Applied Genetics News articles from July 1998

Applied Genetics News archives from July 1998

BIOPROCESSING: Here's Bonnie-- Polly and Molly Too
July 1, 1998... At the BIO '98 meeting recently held in New York City (sponsored by the Biotechnology Industry Organization), the Roslin Institute (Edinburgh Research Station, Roslin, Midlothian EH25 9PS, Scotland, U.K.; Fax: 44/31/440-0434) updated us on its...

Is Microbial "Taxol" in the Cards?
July 1, 1998... Bristol-Myers Squibb (345 Park Ave., New York, NY 10154-0037; Tel: 212/546-4000) has enlisted Cytoclonal Pharmaceutics (9000 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX 75235; Tel: 214/353-2922) for work aimed at producing "Taxol" (paclitaxel) and/or other...

GENOMICS Genzyme Takes Heart
July 1, 1998... Genzyme General (1 Kendall Square, Cambridge, MA 02139-1562; Tel: 617/252-7500) is expanding its cardiovascular gene-therapy program through two separate agreements with scientists at St. Elizabeth's Medical Center (Boston, MA) and the Johns...

Axys, Glaxo Say 'Goodbye, Diabetes'
July 1, 1998... Axys Pharmaceuticals (180 Kimball Way, S. San Francisco, CA 94080; Tel: 650/829-1000) and Glaxo Wellcome (Landsdowne House, Berkeley Square, London W1X 6BQ, U.K.; Tel: 44/171/493-4060, Fax: 44/171-408-0228) are discontinuing their collaboration...

Myriad Patents p19Arf Suppressor
July 1, 1998... Myriad Genetics (390 Wakara Way, Salt Lake City, UT 84108; Tel: 801/582-3400) obtained a patent (U.S. No. 5,739,027) for a powerful tumor-suppressor gene the company discovered, known as p19Arf or MTS3. The patent covers the composition of matter...

Immunex Is on the TRAIL
July 1, 1998... Immunex (51 University St., Seattle, WA 98101; Tel: 206/587-0430, Fax: 206/587-0606) has received a patent (U.S. No. 5,763,223) on the gene for TRAIL, which stands for "tumor necrosis factor related apoptosis inducing ligand." This protein may...

Encapsulated Gene Treats Distal Tumors
July 1, 1998... Inex Pharmaceuticals (1779 West 75th Ave., Vancouver, BC V6P 6P2, Canada; Tel: 604/264-9954, Fax: 604/264-9959) has demonstrated in animal models that an anticancer gene drug can reduce the size of tumours at distal sites after it has been...

Beta-Lactamase as a Reporter Gene
July 1, 1998... Aurora Biosciences (11149 N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037; Tel: 619/452-5000) gets a patent for beta-lactamase as a reporter gene. Compared to traditional molecular biology approaches, the new technology may be 10- to 100-times faster in...

CELL THERAPY: FDA Clears "Apligraf" Skin
July 1, 1998... Novartis Pharmaceuticals (E. Hanover, NJ; Tel: 908/522-6899; also, Basel, Switzerland) received FDA approval to market "Apligraf" (graftskin) with an indication for the treatment of venous leg ulcers. Apligraf is a living, bilayered skin...

Aastrom Pursues Dentritic Cells
July 1, 1998... Aastrom Biosciences (24 Frank Wright Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48106; Tel: 313/930-5555) has received a Small Business Innovation Grant from the NIH regarding dendritic cell expansion to be used in cancer immunotherapy. Dendritic cell-based...

ANTI-INFECTIVES: Lyme Vaccine Safe and Effective
July 1, 1998... SmithKline Beecham (1 Franklin Plaza, Philadelphia, PA 19101; Tel: 215/751-4000) says its "LYMErix" vaccine against Lyme Disease, generically called recombinant OspA, was found safe and effective for the prevention of Lyme disease by the Vaccine...

Positive Results for Meningococcus
July 1, 1998... North American Vaccine (12103 Indian Creek Court, Beltsville, MD 20705; Tel: 301/470-6100, Fax: 301/470-6198) has positive results from two clinical trials for the company's polysaccharide conjugate vaccine against group C meningococcal...

Yellow Fever Harnessed
July 1, 1998... OraVax (230 Albany St., Cambridge, Ma 02139; Tel: 617/494-1339) is pursuing a "ChimeriVax" family of vaccines against various infectious diseases, basing them on the well-established yellow fever vaccine. Yellow fever 17D, a live attenuated...

ANTIBODIES: PDL Starts Phase IIa Trial of "Ostavir"
July 1, 1998... Protein Design Labs (2375 Garcia Ave., Mountain View, CA 94043; Tel: 415/903-3700, Fax: 415/903-3730) has commenced a Phase IIa clinical trial in Europe for its "Ostavir" human anti-hepatitis B antibody (also known as OST 577) in patients with...

Argonex Harnesses Mass Spectrometry
July 1, 1998... Argonex (Charlottesville, VA; Tel: 804/975-4300, Website: www.argonex.com) has raised $7.5 million in order to further its cancer vaccine research efforts. The company relies on a technology it developed, called "Direct." This technology combines...

HORMONES, GROWTH FACTORS Proteins Influence Growth Hormone
July 1, 1998... Researchers at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (Memphis, TN; Tel: 901/495-3306) find that two closely- related proteins -- Stat5a and Stat5b -- are required for the function of growth hormone, prolactin (a hormone responsible for mammary...

Genomic Product Passes First Test
July 1, 1998... Human Genome Sciences (9620 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, MD 20850; Tel: 301/309-8504) reports the successful completion of a Phase I study of its drug candidate Myeloid Progenitor Inhibitory Factor - 1 (MPIF-1). The company plans to advance...

ENZYMES: Enzyme Combats Hurler Syndrome
July 1, 1998... Genzyme (1 Kendall Square, Cambridge, MA 02139-1562; Tel: 617/252- 7500) and BioMarin Pharmaceutical (11 Pimental Court, Novato, CA 94949; Tel: 415/382-6653) are forming a joint venture to develop and commercialize BioMarin's lead product,...

Arginase Protects Traumatized Neurons
July 1, 1998... In the June 1, 1998 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience, researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (Boston, MA; Tel: 617/667- 1715) describe how a single enzyme, arginase, may be capable of blocking immediate trauma-associated cell...

Financing for Enzyme Mimic
July 1, 1998... Eukarion (6F Alfred Circle, Bedford, MA 01730; Tel: 781/275-0424) has been awarded a Phase I Small Business Innovation Research grant of $96,831 from the National Institute of General Medical Science, to work on synthetic catalysts for the...

Cor, S-P Start Shipping Integrelin
July 1, 1998... Having received regulatory approval, Cor Therapeutics (256 East Grand Ave., S. San Francisco, CA 94080; Tel: 415/244-6800, Fax: 415/244-9208) and partner Schering-Plough (1 Giralda Farms, Madison, NJ 07940-1000; Tel: 201/822-7000, Fax:...

INDUSTRY NEWS: American Home Swallows Monsanto
July 1, 1998... AGN Stock Watch (As of July 1,1998, 11 a.m.) This was an unremarkable month for our portfolio, in an overall unremarkable stock market. The fact that Biogen, Genentech, Roche, and Schering-Plough have come to terms over their...

AGBIOTECHNOLOGY: Bayer Taps Genetics for New Pesticides
July 1, 1998... Bayer (D-5090, Leverkusen, Germany) has signed an agreement with Exelexis Pharmaceuticals (1 Kendall Square, Cambridge, MA 02139) for genetic research aimed at eventually creating new pesticides. Exelixis is to receive royalties on Bayer's sale...

Agritope Wants to Extend Shelf Life
July 1, 1998... Agritope (Portland, OR; Tel: 503/670-7702, Website: www.agritope.com) has received four new U.S. patents, which include coverage of genes, promoters (gene regulators), and technology for extending the post- harvest shelf life of fruits and...

Novartis Likes Combo Chemistry
July 1, 1998... The Crop Protection division of Novartis (S-386.7.62 Basel, Switzerland; Tel: 41/61/324-4708, Fax: 41/61/324-6458) has enlisted the aid of CombiChem (9050 Camino Santa Fe, San Diego, CA 92121; Tel: 619/530-0484) in a quest for new agricultural...

... Zeneca Likes ComboChem Also
July 1, 1998... Zeneca (P.O. Box 751, Wilmington, DE 19897; Tel: 302/886-3000, Fax: 302/886-2972, also, Billingham, U.K.) has forged a link with Alanex (3550 General Atomics Court, San Diego, CA 92121; Tel: 619/455-3200, Fax: 619/455-3201), which was acquired by...

Acacia Hired for Agrochemical Finds
July 1, 1998... Du Pont Agricultural Enterprise, a unit of E.I. Du Pont de Nemours (1007 Market St., Wilmington, DE 19898; Tel: 302/695-3293), has signed an agreement with Acacia Biosciences (Richmond, CA; Tel: 510/669- 2330) regarding an effort to discover...

Yes, the UK Has Biotech Tomatoes
July 1, 1998... Seminis Inc. (Saticoy, CA; Tel: 805/672-1913, E-mail: mark.stowers@svseeds.com), a subsidiary of Empresas La Moderna S.A. de C.V, says that its genetically modified ("GM") tomato product, developed in collaboration with Zeneca Group (15 Stanhope...