BioWorld International articles from September 2003

BioWorld International archives from September 2003

Flamel, BMS enter insulin deal with potential value of $165m.
September 3, 2003... PARIS -- Flamel Technologies SA and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. signed a licensing and commercialization agreement covering Flamel's human insulin product, Basulin. The agreement gives New York-based BMS exclusive worldwide rights to Basulin,...

GPC Biotech gets FDA approval for Phase III trial of satraplatin.
September 3, 2003... MUNICH, Germany -- The U.S. FDA gave GPC Biotech AG written confirmation that it may start a Phase Ill registrational trial with its lead compound. The drug candidate, satraplatin, is a small-molecule platinum derivative, which will be tested...

German team advances area of bacterial immunosuppression.
September 3, 2003... LONDON -- A new understanding of how the gut pathogen Helicobacter pylori manages to defeat the immune system in the stomach could allow the development of new, more specific immunosuppressive drugs with fewer side effects. Researchers in...

Acambis acquires travel vaccine business for $8.4 million in cash.
September 3, 2003... LONDON -- Acambis plc acquired the travel vaccines business Berna Products Corp. (BPC) for $8.4 million in cash, plus up to $3.75 million in sales milestones between 2004 and 2006. The move gives Acambis a revenue stream and a North American...

CEOs wary of proposal in UK to tighten governance rules.
September 3, 2003... LONDON -- Proposals to tighten up corporate governance by changing the role and responsibilities of nonexecutive directors (NEDs) are not appropriate for many UK biotechnology companies and would make it even more difficult to recruit good...

Actelion Ltd.(Other News To Note)(Brief Article)
September 3, 2003... Actelion Ltd., of Allschwil, Switzerland, reported positive results from a Phase IIIb trial of Tracleer (bosentan) in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) associated with HIV infection. PAH occurs in approximately 0.5 percent of all HIV cases,...

Amsterdam molecular receives funding from Dutch government.
September 3, 2003... Amsterdam Molecular Therapeutics BV received a 1.8 [euro] million grant from the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs to advance the preclinical development of its interleukin-10-based ex vivo gene therapy for treatment of Crohn's disease. ...

Singapore making biotech waves with vast new Biopolis facility.(Brief Article)
September 3, 2003... SYDNEY, Australia -- A major bid by the government of Singapore to become preeminent in biotechnology through a S$500 million (US$285 million) development called a Biopolis is nearing completion. Several buildings already have been...

Antisoma plc.(Other News To Note)(Brief Article)
September 3, 2003... Antisoma plc, of London, said it is delisting from Nasdaq Europe as of Sept. 10 in advance of the closure of the market. Antisoma had its IPO on Easdaq, as it was then known, in December 1998, subsequently adding a listing on the London Stock...

British Biotech plc, of Oxford, UK, declared its takeover of Vernalis plc unconditional after receiving acceptance from 87 percent of Vernalis' shareholders by the second closing of Aug. 28.(Other News To Note)(Brief Article)
September 3, 2003... British Biotech plc, of Oxford, UK, declared its takeover of Vernalis plc unconditional after receiving acceptance from 87 percent of Vernalis' shareholders by the second closing of Aug. 28. Following completion, British Biotech intends to...

Cenix BioScience, of Dresden, Germany, and Ambion Inc., of Austin, Texas, have completed siRNA designs for more than 98 percent of the human, mouse and rat genes in the public RefSeq database.(Other News To Note)(Brief Article)
September 3, 2003... Cenix BioScience, of Dresden, Germany, and Ambion Inc., of Austin, Texas, have completed siRNA designs for more than 98 percent of the human, mouse and rat genes in the public RefSeq database. The German company developed an algorithm to...

Codon AG.(Other News To Note)(Brief Article)
September 3, 2003... Codon AG, of Berlin, continues to struggle, and legal problems may soon be added to the uncertainty about financing and strategy. Co-founder and former board member Karl-Gerd Fritsch has asked the district attorney in Potsdam, Germany, for a...

Genzyme Corp.(Other News To Note)(Brief Article)
September 3, 2003... Genzyme Corp., of Cambridge, Mass., said it received U.S. and European regulatory approval for its new plant in Haverhill, UK, where it manufactures sevelamer hydrochloride. That is the primary constituent of Renagel, a phosphate binder for...

High Court in London.(Other News To Note)(Brief Article)
September 3, 2003... The High Court in London granted court orders to protect the UK facilities and staff of seven subsidiaries of Japanese pharmaceutical companies from the activities of animal rights group. The seven are believed to have been targeted by...

Ingenium Pharmaceuticals AG.(Other News To Note)(Brief Article)
September 3, 2003... Ingenium Pharmaceuticals AG, of Munich, Germany, appointed Klaus Dembowsky as vice president for drug discovery. He will lead the company's research and development and focus on advancing its internal drug discovery pipeline toward clinical...

Inpharmatica Ltd., of London, said it has extended its two-year drug discovery collaboration with Serono SA, of Geneva, for another year.(Other News To Note)(Brief Article)
September 3, 2003... Inpharmatica Ltd., of London, said it has extended its two-year drug discovery collaboration with Serono SA, of Geneva, for another year. Financial terms were not disclosed. In June, Inpharmatica received its first milestone payment from Serono...

Oxford BioMedica plc.(Other News To Note)(Brief Article)
September 3, 2003... Oxford BioMedica plc, of Oxford, UK said that the charity Cancer Research UK will finance and conduct a Phase II trial of its cancer immunotherapeutic TroVax in colorectal cancer patients who have liver metastases. The trial will include 20...

PhotoCure ASA.(Other News To Note)(Brief Article)
September 3, 2003... PhotoCure ASA, of Oslo, Norway, said it received the Confederation of Norwegian Business and Industry annual award for innovation, in recognition of its achievements in developing photodynamic therapy for cancer. Its lead product, the skin...

Protherics plc.(Other News To Note)(Brief Article)
September 3, 2003... Protherics plc, of Runcorn, UK said it received FDA orphan drug status for Voraxaze in the treatment of methotrexate toxicity in patients receiving the drug in cancer chemotherapy. Sales of Voraxaze on a named-patient basis are expected to...

Pyrosequencing AB, of Uppsala, Sweden, unveiled the combined management team that will run the enlarged company after its forthcoming merger with Personal Chemistry i Uppsala AB, which is slated to close following an extraordinary general meeting Sept. 25.(Other News To Note)(Brief Article)
September 3, 2003... Pyrosequencing AB, of Uppsala, Sweden, unveiled the combined management team that will run the enlarged company after its forthcoming merger with Personal Chemistry i Uppsala AB, which is slated to close following an extraordinary general...

Tripep AB.(Other News To Note)(Brief Article)
September 3, 2003... Tripep AB, of Huddinge, Sweden, said it entered a U.S. joint venture with the Vaccine Research Insatiate of San Diego (VRISD) to focus on development of vaccines for influenza A, Alzheimer's disease and allergies. The new company, called VLP...

Wilex AG.(Other News To Note)(Brief Article)
September 3, 2003... Wilex AG, of Munich, Germany, appointed three new members to its supervisory board. David Ebsworth, the former CEO of Oxford GlycoSciences plc and former president of Bayer AG's global pharmaceutical division, joined as the board's new...

Biovitrum lands blockbuster with Amgen for diabetes drug.
September 10, 2003... Biovitrum AB, the Swedish drug development firm spun out of Pharmacia Corp., entered one of Europe's landmark biotechnology deals of 2003, a pact with Amgen Inc. to develop small-molecule, selective inhibitors of 11beta-hydroxysteroid...

UK researchers closing in on drug for treatment of obesity.
September 10, 2003... LONDON -- An effective drug with minimal side effects could be available to treat obesity within five years. The drug, a natural peptide called PYY, may be able to drastically reduce the amount of food eaten by obese people. The peptide...

Avidex enters deal with Dow on radioisotope for cancer.(Avidex Ltd.; Dow Chemical Co.)
September 10, 2003... LONDON -- Avidex Ltd. agreed to a deal with Dow Chemical Corp. to create the first in a new generation of cancer therapeutics targeting antigens generated within tumor cells by linking a monoclonal T-cell receptor (mTCR) to a radioisotope. ...

Neuro3d raises 10m [euro] in third round to fund CNS programs.
September 10, 2003... PARIS -- Neuro3d closed a third funding round at the end of July in which it raised 10 million [euro] from the four European venture capital funds that invested in the company in the two earlier rounds. They are Paris-based Sofinnova...

UK strategy on biotech clusters on wrong track, committee says.(House of Commons Trade and Industry committee)
September 10, 2003... LONDON -- The race between publicly funded regional development agencies to build new biotech clusters could lead to expensive failures and damage UK biotechnology as a whole, according to a parliamentary inquiry into the standing of the...

Acambis PLC, of Cambridge, UK said it will collaborate with Cangene Corp., of Winnipeg, Manitoba, to develop a hyperimmune globulin against West Nile virus for treating people already infected, or who are not able to generate antibodies to a vaccine because they have compromised immune systems.(Other News To Note)(Brief Article)
September 10, 2003... * Acambis PLC, of Cambridge, UK said it will collaborate with Cangene Corp., of Winnipeg, Manitoba, to develop a hyperimmune globulin against West Nile virus for treating people already infected, or who are not able to generate antibodies to a...

Antisoma PLC, of London, bought out royalty rights to its lead product, R1549, from Cytogen Corp., of Princeton, NJ., for an up-front payment of $500,000, plus a further $500,000 when the first commercial sale of the product is made.(Other News To Note)(Brief Article)
September 10, 2003... * Antisoma PLC, of London, bought out royalty rights to its lead product, R1549, from Cytogen Corp., of Princeton, NJ., for an up-front payment of $500,000, plus a further $500,000 when the first commercial sale of the product is made. Cytogen...

Ireland will not oppose funding for stem cell work, minister says.
September 10, 2003... DUBLIN, Ireland -- The Irish government has signaled that it will not adopt a hard-line position with respect to European Union support for human embryonic stem cell research. Tanaiste (deputy prime minister) Mary Harney said last week that...

CAT argues rates with Abbott, settles IP issues with others.(Cambridge Antibody Technology Group PLC )
September 10, 2003... LONDON -- Cambridge Antibody Technology Group PLC is yet to reach agreement on the royalty rate Abbott Laboratories will have to pay on the rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treatment Humira, just a month before the first payment is due, and said it is...

European Commission blocks bid by Austria to ban GMOs.(genetically modified organisms)
September 10, 2003... BRUSSELS, Belgium -- The European Union took firm action last week to defend its concept of a single market for genetically modified organisms. It rejected an Austrian request for permission to ban the use of GMOs in the region of Upper Austria...

European ethics group opposes genetic screening of workers.
September 10, 2003... BRUSSELS, Belgium -- It is not ethically acceptable for employers to use genetic screening, or to disclose the results of genetic tests, according to the European Union's advisory group on ethics in science and new technologies, in its...

ZGene raises DKK15m to push gene therapy platform.
September 10, 2003... Danish gene therapy firm ZGene A/S raised DKK15 million (US$2.3 million) in a second funding round to advance its technology platform, which is based on boosting the activity of cytotoxic nucleoside analogue drugs used to combat cancer and...

Defense Department partners with Wilex for cancer study.(U.S. Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program partners with Wilex AG and the Fox Chase Cancer Center)
September 10, 2003... MUNICH, Germany -- The U.S. Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program has awarded its first biotechnology clinical partnership to Wilex AG and the Fox Chase Cancer Center. The award nets Wilex, of Munich, $3.9 million to support...

Crucell N.V., of Leiden, the Netherlands, and partner Kimron Veterinary Institute in Israel accelerated plans for a market launch of a veterinary West Nile virus vaccine they are developing.(Other News To Note)(Brief Article)
September 10, 2003... * Crucell NV, of Leiden, the Netherlands, and partner Kimron Veterinary Institute in Israel accelerated plans for a market launch of a veterinary West Nile virus vaccine they are developing. They now expect to gain approval for the product...

Oxford BioMedica PLC, of Oxford, UK, announced a license agreement with EntreMed Inc., of Rockville, Md., under which it gets access to EntreMed's angiostatin and endostatin genes for the development of locally delivered gene therapy to treat age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy.(Other News To Note)(Brief Article)
September 10, 2003... * Oxford BioMedica PLC, of Oxford, UK, announced a license agreement with EntreMed Inc., of Rockville, Md., under which it gets access to EntreMed's angiostatin and endostatin genes for the development of locally delivered gene therapy to treat...

SiREEN AG.(Other News To Note)(Brief Article)
September 10, 2003... * SiREEN AG, of Martinsried, Germany, received a research grant of 1 million [euro] from the Bavarian Research Foundation to discover novel inhibitor molecules that could be used as therapies for colon cancer. The research will be conducted...

SkyePharma PLC, of London, said partner GlaxoSmithKline PLC, of London, received an additional approval for Paxil CR, for the treatment of premenstrual dysphoric disorder.(Other News To Note)(Brief Article)
September 10, 2003... * SkyePharma plc, of London, said partner GlaxoSmithKline plc, of London, received an additional approval for Paxil CR, for the treatment of premenstrual dysphoric disorder. Paxil CR is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor formulated with...

Xenova Group PLC, of Slough, UK, said it was extending its offer for KS Biomedix PLC, of Guildford, UK.(Other News To Note)(Brief Article)
September 10, 2003... * Xenova Group PLC, of Slough, UK, said it was extending its offer for KS Biomedix PLC, of Guildford, UK, until Thursday after it received acceptances from shareholders representing 77 percent of the shares by the first closing of Sept. 4.

DeveloGen, Evotec form alliance to move both companies forward.
September 17, 2003... MUNICH, Germany -- Two German biotech companies have begun a partnership that attempts to build a close cooperation, without requiring the integration of a full merger or endangering either company's current line of business. DeveloGen AG,...

Researchers start another trial of vaccine after positive results.(cancer vaccine development)
September 17, 2003... LONDON -- A vaccine designed to stimulate immune responses against a virus that is strongly linked to the development of several cancers has shown encouraging results in a small clinical trial. The vaccine was tested on 18 women with a rare...

Oxford BioMedica raises 22.1m [pounds sterling] to fund 7 development programs.
September 17, 2003... LONDON--Oxford BioMedica PLC raised 22.1 million [pounds sterling] (US$35.3 million) in a fully underwritten rights issue, a move expected to enable the company to reach profitability in 2006 without a further fund-raising. CEO Alan...

Active Biotech soars on Phase II of oral multiple sclerosis drug.(laquinimod )
September 17, 2003... Swedish firm Active Biotech AB soared to a 12-month high on the Stockholm stock exchange Tuesday, following positive news from a Phase II trial of laquinimod (SAIK-MS), an oral treatment for multiple sclerosis. The shares climbed 41...

PPL puts itself on the block, leaves legacy of cloned Dolly.(PPL Therapeutics PLC)
September 17, 2003... LONDON--PPL Therapeutics plc, the company that brought Dolly the cloned sheep into the world, has been forced to put itself up for sale after failing to convince enough investors of its plan to restructure the business around its fibrin-1...

NeuroNova raises SEK109.5m to fund neurogenesis platform.
September 17, 2003... NeuroNova AB, a Swedish firm developing a new paradigm for treating CNS diseases based around modulating the process of nerve cell formation in the brain, did not have to look far to raise its second round of financing. Existing investors...

Cytos, Novartis pressing ahead with Alzheimer's vaccine deal.(Cytos Biotechnology AG)(Brief Article)
September 17, 2003... Cytos Biotechnology AG gained validation of its Immunodrug therapeutic vaccine development technology from fellow Swiss firm Novartis AG, which has decided to take out a commercial license to a candidate vaccine for Alzheimer's disease. The...

U3 Pharma secures 13.25m [euro] for work in signal transduction.
September 17, 2003... MUNICH, Germany -- "The key word was perseverance," Edward Stuart, chief business officer of U3 Pharma AG, said after the company closed its second round of financing, securing 13.25 million [pounds sterling] in a round co-led by Atlas Venture...

Acambis PLC.(Other News to Note)(Brief Article)
September 17, 2003... * Acambis PLC, of Cambridge, UK, said its CEO of seven years,John Brown, is leaving the company. The vaccines specialist has started to look for a replacement and Brown will stay until his successor is appointed. Brown said the move would give...

Antisoma PLC.(Other News to Note)(Brief Article)
September 17, 2003... Antisoma PLC, of London, in-licensed a program of small-molecule telomerase inhibitors from Cancer Research Technology Ltd., the technology transfer arm of the charity Cancer Research UK. The license includes a number of existing molecules and...

Axxima Pharmaceuticals AG, of Munich, Germany, and BioFocus PLC, of Cambridge, UK, announced positive results in developing assays for targets implicated in HIV.(Other News to Note)(Brief Article)
September 17, 2003... Axxima Pharmaceuticals AG, of Munich, Germany, and BioFocus PLC, of Cambridge, UK, announced positive results in developing assays for targets implicated in HIV. The companies also identified lead compounds active against one of Axxima's kinase...

BioInvent cuts staff, increases focus on drug development.(BioInvent International AB)
September 17, 2003... Swedish antibody specialist BioInvent International AB is cutting almost 20 percent of its workforce, in a move it said will yield annual savings of approximately SEK2 million (US$250,000) from the first quarter of next year. The...

IDM gets FDA authorization for trial of colorectal cancer vaccine.(Immuno-Designed Molecules S.A. to test Collidem colorectal cancer vaccine)
September 17, 2003... PARIS -- Immuno-Designed Molecules SA has been authorized by the FDA to conduct a Phase I/II trial in the U.S. of Collidem, its therapeutic vaccine for treating colorectal cancer. The trial will start before the end of this month and will...

Xention raises 4m [pounds sterling] in second round for work in ion channels.(Xention Discovery Ltd.)
September 17, 2003... LONDON -- Xention Discovery Ltd. raised 4 million [pounds sterling] (US$6.4 million) in its second-round funding to accelerate research in the discovery of drugs that act on ion channel targets. Tim Brears, CEO of the Cambridge-based...

Cambridge Campbrodge Antibody Technology Group PLC, of Cambridge, UK, said partner Abbott Laboratories, of Abbott Park, III., received European Commission approval to market Humira for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.(Other News to Note)
September 17, 2003... * Cambridge Antibody Technology Group PLC, of Cambridge, UK, said partner Abbott Laboratories, of Abbott Park, III., received European Commission approval to market Humira for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. The product will be available...

Cardiff University.(Other News to Note)(opens the Centre for Economic and Social Aspects of Genomics)(Brief Article)
September 17, 2003... * Cardiff University in Wales this week opened a new center for research into the personal, social and ethical consequences of genetic technologies. CESAGen, the Centre for Economic and Social Aspects of Genomics, will bring together biomedical...

Celtech Group PLC, of Slough, UK, entered a collaboration with Access Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Dallas, to develop an oral delivery route for Celltech's monoclonal antibodies and antibody fragments.(Other News to Note)(Brief Article)
September 17, 2003... Celtech Group PLC, of Slough, UK, entered a collaboration with Access Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Dallas, to develop an oral delivery route for Celltech's monoclonal antibodies and antibody fragments. Celltech has licensed Access's vitamin B12...

DNA research Innovations Ltd.(Other News to Note)(Brief Article)
September 17, 2003... DNA Research Innovations Ltd., of London, said it met milestones set by investors, triggering payment of a second tranche of investment of 2.5 million [pounds sterling] (US$4 million). DRI has developed a new method for the automated extraction...

F2G Ltd., of Manchester, UK, announced a collaboration with Asinex Ltd,, of Moscow, to access chemical libraries to screen and develop compounds for the treatment of systemic fungal infections.(Other News to Note)(Brief Article)
September 17, 2003... F2G Ltd., of Manchester, UK, announced a collaboration with Asinex Ltd,, of Moscow, to access chemical libraries to screen and develop compounds for the treatment of systemic fungal infections. Rights to any compounds selected for development...

GPC Biotech AG.(Other News to Note)(anticancer monoclonal antibody with Rituxan for the treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma)(Brief Article)
September 17, 2003... GPC Biotech AG, of Martinsried, Germany, presented positive results on its anticancer monoclonal anti-body at the Biotherapy Development Association's World Congress. The antibody previously had been shown to selectively induce apoptosis in a...

EU court backs Monsanto in Italian challenge on GM food.(European Union Roundup)(Brief Article)
September 17, 2003... BRUSSELS, Belgium -- Monsanto Co. won a victory in the European Union's Court of Justice over Italian obstacles to marketing products containing transgenic protein. The court ruled last week that under EU law "the mere presence of residues of...

European union welcomes Cartagena Protocol.(European Union Roundup)(Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to manage genetically modified foods)(Brief Article)
September 17, 2003... The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety--the United Nations agreement on management of GMOs--came into effect Sept. 11, and received a warm welcome from the European Union. European Environment Commissioner Margot Wallstrom said the new rules...

MediGene AG.(Other News to Note)(Johanna Holldack to leave company)(Brief Article)
September 17, 2003... * MediGene AG, of Martinsried, Germany, said Johanna Holldack, COO for research and development, will depart from the firm at the end of September. At the same time, the company has appointed K.Jon (Kerry) Kowal as senior vice president and...

NicOx S.A.(Other News to Note)(results of nitric oxide-donating aspirin trial)(Brief Article)
September 17, 2003... * NicOx SA, of Sophia Antipolis, France, announced positive results from a clinical endoscopy trial of its nitric oxide-donating aspirin NCX 4016, showing that it protects against aspirin-induced gastric damage. The drug is in Phase II...

Pharmexa A/S.(Other News to Note)(completes breast cancer vaccine Phase I trial recruitment)(Brief Article)
September 17, 2003... * Pharmexa A/S, of Horsholm, Denmark, said recruitment into a U.S. Phase I trial of its HER-2 AutoVac Protein vaccine has been completed and it expects to report preliminary results before the year-end. The trial involves 10 breast cancer...

Xantos Biomedicine AG.(Other News to Note)(promotes Stephan Wehselau to CEO)(Brief Article)
September 17, 2003... * Xantos Biomedicine AG, of Munich, Germany, promoted Stephan Wehselau from CFO to CEO, effective Oct. 1. As part of the promotion, he also will serve on the company's board of directors. Peter Buckel, the current CEO, will become chairman of...

Xenova Group PLC, of Slough, UK, completed its all-share takeover of KS Biomedix PLC, of Guildford, UK.(Other News to Note)(Brief Article)
September 17, 2003... * Xenova Group plc, of Slough, UK, completed its all-share takeover of KS Biomedix plc, of Guildford, UK. John Rennocks and Michael Young, nonexecutive directors of KS Biomedix, have joined the board of Xenova.

German executives mull options for emerging from down period.
September 24, 2003... MUNICH, Germany -- At a forum here Tuesday to discuss the state of the biotechnology sector in Germany, venture capitalists and biotech executives said they were cautiously optimistic about the investment climate, but not about a re-opening of...

Icelandic researchers discover gene associated with stroke.(deCode Genetics Inc. and F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. )
September 24, 2003... LONDON -- Researchers in Iceland have discovered a variant of a gene that can almost quadruple someone's risk of suffering a stroke. The gene, which encodes a protein thought to play a role in the development of atherosclerosis, is the first to...

Alizyme reports strong Phase II results on drug for weight loss.
September 24, 2003... LONDON -- Shares in Alizyme PLC shot up 34 pence to 1.14 [pounds sterling] Friday when the company announced Phase IIb results for ATL 962, showing the drug is as effective in promoting weight loss as other lipase inhibitors, but with far fewer...

AstraZeneca terminates deal with NicOx for CINOD drugs.(COX-inhibiting nitric oxide-donating drugs)
September 24, 2003... PARIS -- AstraZeneca PLC informed NicOx SA on Monday that it had decided to terminate its drug development collaboration with the French company, and the following day NicOx said it had reacquired full rights to the family of COX-inhibiting...

MMI group pushes ahead with work in ruthenium compounds.(Medical Marketing International Group PLC)
September 24, 2003... LONDON -- Medical Marketing International Group PLC (MMI) released new data on its portfolio of ruthenium compounds that it claims show the compounds have the potential to form a new class of cancer therapeutic. Not only are the compounds...

Astex Technology Ltd., of Cambridge, UK said it received its first milestone payment from AstraZeneca PLC, of London.(Other News To Note)(Brief Article)
September 24, 2003... Astex Technology Ltd., of Cambridge, UK said it received its first milestone payment from AstraZeneca PLC, of London, under a collaboration to identify novel drugs against a target implicated in Alzheimer's disease.

Cerep S.A., of Rueil-Malmaison, France, and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., of New York, filed an IND application with the FDA for a new LFA-1 antagonist that was discovered.(Other News To Note)(Brief Article)
September 24, 2003... Cerep S.A., of Rueil-Malmaison, France, and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., of New York, filed an IND application with the FDA for a new LFA-1 antagonist that was discovered, optimized and developed by the companies under their October 1999 drug...

Children's Cancer Institute.(Other News To Note)(cancer genetic test under development in Australia)(Brief Article)
September 24, 2003... The Children's Cancer Institute in Sydney, Australia, has developed a genetic test capable of detecting one cancerous cell among a million healthy ones, it said. Now being tested in clinical trials with Australian and German children, the test...

Genzyme invests $37.7M in CAT as companies restructure pact.(Cambridge Antibody Technology Group PLC)
September 24, 2003... LONDON -- Cambridge Antibody Technology Group PLC and Genzyme Corp. are strengthening their ties, with CAT increasing its financial contribution to joint work on anti-TNF-beta antibodies and Genzyme investing 22.9 million [euro] (US$37.7...

Transgene planning to initiate development of cancer therapy.(Brief Article)
September 24, 2003... PARIS -- Gene therapy company Transgene S.A. has decided to initiate clinical development of a new cancer therapy, MVA-FCU1, and plans to embark on a Phase I trial in the second half of 2004. The mechanism of action of MVA-FCU1 entails...

EU industry ministers pledge more support for biotechnology.
September 24, 2003... BRUSSELS, Belgium -- The European Union Council of Ministers on Monday approved plans to boost pharmaceutical industry competitiveness. Industry ministers from the 15 member states (and from the 10 member states due to join in May) backed the...

Crucell N.V.(Other News To Note)(report on HIV vaccine development)(Brief Article)
September 24, 2003... Crucell NV, of Leiden, the Netherlands, and a team at Harvard Medical School in Cambridge, Mass., reported positive animal data on a new HIV vaccine delivery system, at the AIDS Vaccines 2003 Conference in New York. The system, which is based...

Elan Corp, PLC, of Dublin, Ireland, said it filed an IND application in August for a monoclonal antibody it is developing as a treatment for Alzheimer's disease.(Other News To Note)(Brief Article)
September 24, 2003... Elan Corp, PLC, of Dublin, Ireland, said it filed an IND application in August for a monoclonal antibody it is developing as a treatment for Alzheimer's disease. Subject to FDA approval, the drug candidate could enter a Phase I clinical trial...

ESBATech AG.(Other News To Note)(has collaboration with the University of Zurich)(Brief Article)
September 24, 2003... ESBATech AG, of Zurich, Switzerland, entered a collaboration with the University of Zurich for in silico screening of small-molecule libraries for compounds that modulate protein function. The agreement gives the company access to a software...

GPC Biotech AG.(Other News To Note)(receives fast-track designation for satraplatin for the treatment of prostate cancer)(Brief Article)
September 24, 2003... GPC Biotech AG, of Munich, Germany, received fast-track designation from the U.S. FDA for its lead compound, satraplatin. The compound is intended as a second-line chemotherapy treatment for patients with hormone-refractory prostate cancer....

Graffinity Pharmaceuticals AG, of Heidelberg, Germany, began a research and development collaboration with Genentech Inc.(Other News To Note)(Brief Article)
September 24, 2003... Graffinity Pharmaceuticals AG, of Heidelberg, Germany, began a research and development collaboration with Genentech Inc., of South San Francisco, to identify and develop small-molecule drug candidates. Genentech will provide targets, and...

The Max Planck Institute for Cellular Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG) in Dresden, Germany, together with Definiens AG, of Munich, Germany, and Evotec Technologies GmbH.(Other News To Note)(Brief Article)
September 24, 2003... The Max Planck Institute for Cellular Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG) in Dresden, Germany, together with Definiens AG, of Munich, Germany, and Evotec Technologies GmbH, of Hamburg, Germany, is developing a standard setup for high-throughput,...