The other provides Pasteur Merieux with the option to obtain exclusive rights to use PSC's baculovirus expression vector system for development of subunit vaccines in defined air-borne diseases...SuperGen also secured the global rights to other camptothecins and additional anticancer compounds, and reductions will be made to SuperGen's royalty payments for sales of rubitecan

Abgenix Inc., of Fremont, Calif., said it is contemplating a private placement of newly issued shares of common stock to institutional and other accredited investors...No other details were disclosed. • Alkermes Inc., of Cambridge, Mass., said the company's board declared a quarterly dividend in the amount of 81.25 cents per share on its $3.25 convertible exchangeable preferred stock...They were sold to existing and new investors and institutions, including Paramount Capital Inc., Clarion Capital

Alliance Pharmaceutical Corp., of San Diego, said it transferred to Inhale Therapeutic Systems Inc., of San Carlos, Calif., rights to Pulmospheres particle and particle processing technology, as well as other assets for use in respiratory drug delivery...The company expects to file an investigational new drug application in the fourth quarter of 2000. • Dusa Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Wilmington, Mass., said the FDA Dermatologic and Ophthalmic Drugs Advisory Committee made a number of suggestions

suffer from cold sores. • BioChem Pharma Inc., of Laval, Quebec, said results of a Phase I study on a novel anticancer agent, troxacitabine, formerly called BCH-4556, to treat acute myelogenous leukemia were presented Friday at the Chemotherapy Foundation Symposium in New York...Zenapax is approved in the U.S., Europe and other areas for the prevention of acute rejection episodes in kidney transplantation. • Warner-Lambert Co., of Morris Plains, N.J., said its board does not intend to pursue an

The company's stock (NASDAQ:MATX) fell $2 Wednesday, or 25 percent, to close at $6.062. • PathoGenesis Corp., of Seattle, said it affiliate, PathoGenesis Ltd., signed a distribution agreement with Genesis Pharma SA, of Athens, Greece, to distribute TOBI (tobramycin solution for inhalation) in Greece and Cyprus. • Valentis Inc., of Burlingame, Calif., said Invitrogen Corp., of Carlsbad, Calif., launched Valentis' proprietary GeneSwitch gene regulation system to the life sciences research market

The discovery brings the company closer to developing adeno-associated vectors to treat hemophilia A. • BioChem Pharma Inc., of Laval, Quebec, received approval from the Department of Health in Taiwan to market Zeffix (lamivudine) for chronic hepatitis B. The product, discovered by BioChem and marketed by London-based Glaxo Wellcome plc, is indicated for the treatment of patients over age 16 with chronic hepatitis B and evidence of viral replication...Through MRI scans and other tests, Xcytrin

The purpose is to provide increased flexibility for a variety of possible transactions, including stock splits or dividends, acquisitions, establishing new collaborations or other strategic relationships...by Nov. 1. (See BioWorld Today, April 15, 1999, p. 1.) • Rigel Inc., of South San Francisco, entered into its second, five-year drug discovery collaboration with Novartis Pharma AG, of Basel, Switzerland, to identify and validate small-molecule drug targets that can mediate specific functions of

News of clinical progress or failure, stories about medical conference presentations, new patents or infringements and certainly any insider sales and purchases all are relevant to the Street...Good guidelines, she said, for disclosure to Wall Street include: • If in doubt, disclose. • Control the news flow. • Announce in a non-exclusive forum. • Allow for time to digest the news. • Be sure senior managers are available for comment...It's not important to note the IPO performance," Bocilenko said

The technology's main application would be to manufacture stable, robust RNA that could be used as controls in viral diagnostic kits. • BioChem Pharma Inc., of Laval, Quebec, said U.S...The inhibition of this enzyme has been shown to disrupt the inflammatory process in animals. • Protein Design Labs Inc., of Fremont, Calif., started Phase II trials of its SMART (humanized) Anti-CD3 antibody for the prevention of acute rejection episodes in kidney transplantation

EnzyMed will retain its corporate identity as an independent business unit and become a division of AMRI. (See BioWorld Today, Sept. 10, 1999, p. 1.) • AntexBiologics, of Gaithersburg, Md., said its wholly owned subsidiary, Antex Pharma Inc., discovered a novel drug target to screen for new antibiotics...It decided to make the cuts as a result of its late-stage development product plans and its lower-than-expected product sales revenues. • BioChem Pharma Inc., of Laval, Quebec, said it will delay

Prior to joining Epoch, Gerber was president and CEO of diaDexus LLC, a joint venture of Incyte Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Palo Alto, Calif., and London-based SmithKline Beecham plc...The ongoing trial is expected to bridge into Phase III trials in the first half of next year in patients with glioblastoma. • Neose Technologies Inc., of Horsham, Pa., and McNeil Specialty Products Co...have formed a joint venture to develop the cost-effective production of certain complex carbohydrates

Fibrillex is in pivotal Phase II/III trials, which should be finished in the next 18 to 24 months. • Novartis Pharma AG, of Basel, Switzerland, and SkyePharma PLC, of London, said a new formulation of Foradil, using SkyePharma’s multi-dose dry powder inhaler, has started clinical trials...PRO 2000 Gel is a vaginal microbicide designed to provide protection against human immunodeficiency virus infection and other sexually transmitted diseases...EchoGen (perflenapent injectable emulsion), a contrast

Vilmorin intends to sell 150,000 shares along with the warrants for $750,000 to Hazera Quality Seeds Ltd., of Shikmim, Israeli...The findings are published in the October issue of Nature Genetics. • BioChem Pharma Inc., of Laval, Quebec, launched in China Heptodin (lamivudine), an oral treatment for chronic hepatitis B. Heptodin, known as Zeffix in much of the world, is one of the first Western medicines to be granted a Class 1 drug certificate in China, which has the highest prevalence of

Alizyme said ATL-962 is the only other lipase inhibitor in development, and is attracting attention from potential licensees...of MVA-HPV-IL2, a cancer vaccine designed to enhance the immune system's ability to reject cancer cells

The decision was made for ethical reasons to permit patients receiving placebo to have the opportunity to receive Remicade (infliximab) through open-label treatment. (See BioWorld Today, Jan. 28, 1999, p. 1.) • IGT Pharma Inc., of Vancouver, British Columbia, has signed a letter of intent with the Biopharmaceutical Innovation Resource Fund (BIRC) that will lead to an investment in IGT's wholly owned subsidiary, Precision Biochemicals Inc., creating a separate entity...The grant will allow Nexell

BioChem Pharma Inc., of Laval, Quebec, said that the Opposition Division of the Australian Patent Office rejected Atlanta-based Emory University's patent application relating to 3TC (lamivudine), BioChem's treatment for HIV and AIDS...Prior to joining GeneAsia, Mangiardi was executive vice president of Quintiles Transnational Corp., of Research Triangle Park, N.C

Focus also has been granted 1 million warrants to purchase additional shares at about 25 cents per share...The Thalomid study group will be treated for 24 months to measure disease-free survival rates. • Cytogen Corp., of Princeton, N.J., completed a $5 million offering of common stock to the State of Wisconsin Investment Board...The two proteins, METH-1 and METH-2, were shown to be more active than thrombospondin and endostatin in preventing blood vessel formulation in a cornea pocket model

BioChem Pharma Inc., of Laval, Quebec, received approval from the European Commission to market Zeffix (lamivudine), a treatment for hepatitis B, in all 15 European Union countries...Even after one year the cells retained the capacity to differentiate into the major components of the central nervous system

SBI will work with BioChem Pharma scientists using SBI’s protein modeling DynaPharm and CombiLib technologies to identify and optimize lead molecules based on chemical scaffolds to accelerate clinical candidate selection, produce back-up chemical series and generate a broad patent position relating to the selected target