Applied Genetics News articles from May 1999

Applied Genetics News archives from May 1999

BIOMANUFACTURING: Cloned Goats Make Antithrombin.
May 1, 1999... The world's first cloned transgenic goats have been born at Genzyme Transgenics' (Five Mountain Rd., Framingham, MA 01701; Tel: 508/620-9700, Fax: 508/872-9080) farm in central Massachusetts. The feat was a collaborative effort of...

Cancer Vaccine Facility Opened.
May 1, 1999... Avax Technologies, Inc. (4520 Main St., Suite 930, Kansas City, MO 64111; Tel: 816/960-1333, Fax: 816/960-1334) has opened what it believes to be the nation's first state-of-the-art cancer vaccine manufacturing facility in Philadelphia,...

DNA Plasmid Production Scaled-Up.
May 1, 1999... Completion of a 3000 liter plasmid manufacturing run at a DSM Biologics (www.dsmbiologics.com) plant in Montreal, Quebec validated technology transferred from Megabios Corp. (863A Mitten Rd., Burlingame, CA 94010; Tel: 650/697-1900, Fax:...

GENE THERAPY: Cancer Killing Virus Patented.
May 1, 1999... Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (3031 Research Dr., Richmond, CA 94806; Tel: 510/222- 9700, Fax: 510/222-9758) has been awarded European Patent No. l.9491077.8 covering methods of treating cancer using replicating viral therapy. Specifically...

Cancer Gene Therapy Collaboration.
May 1, 1999... Cell Genesys (342 Lakeside Dr., Foster City, CA 94404; Tel: 650/425-4400, Fax: 650/358-0803. Contact: Jennifer C. Williams; Tel:650/425/4542) and Mitotix, Inc. (One Kendall Sq., Building 600, Cambridge, MA 02139. Contact: Thomas...

Adenyl Cyclase for Heart Failure.
May 1, 1999... Researchers from Collateral Therapeutics (9360 Towne Center Dr., San Diego, CA 92121; Tel: 619/824-6500, Fax: 619/824-6563) presented evidence that therapy using the AC-6 gene is feasible for combating congestive heart failure. The gene encodes...

Gentronics Wins Electroporation Grant.
May 1, 1999... Genetronics Biomedical (11199 Sorrento Valley Rd., San Diego, CA 92121; Tel: 619/597-6006, Fax: 619/597-0119, Website: genetronics.com) has been awarded a phase I small business innovation research (SBIR) grant from the National Institute...

GENOMICS: Angiogenesis Polysaccharide Receptor Discovered.
May 1, 1999... Researchers at CarboMed, Inc. (Brentwood, TN; Tel: 615/377-0736) and Vanderbilt University have discovered and cloned the gene for a unique, seven transmembrane protein found in neovasculature that specifically binds to CM101, a multi-repeat...

Growth Control Protein Described.
May 1, 1999... In two papers in the April 23rd issue of Science, Joan and Ronald Conaway of Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation (Oklahoma City, OK), describe a new protein, Rbx1, that is a component in the von Hippel-Landau (VHL) tumor suppressor machinery....

Genset Creates Genomics Department.
May 1, 1999... Genset Corp. (24 rue Royal, 75008 Paris, France; Tel: 212/815-2510, Fax: 212/571-3050) has established a department of physiological genomics to expand its genomics research program in La Jolla, California. The new department will support...

Stroke Genes Under Investigation.
May 1, 1999... Quark Biotech, Inc. (San Ramon, CA) and Fujisawa Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. have entered into a $19 million agreement centered on discovery of stroke therapies. Under terms of the agreement, Quark will utilize its pathology-specific genomics...

Prostate Cancer Genes Patented.
May 1, 1999... UroCor, Inc. (800 Research Pkwy., Oklahoma City, OK 73104; Tel: 405/290-4000, Fax: 405/290-4059) has been issued one U.S. patent--and a notice of allowance for another--covering biomarkers and targets for diagnosis, prognosis, and management of...

ANTISENSE: Genta's G3139 in Anti-tumor Trials.
May 1, 1999... Genta, Inc. (3550 General Atomics Court, San Diego, CA 92121; Tel: 619/455-2700, Fax: 619/455-2712) has entered into a cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) with the National Cancer Institute to develop Genta's G3139 compound...

Antisense Compound Combats Restenosis.
May 1, 1999... Patrick L. Iversen, senior vice president of research and development at AVI BioPharma (One S.W. Columbia St., Suite 1105, Portland, OR 97258; Tel: 503/227- 0554, Fax: 503/227-0751) presented results from studies of Resten NG, an antisense...

European Approval for Vitravene.
May 1, 1999... The Committee for Proprietary Medicinal Products of the European Medicines Evaluation Agency has recommended approval of the marketing authorization application (MAA) of Vitravene (fomivirsen) for the treatment of cytomegalovirus (CMV)...

CELL THERAPY: Network of Cell Labs Planned.
May 1, 1999... Progenitor Cell Therapy, LLC (PCT, Hackensack, NJ) has acquired one of the nation's largest cell engineering laboratories from Hackensack University Medical Center (HUMC). Starting with Hackensack's facility, Progenitor plans to develop a...

Transplanted Nerve Cells for Alzheimer's.
May 1, 1999... Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (25 Science Park, New Haven, CT 06511; Tel: 203/776-1790, Fax: 203/772-3655) and Harvard Medical School's McLean Hospital are collaborating on a project in which transplanted transgenic pig nerve cells are...

Bone Marrow Reduces Rejection of Organs.
May 1, 1999... Organ rejection occurs less often and is less severe in heart and lung transplant patients who receive bone marrow transplants from the same donor, according to researchers at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (Pittsburgh, PA,...

Cell Therapy for Heart Disease.
May 1, 1999... Researchers from Genzyme General ((One Kendall Sq., Cambridge, MA 02139-1563; Tel: 617/252-7500, Fax: 617/374-7368) and Toronto General Hospital are demonstrating the potential of cell-based therapy in the treatment of heart disease. Recent...

Aastrom Awarded Two Patents.
May 1, 1999... Aastrom Biosciences (24 Frank Lloyd Wright Dr., PO Box 376, Ann Arbor, MI 48106; Tel: 313/930-5555, Fax: 313/665-0485) has been awarded two U.S. Patents. Entitled "Methods, Compositions and Devices for Maintaining and Growing Human Stem...

Apligraf Heals Foot Ulcers.
May 1, 1999... Organogenesis (150 Dan Rd., Canton, MA 02021; Tel: 617/575-0775, Fax: 617/575- 0440, Website: organogenesis.com) announced the first results from its pivotal trial of Apligraf in the treatment of foot ulcers at the Symposium on Advanced Wound...

ANTIBODIES: Report of HIV Test Discordancies.
May 1, 1999... Harold Umovitz, chief scientific officer of Calypte Biomedical (1440 Fourth St., Berkeley, CA 94710; Tel: 510/749-5100, Fax: 510/526-5381) presented data on HIV test discordancies at the Oak Ridge Conference of the American Association for...

Zenapax Reduces Organ Rejection.
May 1, 1999... Adjunct treatment with Zenapax (daclizumab) was found to reduce the number and severity of early rejection episodes in an exploratory 12-month study performed by researchers at Columbia Presbyterian Center of New York Presbyterian Hospital....

Antibodies Treat Psoriasis.
May 1, 1999... Two separate developments were announced recently with respect to monoclonal antibodies used to treat psoriasis, an autoimmune disease. Xoma (2910 Seventh St., Berkeley, CA 94710; Tel: 510/644-1170, Fax: 510/644-0539) and Genentech (1 DNA Way,...

VACCINES AND ANTI-INFECTIVES They're Back: TB, Herpes, Hepatitis, Chlamydia.
May 1, 1999... Health officials warned at a recent press conference sponsored by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (Washington, D.C.) that preventable diseases are making a comeback due to public inattention to immunization and increasing...

Microbial Proteins May Inhibit MS.
May 1, 1999... A new study from Stanford researchers suggests that treatment with protein segments from certain viruses and bacteria can inhibit the development of a multiple sclerosis-like disease in mice. The study is published in the April 19 issue of the...

Prostate Cancer Vaccine Promising.
May 1, 1999... Cell Genesys, Inc. (342 Lakeside Dr., Foster City, CA 94404; Tel:650/425-4400, Fax: 650/358-0803) reported clinical data from phase I/II trials of its GVAX prostate cancer vaccine at the recent meeting of the American Association for Cancer...

IND Filed for HIV Fusion Inhibitor.
May 1, 1999... Trimeris, Inc. (4727 University Dr., Suite 100, Durham, NC 27707; Tel: 919/419- 6050, Fax: 919/419-6051) has filed an investigational new drug application (IND) for T-1249 with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), its second entry in a...

Membrane-Bound Cytokine Vaccine.
May 1, 1999... The Immune Response Corp. (5935 Darwin Court, Carlsbad, CA 92008; Tel: 760/431- 7080, Fax: 760/431-8636, Website: imnr.com) has received a U.S. Patent 5,891,432 entitled "Membrane-Bound Cytokine Compositions Comprising GM-CSF and Methods of...

GROWTH FACTORS: Regranex Approved in Europe.
May 1, 1999... The European Commission has granted marketing authorization for Regranex , a topical prescription medication that promotes granulation and healing of full- thickness, neuropathic, chronic diabetic ulcers, one of the most difficult types of...

AG-BIO: Molecular Applications in Deal with Monsanto.
May 1, 1999... Molecular Applications Group (MAG, Palo Alto, CA. Contact: Mary C. Drummond; Tel: 650/846-3572) and Monsanto Co. (800 North Lindbergh Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63167; Tel: 314/694-1000, Fax: 314/694-7625, Website: monsanto.com) have signed an...

Pioneer Corn Hybrids Cleared by EU.
May 1, 1999... Of 200 corn hybrids offered to North American growers by Pioneer Hi-Bred international, Inc. (800 Capital Sq., 400 Locust, Des Moines, IA 50309; Tel: 515/248-4800, Fax: 515/248-4999), only 3 are not yet approved for import into the...

INDUSTRY NEWS: Geron Acquires Roslin Bio-Med.
May 1, 1999... Geron Corp. (230 Constitution Dr., Menlo Park, CA 94025; Tel: 650/473-7700, Fax: 650/473-7701) has purchased all outstanding shares of Roslin Bio-Med, a company formed by Roslin Institute, known for its pioneer work on cloning. The...

Rituxan Sales Reach $52 Million in 1Q.
May 1, 1999... U.S. sales of Rituxan (Rituximab), Genentech's (1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080; Tel: 650/225-1000, Fax: 650/225-8326, Website: gene.com) and IDEC Pharmaceuticals' (11011 Torreyana Rd., San Diego, CA 92121; Tel: 619/550-8500, Fax:...

CALENDAR.
May 1, 1999... May 16-20, Bio '99: International Biotechnology, Meeting and Exhibition, Seattle, WA. Contact: Registration Coordinator; Tel: 212/857-0244, Fax: 202/887- 5564. May 24-25, 1st Annual Biopartnering Ventures, Silverado Country Club and Resort...