Applied Genetics News articles from March 1999

Applied Genetics News archives from March 1999

GENOMICS: Over 95% of Human Genes Identified.
March 19, 1999... Human Genome Sciences (HGS), Inc. (Website: www.hgsi.com ) has been busy. They claim to have discovered 95% of all human genes, sequenced 9,000 out of more than 12,000 novel secreted proteins, filed patents on 3,000 of them describing...

Genelabs Unveils Gene Switch.
March 19, 1999... Cynthia Edwards, chief scientific officer of Genelabs Technologies (Redwood City, CA; Website: www.genelab.com) described a new approach to regulating gene expression for gene therapy and/or agricultural uses at the Genome TriConference '99...

Gene for Taxol Fermentation Found.
March 19, 1999... Cytoclonal Pharmaceutics, Inc. (Dallas, TX) has announced the discovery of new gene involved in the biosynthetic pathway for paclitaxel, marketed by Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) as the chemotherapeutic agent, Taxol, an anti-cancer agent (sales...

10,000 Novel Genes in Six Months.
March 19, 1999... Lexicon Genetics, Inc. (Woodlands, TX; Website: www.lexgen.com ) has introduced its LexGene trap technology to discover rarely expressed human genes that may represent the underlying basis for many diseases and therefore the best targets for...

Gene Found for Heart, Facial Defects.
March 19, 1999... Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center (Dallas, TX) have isolated a gene they believe is responsible for the most common genetic cause of heart and facial defects, called chromosome 22 deletion syndrome. One in 4,000 children is born...

IL-1 Variant Marker for Atherosclerosis.
March 19, 1999... Scientists at Medical Science Systems, Inc. (San Antonio, TX) have published a paper in the journal Circulation (99, 861-66) describing a specific interleukin-1 (IL-1) genotype associated with atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries. The...

Incyte and ICAgen Do Ion-Channels.
March 19, 1999... Incyte Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Palo Alto, CA; Website: www.incyte.com) and ICAgen, Inc. (Research Triangle Park, NC; Website: www.icagen.com) are collaborating on developing the first ion channel gene expression microarray (GEM). Incyte will...

Detecting Mutations by Mass Spectrometry.
March 19, 1999... Myriad Genetics, Inc. (Salt Lake City, UT; Website: www.myriad.com) has been issued U.S. Patent 5,896,242 entitled "Mass Spectrometry to Assess DNA Sequence Polymorphisms." The patent covers the use of the mass spectrometer to detect mutations...

GeneChips Control Water Quality.
March 19, 1999... Lyonnaise des Eaux, an international supplier of drinking water and wastewater services, and bioMerieux, which develops in vitro diagnostics will develop GeneChip arrays from Affymetrix for use in drinking water quality control. The two French...

GENE THERAPY: p53 Patent Triggers $5 Million Payment.
March 19, 1999... Genzyme Molecular Oncology (Framingham, MA; Website: www.genzyme.com) announced the grant of a European patent covering p53 gene therapy and methods to detect loss of p53 function. The p53 protein functions as a tumor suppressor that regulates...

HORMONES, GROWTH FACTORS IGF-1 Complex Treats Insulin Resistance.
March 19, 1999... Celtrix Pharmaceutical's (San Jose, CA, Tel: 408/998-2500) has released the results of its phase 2A trials of Somatokine, its lead product, in the treatment of type I diabetics. The results are promising: the average insulin requirement in the...

Oral Interferon in Clinical Trials.
March 19, 1999... Calypte Biomedical Corp. (Alameda, CA; Tel: 510/749-5100), through its therapeutic affiliate, Pepgen Corp., will begin phase one clinical trials for its orally ingestable interferon tau for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS). The studies...

Relaxin in Trial for Scleroderma.
March 19, 1999... Connetics Corp. (Palo Alto, CA) has initiated a phase two/three pivotal clinical trial of ConXn, a recombinant form of human relaxin-H2, for the treatment of scleroderma. The study will evaluate the efficacy and safety of the product over 24...

Extendin Tested as Diabetes Treatment.
March 19, 1999... Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (San Diego, CA) has initiated a phase one clinical study on its drug candidate, AC2993, a synthetic version of extendin-4, in patients with type 2 diabetes. The study will focus on safety and tolerability of the...

IL-4 Receptor in Asthma Studies.
March 19, 1999... Immunex will move forward with clinical trials of Nuvance, a recombinant DNA derived soluble form of the IL-4 receptor, for long term control of asthma. About 17 million people in America suffer from asthma, and half of these are candidates...

IL-9 Involved in Asthma Pathogenesis.
March 19, 1999... Researchers from Magainin Pharmaceuticals (MAGN) and McGill University presented data detailing the importance of IL-9 in the pathogenesis of asthma at the meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology held in Orlando,...

ANTIBODIES: MedImmune, Ixsys in Four MAb Pact.
March 19, 1999... MedImmune and Ixsys have formed an alliance to develop four monoclonal antibodies. One product, a humanized antibody known as Vitaxin is in phase one trials as a cancer treatment that works by inhibiting angiogenesis. Vitaxin was developed and...

Ribonuclease as an Immunotoxin.
March 19, 1999... Immunomedics (Morris Plains, NJ; Tel: 973/605-8200, ext. 109, Website: www.immunomedics.com ) has signed a cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) with the National Cancer Institute involving the development and use of...

Autoimmune Antibodies Cause Clots.
March 19, 1999... Autoimmune antibodies may cause excessive blood clotting related to increased risk of stroke, heart attack, deep vein thrombosis and fetal death, according to scientists from La Jolla Pharmaceutical Co. (San Diego, CA; Website: www.ljpc.com )....

Graft Versus Host Ab Tested.
March 19, 1999... Abgenix, Inc. (Fremont, CA) has reported results of a phase two clinical trial of its ABX-CBL antibody to treat graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), a sometimes fatal side effect of bone marrow transplants in which the engrafted immune cells...

VACCINES, ANTI-INFECTIVES CDC Seeks Pediatric Hepatitis A Vaccination.
March 19, 1999... The advisory committee on immunization practices (ACIP), an advisory body for the CDC, has issued a recommendation for states with high rates of hepatitis A to use routine vaccination programs for children. The recommendation covers states,...

Hep C Ribozyme Patent Issued.
March 19, 1999... Ribozyme Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (RPI, Boulder, CO) has been issued U.S. Patent 5,869,253 broadly covering ribonucleic acid enzymes (ribozymes) used to treat hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. RPI has incorporated such enzymes into its product...

Large Scale HIV Vaccine Tests Begin.
March 19, 1999... Large scale tests of preventative AIDS vaccines are beginning in Asia, North America and Africa. The HIV epidemic has been particularly deadly in Africa. AIDS has killed a half-million people in Uganda alone, leaving one million children...

Prostate Specific Antigen Patented.
March 19, 1999... Jenner Biotherapies (2020 Crow Canyon Place, Suite 100, San Ramon, CA 94563-1344; Tel: 925/824-3150, Website: www.jennerbio.com) has been issued a patent allowing claims on the use of recombinant prostate specific antigen (PSA) in the...

Plant Derived Vaccines Patented.
March 19, 1999... Axis Genetics has been granted a U.S. patent protection of its chimeric virus particle peptide display technology, trademarked Epicoat, with which the company is developing plant derived vaccines that target mucosal immunity. On the day the...

Microsphere-Encapsulated Vaccine in Phase One Trial.
March 19, 1999... Corixa Corp. (Seattle, WA; Website: www.corixa.com ) has initiated a phase one clinical trial to test microsphere-encapsulated Her-2/neu vaccine in patients with breast, ovarian and lung cancer--apparently the first time that encapsulated...

CELL THERAPY: Biotransplant Awarded Core Technology Patent.
March 19, 1999... Massachusetts General Hospital has been issued U.S. Patent 8,876,708, which is licensed exclusively to Biotransplant, Inc. (Charlestown, MA) covering core technology of the company's AlloMune and XenoMune systems that facilitate the...

Tendons Regenerated with Stem Cells.
March 19, 1999... Osiris Therapeutics has been issued U.S. Patent 5,855,619 covering an implant composed of a gel matrix and adult stem cells designed for the regeneration and functional restoration of damaged or diseased soft tissues, including tendon,...

Neutropenia Patent Issued to Nexell.
March 19, 1999... Nexell Therapeutics, Inc. (Irvine, CA), a subsidiary of VIMRX Pharmaceuticals has been issued U.S. Patent 5,846,529 covering the infusion of neutrophil precursors for the treatment of neutropenia (a deficiency of neutrophils). Neutropenia is a...

AG BIOTECH: Biosafety Protocol Is Blocked.
March 19, 1999... An international biosafety protocol that was approved by 125 nations was held up by the U.S. and 4 other countries at a United Nations sponsored conference held in Cartagena, Colombia. The plan would have permitted nations to restrict imports...

EPA Approves Increase in Southern Bt Corn.
March 19, 1999... Corn growers in cotton growing regions of the south can now plant up to 50% of their acres with YieldGard insect protected corn under a new approval granted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Farmers had been severely restricted in...

Ecogen Expands Distribution.
March 19, 1999... Ecogen, Inc. (Langhorne, PA) has entered into an agreement with Lances Link S.A. (Geneva, Switzerland) to distribute three biopesticide products for control of caterpillars and powdery mildew in parts of Western Europe, all of Eastern Europe,...

Dow Agro in Proteomics Agreement.
March 19, 1999... Dow AgroSciences, LLC. (Indianapolis, IN), a subsidiary of Dow Chemical Co., and Proteome Systems, Ltd. (Sydney, Australia) have signed a multi-year joint research agreement in the field of proteomics. The two companies will characterize a new...

ENZYMES: Team to Breed Novel Enzymes.
March 19, 1999... Maxygen, Inc. (Santa Clara, CA) and DSM anti-infectives (Delft, Netherlands) have entered into a three-year collaboration to use Maxygen's DNA shuffling or molecular breeding technologies to develop new enzymes involved in the manufacture of...

BIOMANUFACTURING: Covance to Manufacture Angiostatin.
March 19, 1999... EntreMed, Inc. (Rockville, MD; Website: www.entremed.com) has signed a letter of intent with Covance Biotechnology Services, Inc. (Research Triangle Park, NC) to provide large-scale GMP production of angiostatin protein for further preclinical...

INDUSTRY NEWS: Synsorb Absorbs Oncolytics Biotech.
March 19, 1999... Synsorb (Calgary, Alberta; Tel: 403/283-5900, Website: www.sysorb.com) has signed a letter of agreement to acquire Oncolytics Biotech, Inc. The principal scientist of Oncolytics is Patrick Lee (403/220-7548), who--along with his...

Neurocrine, Wyeth in Neurotransmitter Deal.
March 19, 1999... Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. (San Diego, CA) and Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories, the pharmaceutical division of American Home Products Corp., have signed an agreement to collaborate on the research, development, and commercialization of compounds...

Scios Downsizes to Pare Costs.
March 19, 1999... Scios has announced that it will reduce its workforce by nearly 30% in an effort to save about $14 million in annual costs. The company will also consolidate its headquarters, development and research staff into currently leased facilities...

Amgen Hits Record High, Chair Sells.
March 19, 1999... Amgen's (Thousand Oaks, CA) share price hit a record high in February. Meanwhile, its chair, Gordon Binder, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission to sell 100,000 shares worth $13 million. He frequently sells shares that he receives...

CALENDAR.
March 19, 1999... March 29-20, 1999 Phage Display: Novel Therapeutics and Diagnostics- -Applications in Product Development and Small Molecule Discovery, The Charles Hotel, Cambridge, MA. Contact: Cambridge Healthech Institute, 1027 Chestnut St., Newton Upper...