to South San Francisco-based Athena Neurosciences Inc.'s Diastat development program...The companies expect to develop the gene therapy as a biological method for bypassing a blocked artery...The drug also is under review in other European countries and the U.S. * Neoprobe Corp., of Dublin, Ohio, entered an agreement to manufacture its activated cell therapy (ACT) products with Cellcor Inc., of Newton, Mass

and Europe to develop an intravenous formulation of the drug apafant for all indications...Aronex expects to net $32.1 million from the sale of 6.9 million shares. * Bio-Technology General Corp., of Iselin, N.J., said its human growth hormone has been launched in Italy under the trademark Zomacton, for treatment of growth hormone deficiency in children...The study will enroll 300 patients ages 6 months to 15 years old. * Theratech Inc., of Salt Lake City, said its board approved a 3-for-2 stock

Also, Wyeth-Ayerst elected to include four chemical compound series from its internal estrogen receptor osteoporosis program in the Ligand collaboration...The trial was designed to determine if LXR's product can extend storage time of donor organs prior to transplant. * Neoprobe Corp., of Dublin, Ohio, filed a marketing application in Europe for RIGScan CR49, which is used to locate cancerous tissue during surgery for colorectal cancer patients. * NeXstar Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Boulder, Colo

The paper describes the successful delivery via cell-containing implants of targeted quantities of ciliary neurotrophic factor within the central nervous system of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients, while achieving improved side effects relative to systemic administration. * Genome Therapeutics Corp., of Waltham, Mass., received a $1.75 million milestone payment from Schering-Plough Corp., of Madison, N.J. The milestone was achieved in their collaboration to discover anti-infective agents

Safety data from the 96-patient study showed the drug was well tolerated with mild to moderate side effects based on dosage...Gilead's most advanced drug is an injectable form of cidofovir, called Vistide, which is under review by the FDA and European Union for cytomegalovirus retinitis in AIDS patients. * SangStat Medical Corp., of Menlo Park, Calif., reacquired rights to pre-transplant monitoring products from Baxter Healthcare Corp., of Deerfield, Ill. Financial details were not disclosed

The company said the seven patients continued to receive the treatments for another month...The privately held start-up uses combinatorial biosynthesis to generate genetically engineered chemicals related to polypeptides, which are found in soil bacteria and are used to make antibiotics. * Novopharm Biotech Inc., of Toronto, received FDA approval to begin Phase I trials of NOVOMAb-G2, a human monoclonal antibody to an antigen present in numerous cancers...RILON technology targets messenger RNA to

COR is seeking approval to market the drug to help prevent acute cardiac ischemic complications in patients undergoing percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. (See BioWorld Today, April 4, 1996, p. 1.) (c) 1997 American Health Consultants

The company is developing anti-rejection drugs and organ transplantation systems. * Oxis International Inc., of Portland, Ore., raised $2 million through a private placement of two million shares of Series D preferred stock, together with warrants to purchase another 810,000 shares...The company is developing drugs and diagnostics to combat diseases associated with free radicals and reactive oxygen species. * The Liposome Co., of Princeton, N.J., received approval to market Abelcet (amphotericin

Immunex Corp., of Seattle, filed an application with the FDA to expand use of its chemotherapeutic agent, Novantrone (mitoxanthrone), for hormone-refractory prostate cancer

The drug is in Phase III trials and the equity investment, originally scheduled to coincide with presentation of clinical study results in December 1996, was part of a broader March 1995 agreement worth a potential $57 million to IDEC...The stock purchase completes Genentech's equity investment commitment under the collaboration. (See BioWorld Today, March 17, 1995 p. 1.) * Immunex Corp., of Seattle, filed an application with the FDA to expand use of its chemotherapeutic agent, Novantrone

Cambridge Biotech Corp., of Worcester, Mass., sold its reference laboratory business to Boston Biomedica Inc., of West Bridgewater, Mass...The laboratory provides confirmation testing for disorders, including HIV and Lyme disease, to hospitals, blood centers and other labs...for genital warts and is being evaluated for treatment of other diseases, such as HIV and hepatitis. (c) 1997 American Health Consultants

The company also received approval to market Abelcet in Ireland as a first-line treatment for systemic candidiasis and other fungal infections. * Tital Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Menlo Park, Calif., said its Theracell Inc...Theracell will obtain an exclusive license to the technology and invest at least $1.5 million over two years. * Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Cambridge, Mass., signed an exclusive license and supply agreement with BioChem Therapeutic Inc., of Laval, Quebec, for development and

The company also received approval to market Abelcet in Ireland as a first-line treatment for systemic candidiasis and other fungal infections. * Tital Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Menlo Park, Calif., said its Theracell Inc...Theracell will obtain an exclusive license to the technology and investment at least $1.5 million over two years. * Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Cambridge, Mass., signed an exclusive license and supply agreement with BioChem Therapeutic Inc., of Laval, Quebec, for development

The company is using an adenovirus vector modified to carry the cytosine deaminase gene, which expresses an enzyme that converts an antifungal agent into an antitumor agent at the site of expression. * HemaSure Inc., of Marlborough, Mass., acquired the plasma pharmaceutical business of Bagsvaerd, Denmark-based Novo Nordisk A/S. Raw materials will be paid for in cash or stock worth $1.8 million...NTC plans to make the technology available to companies on a non-exclusive basis. * OncoGenetics Inc

The company plans to discuss Phase III trial plans with the FDA. * GelTex Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Waltham, Mass., proposed a public offering of 2.5 million shares at $22.75 each...Each partner retains rights to technology contributed and they have co-exclusive rights to data generated during the partnership. * ImmunoGen Inc., of Cambridge, Mass., said data published in Blood showed its lead product, Oncolysin B, overcomes and eliminates multidrug resistance in tumors...Insmed is developing products

Privately held Synteni was formed in 1994 to commercialize the technology under a license from Stanford University. * T Cell Sciences Inc., of Needham, Mass., licensed rights to portions of its complement receptor 1 technology to CytoTherapeutics Inc., of Providence, R.I., for use in CytoTherapeutics' cell-based products for delivery of substances to the central nervous system...CytoTherapeutics has non-exclusive rights to use CR1 in encapsulated-cell products

* Sequus Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Menlo Park, Calif., said Amphocil, which is a combination of the anti-fungal amphotericin B and the company's lipid-based drug delivery system, was cleared for marketing in Sweden as a second-line treatment for systemic mycoses. Amphocil is approved in 10 countries outside the U.S. and is under review by the FDA. * U.S. Bioscience Inc., of West Conshohocken, Pa., said stockholders approved a one-for-two reverse split of the company's stock. (c) 1997 American

Terms were not disclosed. * Genetrix Inc., of Phoenix, a genetic testing laboratory, voted in favor of allowing Genzyme Corp., of Cambridge, Mass., to acquire it for $36.7 million in Genzyme stock...Oncogene Science also sold 500,000 shares to BioChem Pharma Inc., of Laval, Quebec, lifting the amount of the recent financing to about $30.6 million. * Sequus Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Menlo Park, Calif., said Amphocil, which is a combination of the anti-fungal amphotericin B and the company's lipid

Additional analysis of the findings is being conducted to determine if some groups of patients benefited from the vaccine more than others...Oncogene Science also sold 500,000 shares to BioChem Pharma Inc., of Laval, Quebec, lifting the amount of the recent financing to about $30.6 million. * Sequus Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Menlo Park, Calif., said Amphocil, which is a combination of the anti-fungal amphotericin B and the company's lipid-based drug delivery system, was cleared for marketing in