus [pounds sterling] (US$1.8 million) research and development investment from Takeda Research Investment Inc., just nine months after...

Ark Therapeutics Group plc.(Other News To Note)
May 12, 2004... * Ark Therapeutics Group plc, of London, received approval from two UK regulators, the Gene Therapy Advisory Committee and the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, for a Phase III study of Cerepro in malignant glioma. The study...

Report: 25 recommendations for EU strategies on genetic testing.(EU Roundup)
May 12, 2004... BRUSSELS, Belgium -- A group of European Union experts issued 25 recommendations on how to deal with genetic testing, saying that "careful reflection is needed to put an appropriate strategy into place to ensure the maximum potential of health...

Immatics raises 8.5m [euro] in first round of financing.
May 12, 2004... MUNICH, Germany -- Immatics Biotechnologies GmbH closed its first round of venture financing, raising 8.5 million [euro]. Immatics, of Tuebingen, Germany, is a drug discovery and development company, specializing in treatments for various...

Advanced Biotherapy cross-licenses IP with Innogenetics.
May 12, 2004... PARIS -- Innogenetics NV and Advanced Biotherapy Inc. signed a cross-licensing agreement covering Innogenetics' patented humanized antibody to interferon-gamma (known as INNO 202) and Advanced Biotherapy's intellectual property for immune...

Biota Holdings suing GSK over support for flu drug.
May 12, 2004... SYDNEY, Australia -- Biota Holdings Ltd. is suing GlaxoSmithKline plc, alleging the pharmaceutical giant abandoned marketing of the flue cure Relenza, which originated with Biota, after its launch. Melbourne, Australia-based Biota said in a...

Bavarian Nordic A/S.(Other News To Note)
May 12, 2004... * Bavarian Nordic A/S, of Copenhagen, Denmark, said it would begin a Phase I study of Imvamune following FDA approval of an investigational new drug application for the third-generation smallpox vaccine candidate. The study, which will include...

BioLineRx Ltd., of Jerusalem, said it has raised $15 million in initial capital from a group of founding investors, which includes Star Ventures, Yehuda Zisapel, Teva Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Pitango Venture Capital, Giza Venture Capital, Hadasit, a subsidiary of Hadassah Medical Center, and the Jerusalem Development Authority.(Other News To Note)
May 12, 2004... * BioLineRx Ltd., of Jerusalem, said it has raised $15 million in initial capital from a group of founding investors, which includes Star Ventures, Yehuda Zisapel, Teva Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Pitango Venture Capital, Giza Venture Capital,...

Bionomics Ltd., of Adelaide, Australia, and PerkinElmer Inc., of Boston, formed an agreement to collaborate on GPCR and ion channel technologies.(Other News To Note)
May 12, 2004... * Bionomics Ltd., of Adelaide, Australia, and PerkinElmer Inc., of Boston, formed an agreement to collaborate on GPCR and ion channel technologies. Bionomics will bring to the collaboration its ionX program for the discovery and development of...

BTG plc.(Other News To Note)
May 12, 2004... * BTG plc, of London, acquired two drug discovery programs from King's College in London. The first, BGC20-040, is the first-published inhibitor of CORE-2 Glc Nac-Transferase, an enzyme involved in the development of diabetic retinopathy....

Cytomyx Ltd., of Cambridge, UK, signed a deal with Paradigm Therapeutics Ltd., also of Cambridge, to produce and sell mammalian cell lines containing the ion channel subunit SCN3B, a target in the treatment of neuropathic pain.(Other News To Note)
May 12, 2004... * Cytomyx Ltd., of Cambridge, UK, signed a deal with Paradigm Therapeutics Ltd., also of Cambridge, to produce and sell mammalian cell lines containing the ion channel subunit SCN3B, a target in the treatment of neuropathic pain. Paradigm...

Dong-A PharmTech Co. Ltd.(Other News To Note)
May 12, 2004... * Dong-A PharmTech Co. Ltd., of Seoul, South Korea, said Phase I results reported at the American Urological Association meeting in San Francisco showed that DA-8159, a new erectile dysfunction drug, could have a relatively rapid onset and...

Evotec OAI AG.(Other News To Note)
May 12, 2004... * Evotec OAI AG, of Hamburg, Germany, expanded its in vitro and in silico ADMET platform, EVOprofile. The product assists its customers in profiling drug candidates with respect to their pharmacokinetic, physiochemical, safety and toxicological...

Gamida-Cell Ltd.(Other News To Note)
May 12, 2004... * Gamida-Cell Ltd., of Jerusalem, said the March 2004 issue of Leukemia and Lymphoma published an article titled "The Effect of Tetraethylenepentamine (TEPA), a Synthetic Copper Chelating Polyamine, on Expression of CD34 and CD38 Antigens on...

Ingenium Pharmaceuticals AG.(Other News To Note)
May 12, 2004... * Ingenium Pharmaceuticals AG, of Munich, Germany, named Georges Haas to its supervisory board. Haas, who retired as worldwide head of pharmaceutical research and preclinical development at Ciba-Geigy in 1997, had a 27-year career in...

Inserm-Transfert.(Other News To Note)
May 12, 2004... * Inserm-Transfert, a subsidiary of France's National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM), has been given managerial responsibility for the European Vascular Genomics Network (EVGN). The EVGN, which is composed of 25 university...

LGC Ltd., of Teddington, UK, and ChemOvation, of Horsham, UK, are collaborating to enable both to increase their range of drug discovery services.(Other News To Note)
May 12, 2004... * LGC Ltd., of Teddington, UK, and ChemOvation, of Horsham, UK, are collaborating to enable both to increase their range of drug discovery services. LGC has experience in biomeasurement and cell-based testing, particularly ADME testing, which...

ML Laboratories plc, of Warrington, UK, received a milestone payment from Otsuka Pharmaceutical Ltd., of Osaka, Japan, after Otsuka filed for approval of the asthma treatment Meptin delivered by ML Lab's Clickhaler drypowder technology.(Other News To Note)
May 12, 2004... * ML Laboratories plc, of Warrington, UK, received a milestone payment from Otsuka Pharmaceutical Ltd., of Osaka, Japan, after Otsuka filed for approval of the asthma treatment Meptin delivered by ML Lab's Clickhaler drypowder technology. The...

NeuTec Pharma plc.(Other News To Note)
May 12, 2004... * NeuTec Pharma plc, of Manchester, UK, said Aurograb entered a Phase III trial in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The trial will take place in 35 centers in six European countries. About 250 patients will be treated in the...

Newron Pharmaceuticals SpA, of Bresso, Italy, and Zambon Group SpA, of Milan, Italy, signed a collaboration and license agreement aimed at discovering, developing and commercializing compounds active as sodium- and calcium-channel blockers to treat pain.(Other News To Note)
May 12, 2004... * Newron Pharmaceuticals SpA, of Bresso, Italy, and Zambon Group SpA, of Milan, Italy, signed a collaboration and license agreement aimed at discovering, developing and commercializing compounds active as sodium- and calcium-channel blockers to...

novosom AG, of Halle, Germany, and Ercole Biotech Inc., of Research Triangle Park, N.C., completed the first phase of their research collaboration, which involves the intracellular targeted delivery of Ercole's alternative splicing oligonucleotides by using novosom's Smarticles delivery system.(Other News To Note)
May 12, 2004... * novosom AG, of Halle, Germany, and Ercole Biotech Inc., of Research Triangle Park, N.C., completed the first phase of their research collaboration, which involves the intracellular targeted delivery of Ercole's alternative splicing...

Odontis Ltd.(Other News To Note)
May 12, 2004... * Odontis Ltd., of London, won [pounds sterling]500,000 (US$892,423) in venture capital to develop a stem cellbased method of growing new teeth that develop in the jaw in the same way as natural teeth--[pounds sterling]300,000 came from the...

PharmaMar SA.(Other News To Note)
May 12, 2004... * PharmaMar SA, of Madrid, Spain, began a Phase II trial of Aplidin for small-cell lung carcinoma. The study will evaluate a one-hour weekly infusion of the marine antitumor agent in patients who have relapsed or progressed after first-line...

Pieris Proteolab AG.(Other News To Note)
May 12, 2004... * Pieris Proteolab AG, of Freising, Germany, was awarded 2 million [euro] from the German Ministry of Education and Research. The company will use the funding, payable over two years, to validate therapeutic Anticalins in preclinical...

Progen Industries Ltd.(Other News To Note)
May 12, 2004... * Progen Industries Ltd., of Brisbane, Australia, said it received orphan drug designation from the FDA for its lead anti-angiogenesis product, PI-88, to treat malignant melanoma. The product is one of a new class of multitargeted cancer...

Sanochemia Pharmazeutika AG.(Other News To Note)
May 12, 2004... * Sanochemia Pharmazeutika AG, of Vienna, Austria, opened a U.S. subsidiary called Sanochemia Corp. in Westport, Conn. The company said its Fluorognost HIV-2 confirmation assay remains under FDA review. The product would supplement its...

Sanofi-Synthelabo SA, of Paris, said it is continuing its dialogue with the FTC related to its offer for Aventis SA, of Strasbourg, France.(Other News To Note)
May 12, 2004... * Sanofi-Synthelabo SA, of Paris, said it is continuing its dialogue with the FTC related to its offer for Aventis SA, of Strasbourg, France. Sanofi-Synthelabo filed a registration statement, including a prospectus/offer to exchange, and will...

Sinovac Biotech Ltd.(Other News To Note)
May 12, 2004... * Sinovac Biotech Ltd., of Beijing, approved a forward stock split of its common shares on a basis of two new shares for each old share. The record date of the split will be announced shortly, said the company, which is developing vaccines for...

Sirenade Pharmaceuticals AG, of Munich, Germany, reached a licensing agreement with Polichem SA, of Lugano, Switzerland, to develop a new sustained-released formulation of dihydroergocryptine (DHEC), a dopamine agonist with neuroprotective activity.(Other News To Note)
May 12, 2004... * Sirenade Pharmaceuticals AG, of Munich, Germany, reached a licensing agreement with Polichem SA, of Lugano, Switzerland, to develop a new sustained-released formulation of dihydroergocryptine (DHEC), a dopamine agonist with neuroprotective...

SkyePharma plc, of London, and Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Chadds Ford, Pa., detailed four studies of DepoMorphine (morphine sulfate sustained-release liposome injection), a late-stage product for the management of postoperative pain, at the joint meeting of the American Pain Society and the Canadian Pain Society in Vancouver, British Columbia.(Other News To Note)
May 12, 2004... * SkyePharma plc, of London, and Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Chadds Ford, Pa., detailed four studies of DepoMorphine (morphine sulfate sustained-release liposome injection), a late-stage product for the management of postoperative pain, at...

Wilex AG.(Other News To Note)
May 12, 2004... * Wilex AG, of Munich, Germany, received FDA approval to begin a pivotal Phase III trial of Rencarex (WX-G250) in patients with renal-cell carcinoma. The company plans to compare the antibody vs. placebo as an adjuvant therapy for...

Celltech agrees to buyout by UCB in $2.7b cash deal.
May 19, 2004... LONDON -- Celltech Group plc, the UK's largest biotechnology company, has agreed to be taken over by UCB SA, of Brussels, Belgium, in an all-cash deal that values Celltech at about 1.5 billion [pounds sterling] (US$2.7 billion). Celltech...