BioWorld International articles from October 2001

BioWorld International archives from October 2001

CeNeS cuts staff, programs in move to conserve money.(CeNeS Pharmaceuticals PLC)
October 3, 2001... LONDON -- CeNeS Pharmaceuticals plc has parted company with its CEO and several other directors as it embarks oil a restructuring that likely will lead to the disposal of the drug delivery division around which the company was founded, and the...

Gene causing cleft palate traced in Icelandic families.
October 3, 2001... LONDON -- Back in the 1970s, Arni Bjornsson was the only plastic surgeon in Iceland, serving a population of 270,000. Working at the University Hospital in Reykjavik, he noticed that many of the people on which he had operated to correct cleft...

Cellzome strengthens discovery capability via cell map purchase.(by acquiring GlaxoSmithKline Ltd.'s Cell Map unit)
October 3, 2001... BORNHEIM, Germany -- Cellzome GmbH acquired the Cell Map unit from the pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline Ltd. The acquisition is expected to establish Cellzome in the UK and to improve Cellzome's efforts in validating drug targets and...

RiboTargets raises 32M [pounds sterling] in third financing round.
October 3, 2001... LONDON -- RiboTargets Ltd. succeeded in raising 32 million [pounds sterling] (US$47 million) in its third-round fund raising, one of the largest private rounds for a European company to date, and 12 million [pounds sterling] more than it set...

Peplin identifies, patents role of PKC in several conditions.(Peplin Biotech Ltd.; protein kinase C)
October 3, 2001... SYDNEY, Australia -- Peplin Biotech Ltd. said it identified and patented the role of protein kinase C (PKC) in several conditions, including sexual dysfunction and cardiological diseases. The protein is being studied by a number of other...

Alizyme PLC.(receives approval for trial of ATL-104 mucositis treatment)
October 3, 2001... * Alizyme plc, of Cambridge, UK, said it has received approval for a Phase I trial of ATL-104, an orally administered treatment for mucositis, a side effect of cancer therapy. This means the company has four compounds in the clinic, and it says...

Cambridge Antibody Technology group PLC.(receives approval to start CAT-23 severe allergic disorder treatment trial)
October 3, 2001... * Cambridge Antibody Technology Group plc, of Melbourn, UK, said it received approval to start a Phase I/IIa trial of CAT-213, a human anti-eotaxinl monoclonal antibody for the treatment of severe allergic disorders. The trial will study the...

Capsulation NanoScience AG.(completes first financing round)
October 3, 2001... * Capsulation NanoScience AG, of Berlin completed its first financing round, for DM6 million (US$2.8 million). With the proceeds its plans to fuel development of novel drug delivery systems. Investors were Berlin Seed Capital;...

Entomed SA.(appoints Ian Hunneyball head of research and development)
October 3, 2001... * Entomed SA, of Strasbourg, France, appointed Ian Hunneyball as head of R&D, with responsibility for all aspects of drug discovery and development. Hunneyball spent 23 years in the pharmaceutical industry in the UK, most recently as director,...

GeneMedix PLC.(has five-year agreement with the Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology)
October 3, 2001... * GeneMedix plc, a manufacturing company in Newmarket, UK, said it entered a five-year agreement with the Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology in China, giving it right of first refusal outside China to all intellectual property...

Nanotechnology opens doors to investigation of single cells.
October 3, 2001... MONSTER, Germany -- The way Staffan Nilsson of Lund University in Sweden practices chemistry could be compared to the gunslingers in the Old West, who shoot coins after tossing them into the air. He levitates drops of liquids containing few or...

Neurotech validates human cell-based work in eye disease.
October 3, 2001... PARIS -- Neurotech SA, a French biotechnology company developing cell-based therapies for diseases of the eye and the central nervous system, successfully completed a subretinal transplantation of human cell lines in a rat model of retinal...

Genmab A/S.(to study human monoclonal antibody that targets interleukin-15)
October 3, 2001... Genmab A/S, of Copenhagen, Denmark, said it is preparing a human monoclonal antibody targeting the cytokine interleukin-15 for clinical trials later this year. The company disclosed preclinical data Saturday that demonstrated its efficacy in...

MicroDiscovery, GmbH Scienion AG.(have joint ventures with the Max Planck Institutes of Infection Biology, and Molecular Genetics)
October 3, 2001... MicroDiscovery GmbH Scienion AG, the Max Planck institutes of Infection Biology and Molecular Genetics, all of Berlin, agreed to jointly developing immunochips. These are projected to identify patients' genetic predispositions to autoimmune...

Modex Therapeutics Ltd.(signs license agreement with the University of Geneva)
October 3, 2001... Modex Therapeutics Ltd., of Lausanne, Switzerland, said it signed an exclusive worldwide license agreement with the University of Geneva to develop small-molecule peptide technology for treatment of skin disorders. The deal covers a family of...

EU officials continue shaping issues, but reach no decisions.(European Union biotechnology and pharmaceutical policy meetings)
October 3, 2001... BRUSSELS, Belgium -- The flurry of European Union meetings devoted to biotechnology and pharmaceuticals in Brussels last week produced some bold statements from senior officials of the need to frame policy, but rather less in terms of policy...

French advisory body suggests increased trials of GM crops.(France General Planning Board)
October 3, 2001... PARIS -- An advisory body to France's General Planning Board (the government's economic planning department) recommended that the government authorize the cultivation of all types of genetically modified crops, and not just for experimental...

Isogenica licenses Affitech display library technology.
October 3, 2001... LONDON -- The drug discovery company Isogenica Ltd. licensed its in vitro display library technology to Affitech A/S for the rapid generation of human antibodies as therapeutics and diagnostics. Simon Kerry, commercial director of...

PhotoCure submits NDA for actinic keratosis product.(new drug application)
October 3, 2001... PhotoCure ASA, a Norwegian company developing pharmaceuticals and medical devices based on proprietary photodynamic technologies, last week submitted a new drug application to the FDA for treatment of actinic keratosis, or precancerous skin...

Prana Biotechnology Ltd.(in patent suit with PN Gerolymatos SA)
October 3, 2001... * Prana Biotechnology Ltd., of Melbourne, Australia, which specializes in treatments for Alzheimer's disease, said it is confident it can win a legal battle with a Greek pharmaceutical company claiming two U.S. patents of certain compounds. PN...

Starpharma Pooled Development Ltd.(may have found a treatment for genital herpes)
October 3, 2001... * Starpharma Pooled Development Ltd., of Melbourne, Australia, said animal studies of a compound being developed as a protection against genital herpes show it also might be a treatment for the condition. The compound, a dendrimer nanostructure...

Affibody raises US$28M for programs in antibody mimics.(Affibody AB)
October 10, 2001... Swedish proteomics and biotherapy firm Affibody AB raised US$28 million in third-round funding from an international investor consortium led by Schroder Ventures Life Sciences, HealthCap and Investor Growth Capital. This boosts Affibody's...

Gene sequence of plague agent could lead to new therapies.
October 10, 2001... LONDON -- The genome of the bacterium that causes plague has been sequenced, revealing an "Aladdin's cave of riches" to help researchers study why some bacteria kill while others are harmless. The new sequence delivers dozens of targets into...

EU Court backs biotechnology patents, dismisses challenge.(European Union)(Brief Article)
October 10, 2001... BRUSSELS, Belgium -- The European Union's Court of Justice removed one of the ambiguities over EU rules on biotechnology on Tuesday when it dismissed an attempt by three European countries to overturn the EU directive providing for...

Biotechnica trade fair draws record number of exhibitors. (Biotechnica 2001).
October 10, 2001... HANNOVER, Germany -- More than 1,000 exhibitors stood ready in their booths Tuesday as the international biotechnology trade fair Biotechnica 2001 opened here under the theme, "From Business to Success." The trade fair officially was...

Scottish officials devise plan to support local development.(Medical Marketing International Group PLC to team up with the Scottish Enterprise)
October 10, 2001... LONDON -- The technology management company Medical Marketing International Group plc (MMI) has agreed to a partnership with Scotland's development body, Scottish Enterprise, to set up and run a biotechnology incubator near Edinburgh. The...

Acambis PLC.
October 10, 2001... Acambis plc, of Cambridge, UK, confirmed that it has accelerated the smallpox vaccine development program it is undertaking for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in the face of rising fears over the possibility of...

Brain AG.(and the Technical University of Darmstadt set up the Center for Molecular Biodiversity and Evolution)
October 10, 2001... Brain AG, of Zwingenberg, Germany, and the Technical University of Darmstadt, Germany, jointly set up the Center for Molecular Biodiversity and Evolution (ZEB) in Darmstadt. ZEB is expected to investigate soil microbes, and to explore them as a...

Australian company ACT starts vaccine studies against P53.(Australian Cancer Technology)
October 10, 2001... SYDNEY, Australia -- Australian Cancer Technology started clinical trials of a new cancer vaccine that ACT said might be able to overcome the major barrier preventing cancer vaccines from working. The initial test of just four patients in a...

Biobank aims to help biotech start-ups take root and develop.
October 10, 2001... PARIS -- Biobank is not just another venture capital fund, said its CEO, Pascal Brandys, the former CEO of Genset and co-founder of this biotechnology investment company along with another former Genset executive, Agnes Le Saux-Narjoz. He...

Endocube sets out to discover new anti-inflammatory therapies.
October 10, 2001... PARIS -- A French biotechnology start-up specialized in cellular genomics is seeking to discover a new class of therapeutic agents to combat inflammation in all its forms, using human endothelial cells. Called Endocube, it is based in...

Cyclacel Ltd.
October 10, 2001... Cyclacel Ltd., of Dundee, Scotland, was granted a U.S. patent for its cancer drug target, Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen (PCNA). Inhibition of PCNA prevents DNA replication, and the patent also covers substances that mimic the structure and...

Evotec OAI AG, of Hamburg, Germany, agreed to optimize small molecules affecting ubiquitin ligases for Rigel Pharmaceuticals Inc., of South San Francisco.
October 10, 2001... Evotec OAI AG, of Hamburg, Germany, agreed to optimize small molecules affecting ubiquitin ligases for Rigel Pharmaceuticals Inc., of South San Francisco. Ubiquitin ligases are involved in cell division and the progression of certain cancers,...

Phogen Ltd. entered a research collaboration with Cell Genesys Inc., of Foster City, Calif., to evaluate if its VP22 gene delivery technology can enhance the delivery and effect of Cell Genesys' cell cycle control genes.
October 10, 2001... Phogen Ltd. entered a research collaboration with Cell Genesys Inc., of Foster City, Calif., to evaluate if its VP22 gene delivery technology can enhance the delivery and effect of Cell Genesys' cell cycle control genes. Financial details were...

Euro Commission report says GM plants show no new risks.(genetically modified plants)
October 10, 2001... BRUSSELS, Belgium -- Research on genetically modified plants and derived products so far developed and marketed has not shown any new risks to human health or the environment, beyond the usual uncertainties of conventional plant breeding,...

Germany supports another 7 nanobiotechnology projects.
October 10, 2001... BORNHEIM, Germany -- The German Research Ministry added seven projects to its nanobiotechnology program and plans to fuel them with DM15 million (US$7 million) in funding. Selected research groups include Heidelberg-based Graffinity...

Microscience, Anadis enter deal around STM technology.(Signature Tagged Mutagenesis)
October 10, 2001... LONDON -- Microscience Ltd. licensed its technology for high-speed identification of virulence genes in pathogenic bacteria to an Australian company, Anadis Ltd., for use in a Helicobacter pylori vaccine program. Anadis, based in...

SR Pharma says data support continued SRL172 development.
October 10, 2001... LONDON -- SR Pharma plc completed a review of its lead product, SRL172, after it failed in a Phase III trial in lung cancer in April, and concluded that the data support its continued development. However, the company cannot afford to go it...

Synt:em, BLSI collaborate to optimize CNS diagnostic.(Boston Life Sciences Inc.; central nervous system)
October 10, 2001... PARIS -- Synt:em and Boston Life Sciences Inc. signed a research collaboration agreement providing for BLSI to use the French company's peptide vector technology to improve the delivery of a novel central nervous system (CNS) diagnostic into...

UK government officials announced plans to allow directors of biotechnology companies to keep their home addresses private to protect them from animal rights activists.
October 10, 2001... UK government officials announced plans to allow directors of biotechnology companies to keep their home addresses private to protect them from animal rights activists. Directors who demonstrate they are at risk will be able to file a service...

Zentaris AG.
October 10, 2001... Zentaris AG, of Frankfurt, Germany, signed an agreement with the European Commission related to Zentaris' anti-leishmaniasis drug miltefosin. In a joint project with three academic groups, Zentaris aims at uncovering the drug's mode of action....

Xerion Pharmaceuticals AG.(appoints Peter Biewald chief financial officer)
October 10, 2001... Xerion Pharmaceuticals AG, of Martinsried, Germany, appointed Peter Biewald chief financial officer. He previously was director at the telecommunications company VIAG Interkom, of Munich, Germany. In addition, Xerion appointed Yukari Perrella...

French Biotech Industry calls for US$3.6B in state support.(Brief Article)
October 17, 2001... PARIS -- Following up the findings of the report it commissioned earlier this year on the French biotechnology industry, France Biotech, the industry association, and Objectif 2010, a business group devoted to promoting innovative enterprises,...

Biotech Industry backs patent ruling; parliament reticent. (European Union Roundup).(Brief Article)
October 17, 2001... BRUSSELS, Belgium -- EuropaBio, the European Association for Bioindustries, has joined the chorus of approval from the European biotechnology industry for the European Court of Justice decision confirming the validity of the EU rules on...

Language gene hailed as cognitive genetics landmark.(Brief Article)
October 17, 2001... LONDON -- A doorway into the molecular pathways that control our ability to talk and express our thoughts has opened, with the identification of a gene that plays an important role in speech and language. Anthony Monaco, director of the...

Switch Biotech raises EUR18M, moves focus to development.(Brief Article)
October 17, 2001... BORNHEIM, Germany -- Switch Biotech AG raised EUR18 million (US$16.4 million) in its third financing round. The money will fuel exploration of the company's drug targets and help drive them into clinical trials. Switch, of Martinsried,...

Hybrigenics, Institut Pasteur extend proteomics alliance.(Brief Article)
October 17, 2001... PARIS -- Hybrigenics and Institut Pasteur signed an exclusive research collaboration covering the application of the former's expertise in functional proteomics to the field of infectious diseases. This agreement extends the scientific...

Huntingdon Life moving to U.S. market due to activism.(Brief Article)
October 17, 2001... LONDON -- Huntingdon Life Sciences plc (HLS), a drug-testing company that has been targeted by animal rights activists, will delist from the London Stock Exchange and move trading on its stock to the U.S. The move is an attempt to protect...

Xenova's genital herpes trial fails; Glaxo opts out of deal.(Brief Article)
October 17, 2001... LONDON -- Xenova Group plc's treatment for genital herpes, TA-HSV, will be dropped after failing in a Phase II efficacy trial, and the development agreement with partner GlaxoSmithKline will be terminated in January. CEO David Oxlade told...

CAT enters first collaboration in area of infectious disease.(Cambridge Antibody Technology Group PLC)(Brief Article)
October 17, 2001... LONDON -- Cambridge Antibody Technology Group plc signed its first deal in infectious diseases, agreeing to a five-year collaboration with Merck & Co. Inc. to develop monoclonal antibodies against a key target on HIV. John Aston, CAT's...

Genmab enters development deals with Immunex, Scancell.(Brief Article)
October 17, 2001... Danish biotechnology firm Genmab A/S, which is developing human antibodies for a broad range of cancers and inflammatory conditions, disclosed two new deals on successive days last week, with Immunex Corp. and the UK firm Scancell Ltd. ...

Cyclacel Ltd.(Brief Article)
October 17, 2001... * Cyclacel Ltd., of Dundee, Scotland, said its lead anti-cancer product, CYC202, an orally administered small-molecule inhibitor of cyclin dependent kinase 2 (CDK2), has entered two Phase Ib trials, following the successful completion of a...

Genomatix Software GmbH.(Brief Article)
October 17, 2001... * Genomatix Software GmbH, of Munich, Germany, released to academics its "MatInspector professional" software for identification of transcription factor binding sites in genomic DNA. The access for academic institutions is free of charge,...

November AG, of Erlangen, Germany, and MediRox AB, of Linkoping, Sweden, entered an agreement granting exclusive rights to MediRox for further development and marketing of a system developed by November for self-control of an anticoagulation treatment called novi quick.(Brief Article)
October 17, 2001... * November AG, of Erlangen, Germany, and MediRox AB, of Linkoping, Sweden, entered an agreement granting exclusive rights to MediRox for further development and marketing of a system developed by November for self-control of an anticoagulation...

Proteome Sciences completes US$7M funding of subsidiary.(Brief Article)
October 17, 2001... LONDON -- Proteome Sciences plc said it completed a US$7 million funding of its U.S subsidiary, Intronn Inc., providing money for the further development of its SMaRT gene reprogramming technology. The money came from AEA Investors Inc., of...

Modex Therapeutics Ltd.(Brief Article)
October 17, 2001... * Modex Therapeutics Ltd., of Lausanne, Switzerland, reported positive data from a Phase II trial of its skin replacement product, EpiDex, in 77 patients with hard-to-heal skin ulcers. EpiDex achieved similar levels of efficacy as the current...

Oxford BioMedica plc.(Brief Article)
October 17, 2001... * Oxford BioMedica plc, of Oxford, UK, announced positive interim results in a 12-patient Phase I/II trial of its anticancer vaccine TroVax in colorectal cancer. The vaccine was safe and well tolerated and induced an immune response. TroVax is...

Qiagen NV, of Venlo, the Netherlands, and Kreatech biotechnology BV, of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, agreed to a deal granting Qiagen an exclusive license to Kreatech's Universal Linkage System (ULS) labeling technologies and products in combination with Qiagen's resonance light scattering products licensed from Genicon Biosciences, of San Diego.(Brief Article)
October 17, 2001... * Qiagen NV, of Venlo, the Netherlands, and Kreatech biotechnology BV, of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, agreed to a deal granting Qiagen an exclusive license to Kreatech's Universal Linkage System (ULS) labeling technologies and products in...

Low share prices, cash positions expected to trigger M&A activity.(Brief Article)
October 24, 2001... LONDON -- Low share prices and the paucity of new funding are likely to lead to a surge in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in the biotechnology industry as cash-rich companies use the opportunity to acquire new technologies and pharmaceutical...

Some EU member states resist lifting moratorium on GMOs. (European Union Roundup).(Brief Article)
October 24, 2001... BRUSSELS, Belgium -- Several European Union member states have indicated continued reluctance to lift the moratorium on approvals of genetically modified organisms. At a meeting in Brussels last week with the European Commission, which...

French government agrees on measures to support Biotech.(Brief Article)
October 24, 2001... PARIS -- The government has agreed to implement two of the three measures for stimulating the French biotechnology industry proposed jointly by France Biotech, the industry association, and Objectif 2010, an entrepreneurs' club, as part of...

Axxima raises EUR30.6M in third financing round.(Brief Article)
October 24, 2001... BORNHEIM, Germany -- Axxima Pharmaceuticals AG raised EUR30.6 million in its third financing round. The funds are expected to progress Axxima's pipeline, establish the company's presence in the U.S. and drive drug candidates into...

Tissue engineering draws much interest at German trade fair. (Biotechnica 2001).(Brief Article)
October 24, 2001... HANNOVER, Germany -- Nearly 100 experts met last month to discuss tissue engineering and regenerative medicine at the Second Transdisciplinary Conference on Principles and Perspectives in Regenerative Medicine during the international...

IntegraGen secures access to obesity, diabetes gene data.(Brief Article)
October 24, 2001... PARIS -- IntegraGen, a young French company specialized in the discovery of genes associated with complex genetic diseases, signed agreements with two German universities, Marburg and Heidelberg, granting it access to high-quality DNA...

Transgene takes gene therapy product into Phase II studies.(Brief Article)
October 24, 2001... PARIS -- The Strasbourg-based gene therapy company Transgene initiated a Phase II trial of its MVA-HPV-IL2 immunotherapy for cervical cancer at two centers in Mexico. The trial is being conducted on a cohort of up to 57 women suffering...

Berna Biotech, Bachem enter joint venture for peptide vaccines.(Brief Article)
October 24, 2001... Swiss firms Berna Biotech Ltd. and Bachem Ltd. are investing CHF20 million to fund a joint venture for developing therapeutic and prophylactic peptide vaccines. The new company which is due to commence operations at the start of next year, will...

Atugen AG, of Berlin, and AstraZeneca plc, of London, entered a collaboration aimed at enhancing the efficiency of target validation and drug development in a number of major disease areas of interest to AstraZeneca.(Brief Article)
October 24, 2001... Atugen AG, of Berlin, and AstraZeneca plc, of London entered a collaboration aimed at enhancing the efficiency of target validation and drug development in a number of major disease areas of interest to AstraZeneca. Atugen is expected to use...

Biomax Informatics AG.(Brief Article)
October 24, 2001... Biomax Informatics AG, of Martinsried, Germany, launched a novel software for systematic analysis and visualization of gene expression data from different experiments. The product, called Biomax Gene Expression Analysis Suite, enables...

Medical Marketing International Group plc, of Cambridge, UK, a technology management company, secured exclusive rights from Provalis plc to develop CCX2, an anticancer compound.(Brief Article)
October 24, 2001... Medical Marketing International Group plc, of Cambridge, UK, a technology management company, secured exclusive rights from Provalis plc to develop CCX2, an anticancer compound. CCX2 is derived from natural plant material and has own...

ReGen raising funds to move Colostrinin trials forward.(Brief Article)
October 24, 2001... LONDON -- ReGen Therapeutics plc said it conditionally placed 10.5 million new shares at 10 pence per share, raising just over 1 million [pounds sterling] (US$1.42 million) to complete clinical trials of Colostrinin, its treatment for...

Ester Neurosciences Ltd., of Tel Aviv, Israel, and Pharmacopeia Inc., of Princeton, N.J., entered into a research and development agreement for the identification of novel small-molecule drug candidates directed against a range of neurological diseases that involve the upregulation of an Ester target, a rare variant of acetylcholinesterase (AChE-R).(Brief Article)
October 24, 2001... Ester Neurosciences Ltd., of Tel Aviv, Israel, and Pharmacopeia Inc., of Princeton, N.O. entered into a research and development agreement for the identification of novel small-molecule drug candidates directed against a range of neurological...

Graffinity Pharmaceutical Design GmbH, of Heidelberg, Germany.(Brief Article)
October 24, 2001... Graffinity Pharmaceutical Design GmbH, of Heidelberg, Germany, said it delivered the first results in a chemical microarray collaboration with Aventis Pharma GmbH, of Frankfurt, Germany, four months after signing the initial agreement.

LION bioscience AG, of Heidelberg, Germany, launched LION Web-Based Training (WBT) Bioinformatics.(Brief Article)
October 24, 2001... LION bioscience AG, of Heidelberg, Germany, launched LION Web-Based Training (WBT) Bioinformatics. This is a learning management system that enables end users to learn about bioinformatics applications and software using their own data. LION's...

MorphoSys AG.(Brief Article)
October 24, 2001... MorphoSys AG, of Martinsried, Germany, was granted U.S. Patent No. 6,300,064 titled "Protein(poly)peptide libraries." The patent is related to MorphoSys' Human Combinatorial Antibody Library (HuCAL) platform. It covers certain methods for the...

Oxagen Ltd.(Brief Article)
October 24, 2001... Oxagen Ltd., of Abingdon, UK, said it acquired exclusive rights to patents covering gene polymorphisms associated with its work in inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The rights, from the technology transfer arm of Oxford University, Isis...

De Novo, Roche collaborate on chemical design platform.(Brief Article)
October 24, 2001... LONDON -- De Novo Pharmaceuticals Ltd. entered a collaboration with Roche Diagnostics Corp. to develop a system for converting structure information from drug targets into novel chemical designs that fit the targets. They each will supply...

MediGene gets positive results in first genital warts Phase III.(Brief Article)
October 24, 2001... BORNHEIM, Germany -- MediGene AG said data from a Phase III trial of its drug for genital warts, Polyphenon E, are strongly convincing. In the trials a cream containing the drug had a clearance rate of 61 percent for men and 57 percent for...

Cytos, Novartis enter CHF70M deal for therapeutic vaccines.(Brief Article)
October 31, 2001... Cytos Biotechnology AG entered three separate research and development agreements with Novartis AG to develop therapeutic vaccines for treatment of allergy, rheumatoid arthritis and chronic nervous system disorders. The deals, which are...

Ardana completes 13.3M [pounds sterling] round for reproductive health platform.(Brief Article)
October 31, 2001... LONDON -- Ardana Bioscience Ltd., a specialist in reproductive health, raised 13.3 million [pounds sterling] (US$20 million) in its first round of financing. Chief Financial Officer Mark Keatley told BioWorld International, "We're now...

Gene therapy used to stimulate lymph vessel growth in mice.(Brief Article)
October 31, 2001... LONDON -- Gene therapy could help to treat the swelling and disfigurement caused by lack of lymphatic vessels, tests on mice suggest. The therapy involves delivering a growth factor that stimulates the growth of lymphatic vessels in the skin....

Germany supports 9 companies through BioChance funding.(Brief Article)
October 31, 2001... BORNHEIM, Germany -- The German Research Ministry chose nine winners in the fifth round of its BioChance competition and plans to support them with DM20 million (US$9.2 million) in funding. With the BioChance competition, the German...

UK insurance industry agrees to 5-year ban on genetic tests.(Brief Article)
October 31, 2001... LONDON -- The UK government pulled back from a threat to pass a law banning insurance companies from taking genetic test results into account when selling life policies, after the industry agreed to a five-year moratorium on the use of such...

Active Biotech AB.(multiple sclerosis )(Brief Article)
October 31, 2001... * Active Biotech AB, of Lund, Sweden, said its small-molecule multiple sclerosis candidate, SAIK-MS, will enter a multicenter Phase II clinical trial in the first quarter of next year. The company has appointed Chris Polman at VU Medical Centre...

Epigenomics AG, of Berlin, an MethylGene Inc., of Montreal, are collaborating to investigate DNA methylation changes of patients enrolled in Phase II trials of MethylGene's cancer drug candidate, MG98.(Brief Article)
October 31, 2001... * Epigenomics AG, of Berlin, an MethylGene Inc., of Montreal, are collaborating to investigate DNA methylation changes of patients enrolled in Phase II trials of MethylGene's cancer drug candidate, MG98. Changes to DNA methylation patterns may...