Applied Genetics News articles from July 1999

Applied Genetics News archives from July 1999

BIOMANUFACTURING Antibody Production Deals.
July 1, 1999... The increasing use of antibodies as therapeutic agents is enlarging the market for antibody manufacture. Two new deals were struck recently for the production of antibodies and a third company has decided to build its own plant. Antisoma...

BASIC RESEARCH: Tumors Duel with Body for Blood.
July 1, 1999... In a paper published in the June 18th issue of Science, Regeneron (777 Old Saw Mill River Rd., Tarrytown, NY 10591; Tel: 914/347-7000, Fax: 914/347-2113), researchers describe results that they say leads to a new understanding of how tumors...

Apoptosis Inhibitor Described.
July 1, 1999... Researchers at Apoptogen, Inc. (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) and collaborators have discovered and characterized the gene sequences encoding the X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP). In addition they have identified an internal ribosome...

Parallel Growth of Adenoma, Carcinoma.
July 1, 1999... Using computational methods developed to understand the relationships between species, University of Southern California (USC) researchers have studied the relationship between colorectal carcinomas and the polyps (adenomas) that typically...

ANTISENSE: Compound Crosses Blood/Brain Barrier.
July 1, 1999... An antisense compound targeted against neurotensin appears to cross the blood brain barrier, according to research led by Elliott Richelson, of the Mayo Clinic - Jacksonville (4500 San Pablo Rd., Jacksonville, FL; Tel: 904/953-2272). The study...

GENOMICS: Genetic Susceptibility to Cancer Studied.
July 1, 1999... The interplay of genetics with diet and lifestyle will be studied under a $4.8 million grant awarded by the National Cancer Institute to researchers at the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, MI, Website: www.med.umich.edu) and the KHC National...

Two Genetic Tests for Colon Cancer.
July 1, 1999... Genzyme Genetics, a unit of Genzyme General (One Kendall Sq., Cambridge, MA 02139-1563; Tel: 617/252-7500, Fax: 617/374-7368, Website: www.genzyme.com) has introduced two new genetic tests to detect gene mutations that increase the risk of...

HIV Genotype Test Shows Benefit.
July 1, 1999... Drug selection based on genotyping of HIV seems to improve long term treatment outcomes for HIV/AIDS patients, according to the VIRADAPT study sponsored by Visible Genetics, Inc. (700 Bay St., Toronto, Ontario M5G 1Z6, Canada; Tel:...

Gene Cluster Linked to Heart Disease.
July 1, 1999... Variants in the IL-1 gene cluster were associated with coronary artery disease (CAD) in a study conducted by Medical Science Systems, Inc. (100 NE Loop No. 820, San Antonio, TX, 78216-4700) that evaluated 504 patients. The genetic factor...

Gene Expression in Agranulocytosis.
July 1, 1999... The total gene expression profiling technology, called TOGA, from Digital Gene Technologies, Inc. (11149 N. Torrey Pines Rd., La Jolla, CA 92037-1031; Tel: 619/552-1400) will be used to study clozapine-induced agranulocytosis. The disorder, a...

GENE THERAPY: Salmonella Inhibits Metastastic Tumors.
July 1, 1999... Vion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (4 Science Park, New Haven, CT 06511-1963; Tel: 203/498-4210 Website: www.vionpharm.com) has released data indicating that its TAPET VNP2009 bacteria migrate from injected tumors to replicate in and inhibit the...

Cell Cycle Protein Prevents Restenosis.
July 1, 1999... Cell Genesys, Inc. (342 Lakeside Dr., Foster City, CA 94404; Tel: 650/425-4400, Fax: 650/358-0803) and Mitotix, Inc. (One Kendall Sq., Building 600, Cambridge, MA 02139; Tel: 617/225-0001) have reported on preclinical studies using adenoviral...

Tumor-killing Viruses Patented.
July 1, 1999... Calydon, Inc. (Sunnyvale, CA) has been issued two patents in the area of engineered viruses that replicate in and kill prostate cancer cells. U.S. Patent No. 5,871,726 covers a modified adenovirus used as a therapeutic to introduce toxic...

CYTOKINES: Thrombospondin Receptor Isolated.
July 1, 1999... InKine Pharmaceutical Co. (1720 Walton Rd., Blue Bell, PA 19422; Tel: 610/260- 9350, Fax: 610/260-9355) has filed patent applications on the composition and uses of a recently cloned thrombospondin receptor. A second patent application was...

CELL THERAPY: Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplants.
July 1, 1999... Osiris Therapeutics, Inc. (2001 Aliceanna St., Baltimore, MD 21231-2001; Tel: 410/522-5005, Fax: 410/522-5005, Email: osiris@osiristx.com) has initiated a clinical safety trial for Allogen, donor-derived adult mesenchymal stem cells, which...

VACCINES AND ANTI-INFECTIVES HIV Vaccine Remains Elusive.
July 1, 1999... An article by Lawrence Corey in the Medscape HIV/AIDS '99 Annual Update (Website: www.mescape.com/update99) reviews the progress, or lack thereof, in producing an AIDS vaccine. Among the difficulties in producing such a vaccine are the rapid...

Peptide Antibiotics Prove Effective.
July 1, 1999... Demegen, Inc. (1051 Brinton Rd., Pittsburgh, PA; Tel: 412/241-2150, Fax: 241- 2161, Website: www.demegen.com, Email: info@demegen.com) has published results demonstrating that its peptide compounds are effective against multi-drug resistant...

How Pneumococcus Becomes Drug-Tolerant.
July 1, 1999... Researchers at St. Jude's Children Hospital (332 N. Lauderdale, Memphis, TN, 38105-2729, 901/495-3300) have determined a molecular mechanism by which pneumococcal bacteria become tolerant to antibiotics. Their findings were published in the...

Patient-Specific Vaccines Tested.
July 1, 1999... The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has initiated patient treatment using patient-specific vaccines to treat B-cell lymphoma developed by Biomira, Inc. (2011 94th St. NW, Edmonton, Alberta T6N1H1, Canada; Tel: 780/450-3761) and Biovector...

Atherosclerosis Vaccine from Avant.
July 1, 1999... Avant Immunotherapeutics, Inc, (119 Fourth Ave., Needham, MA 02494; Tel: 781/433-0771, Fax: 781/433-0262, Website: www.avantimmune.com) has begun enrollment in a phase I test of an investigational vaccine that aims to prevent or treat...

ANTIBODIES: Pre-targeting Tumors for Radiation.
July 1, 1999... A proof-of-concept trial showed that the Pretarget technology from NeoRx Corp. (410 West Harrison St., Seattle, WA 98119; Tel: 206/281-7001, Fax: 206/298-9442) permitted safe administration of higher radiation doses to lymphoma patients than...

C5 Inhibitor Used Against Lupus.
July 1, 1999... Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (25 Science Park, New Haven, CT 06511; Tel: 203/776-1790, Fax: 203/772-3655) has completed a preliminary analysis of its phase I test of its C5 complement inhibitor, 5G1.1 in systemic lupus patients. A reduction...

TOXINS: Toxins as Anti Cancer Agents.
July 1, 1999... Several developments have been reported lately with respect to the use of bacterial toxins as anti-cancer agents. Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. (3050 Science Park Rd., San Diego, CA 92121; Tel: 619/658-7600, Website: www. neurocrine.com) has...

AG-BIOTECH: Bacterial, Fungus Resistance Genes.
July 1, 1999... Several papers presented at the 1999 Congress on In Vitro Biology, held in New Orleans, concerned the utility of genes created by Demegen, Inc. (1051 Brinton Rd., Pittsburgh, PA; Tel: 412/241-2150, Fax: 241-2161, Website: www.demegen.com,...

Anti-Microbial Peptides for Plants.
July 1, 1999... Interlink Associates, Inc. (221 Commons Way, Princeton NJ, 08540-1508; Tel: 609/252-0446, Fax: 530/889-8833. Email: interlink-microbials@compuserve.com) is developing genes that encode peptides with anti-microbial or anti-fungal activities....

BASF Plans Major Research Center.
July 1, 1999... BASF Plant Science, a newly established biotechnology company, formed as a joint venture between BASF, a major German chemical company, and the Swedish seed company Swalof Weibull will establish a research center at Research Triangle Park,...

Aquasearch Makes a Sale.
July 1, 1999... Aquasearch, Inc. (73-4460 Queen Kaahumanu No. 10, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740-2632; Tel: 808/326-9301, Website: www.aquasearch.com) announced that it has begun commercial sales of its astaxanthin meal product. An unidentified European life sciences...

Patent for Plant Protein Production.
July 1, 1999... Phytomedics, Inc. (Willingboro, NJ) has received an allowance from the U.S. Patent Office on a patent entitled "Methods for Recovering Polypeptides from Plants and Portions Thereof." The patent covers methods for the genetic transformation of...

Rice Alliance Formed.
July 1, 1999... Japan Tobacco, Inc. (2-2-1 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan; Tel: 81/3 5571- 6656) and Zeneca Agrochemicals (2 Righter Pkwy., Wilmington, DE 19803-1532; Tel: 302/886-7658) have signed an agreement to form a 50:50 joint venture to develop new...

INDUSTRY NEWS: Human Cloning Banned in Britain.
July 1, 1999... On July 2, the British government banned the cloning of human embryos for any reason, including medical research. The move was something of a surprise, as it was expected that cloned embryos would be allowed provided they were destroyed after...

Oncology Venture Fund Established.
July 1, 1999... ProQuest Investments (One Palmer Sq., Suite 425, Princeton, NJ 08542; Tel: 609/430-1560, Fax: 609/430-1127, Website: www.proquestinvestments.com, Email: pdangelis@proquestinvestments.com) has closed funding for an oncology-focused venture...

Buy a Company --Online.
July 1, 1999... The ultimate in e-commerce has arrived-- mergers and acquisitions over the internet. Genome Securities, Inc., an investment banking firm is offering to sell Cistron Biotechnology, Inc. (10 Bloomfield Ave., Pine Brook, NJ 07058-9742; Tel:...

LeukoSite Acquires ProScript.
July 1, 1999... LeukoSite, Inc. (215 First St., Cambridge, MA 02141; Tel: 617/621-9350, Fax: 617/621-1826) has signed an agreement to acquire ProScript., Inc., a privately held biotechnology company. LeukoSite also signed an agreement to place 1.5 million...

X-Ceptor Therapeutics Is Launched.
July 1, 1999... A new private company has been formed by Ligand Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (10275 Science Center Dr., San Diego, CA 92121; Tel: 619/535-7500, Fax: 619/535-1826) and several other investors. Called X-Ceptor Therapeutics, Inc., the new company's...

Biotech Attracts More Finance.
July 1, 1999... According to Burrill & Co. (120 Montgomery St., San Francisco, CA; Tel: 415/399- 4360), the biotech industry raised $1.4 billion in the second quarter of 1999, a 63% increase of the previous quarter and 70% better than last year's second...