Omrix Biopharmaceuticals Inc., of New York, said it completed patient enrollment in its Fibrin Patch Phase I trial being conducted in Israel...Pfizer Inc., of New York, said it initiated a Phase III trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of Sutent (sunitinib malate), in combination with a standard chemotherapy regimen, in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer

Study reports were provided by New York-based Helicon Therapeutics Inc., which reported in April unfavorable efficacy data of the product in age-associated memory impairment...Kythera gained exclusive worldwide rights to the product in November from Basel, Switzerland-based Novartis Pharma AG

Antisense Pharma GmbH, of Regensburg, Germany, said data from a Phase IIb trial in anaplastic astrocytoma showed its AP 12009 as a monotherapy was superior to temozolomide...Intra-Cellular Therapies Inc., of New York, has initiated Phase I clinical trials for ITI-007, its first-in-class dual 5HT2A receptor antagonist/dopamine receptor phosphoprotein modulator (DPPM) for the treatment of schizophrenia, and ITI-722, a low dose formulation of ITI-007 with selective 5HT2A receptor antagonist properties

Onyx's only other clinical product candidate is an early stage cell cycle kinase inhibitor...IDM Pharma Inc., of Irvine, Calif., is raising $25 million in an offering of common stock and warrants at $3.50 per unit...Ortec International Inc., of New York, raised $8.7 million, comprised of $5.8 million from a private placement of 580 shares of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock at a stated value of $10,000 per share

Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, of New York, has randomized the last patient in its pivotal Phase III trial of Sulonex (sulodexide oral gelcap), its lead drug candidate, for the treatment of diabetic nephropathy...In May NicOx halted the development of another drug candidate, NCX 1000, which was undergoing a Phase IIa clinical trial for the treatment of portal hypertension and was being co-developed with Axcan Pharma, of Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Quebec

Earlier this year, Osiris made headlines with early Provacel clinical data...7TM Pharma A/S, of Horsholm, Denmark, raised DKK123 million (US$22.2 million) in a financing round led by SR One Ltd., with support from existing investors...In conjunction with the financing, the company added Carl Gordon, of OrbiMed, to its board.

Celtic Pharma, of New York, and Neurobiological Technologies Inc., of Emeryville, Calif., reported updated results from a Phase III trial of Xerecept showing that long-term Xerecept therapy in peritumoral edema patients appears to be safe and well tolerated, and is associated with reduced exposure to dexamethasone overall, resolution or improvement in associated steroid side effects and neurological stability or improvement...MGI Pharma Inc., of Bloomington, Minn., reported the impact of Dacogen

Separately, the company's partner Keryx Biopharmaceuticals Inc., of New York, presented Phase I and II results showing that perifosine generated an overall clinical benefit rate of 52 percent, which compares favorably with the activity of mTOR inhibitors, in treating advanced sarcoma

Cypress and partner Forest Laboratories Inc., of New York, plan to file a new drug application for milnacipran by the end of the year...Following the positive Phase III results, Cypress was entitled to receive reimbursement of certain clinical trial costs as well as its first milestone payment from Forest under their potential $250 million partnership from 2004

If and when it does, proceeds would be used to fund late-stage clinical trials of radiation sensitizer Efaproxyn (efaproxiral) and antifolate PDX (pralatrexate), to support potential commercialization of Efaproxyn, for other development activities, or for general corporate purposes...IRX Therapeutics, of New York, raised an additional $12.5 million through a convertible note offering

Other principal shareholders include New York-based OrbiMed Advisors LLC, which holds nearly 2 million shares, or 9.7 percent after the IPO...Net proceeds of about $39.3 million are expected to support clinical research and development programs, the commercialization and manufacturing of its product candidates, and for other general corporate purposes

AspenBio Pharma Inc., of Castle Rock, Colo., said results from ongoing research and clinical studies show that its human appendicitis blood test appears able to identify patients with appendicitis at a very high sensitivity level of 94 percent to 97 percent, compared to significantly lower diagnostic success rates for CT scans...Clinical evidence of antitumor activity was observed in three of the five PSA responders, including improvement of lesions, resolution of abdominal lymph node disease and

They plan to facilitate clinical studies designed to identify genetic markers of orthopedic diseases and responses to pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatments...SR Pharma plc, of London, said Quark Biotech Inc., of Fremont, Calif., has started a Phase I trial with RTP-801i, a small interfering RNA therapeutic product licensed from Atugen AG, a subsidiary of SR...The Phase I study is being funded by New York-based Pfizer Inc., which in-licensed RTP-801i in a deal announced in September

Partnered preclinical programs include a compound for atrial fibrillation, with Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., of New York, and leads for memory disorders, with Astellas Pharma Inc., of Tokyo

San Diego-based RA Capital participated in the round, along with New York-based Paramount BioCapital Asset Management, Avon, Conn.-based Ironwood Capital and a group of new and existing private shareholders...Cardiome Pharma Inc., of Vancouver, British Columbia, said underwriters of its cross-border public offering of 8 million shares exercised in full their overallotment option to purchase an additional 1.2 million shares priced at $10.50 each

Enzo Biochem Inc., of New York, entered agreements for institutional investors to purchase $46 million of its common stock in a direct offering...NovaDel Pharma Inc., of Flemington, N.J., agreed to issue 9.8 million shares of stock to raise about $14 million in gross proceeds to fund the development of its pipeline of oral spray candidates...Omrix Biopharmaceuticals Inc., of New York, priced its public offering of 2.3 million shares, which includes 1.5 million shares sold by the company and 750,000

Keryx Biopharmaceuticals Inc., of New York, initiated a corporate-sponsored Phase II program of KRX-0401 (perifosine) in rare sarcomas...MGI Pharma Inc., of Minneapolis, and Helsinn Healthcare SA, of Lugano, Switzerland, completed two Phase III trials of Aloxi (palonosetron hydrochloride) injection, both of which met their primary efficacy endpoints of complete response for the prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting in the zero-to-24-hour time period following surgery

Banc of America Securities LLC, of New York, is the sole underwriter...Funds will support clinical and preclinical work, discovery and general corporate purposes. (See BioWorld Today, Dec. 11, 2006

Researchers at Johns Hopkins, Fox Chase Cancer Center and the National Cancer Institute are testing Morphotek's second clinical-stage drug, MORAb-009, against pancreatic, non-small cell lung and ovarian cancers, as well as mesothelioma (a rare form of cancer usually associated with exposure to asbestos...Some big pharma firms feel the same way, but not all...Some companies want to see more clinical validation, and are happy to pay more