AnorMed Inc., of Vancouver, British Columbia, said underwriters for its initial public offering exercised their overallotment option on an additional 160,000 shares at C$6.10 (US$4.08) per share, bringing gross proceeds to C$31.48 million. (See BioWorld Today, March 17, 1999, p. 1.) • BioChem Pharma Inc., of Laval, Quebec, said data presented at a liver conference in Europe showed fewer hepatitis B patients treated with Zeffix (lamivudine) progressed to cirrhosis compared to those treated with

The goal of the study is to compare ReoPro to standard therapy in reducing the composite endpoint of death or myocardial infarction when percutaneous coronary intervention is not planned...and Targretin gel and capsules. • MGI Pharma Inc., of Minneapolis, began enrolling patients in a Phase II study of MGI 114, its drug for pancreatic cancer...for its SangCya capsules to prevent rejection in solid-organ transplant recipients

The trial is expected to be completed by the end of the year...Under the agreement, MGI Pharma will promote Ridaura (auranofin) and Luxiq (betamethasone valerate) foam to the rheumatology market in the U.S., in exchange for undisclosed promotional fees...They are expected to finish in early 2000. • Pathogenesis Corp., of Seattle, was named in a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington on behalf of common stock purchases of PathoGenesis Corp., from Jan 26, 1999 through

The approval also includes an important revision to the indication for use of Epivir in combination with other antiretroviral agents for the treatment of HIV infection in adults and children...Epivir was developed by BioChem Pharma, of Laval, Quebec, and licensed to Glaxo. • Hollis-Eden Pharmaceuticals Inc., of San Diego, reported that a study of its lead anti-HIV drug, HE2000, showed the drug significantly extended survival and showed a decrease in viral load versus animals in a control group...Pk

The FDA had agreed to a Phase III trial protocol last October...Cellegy will now seek another partner to complete clinical development and regulatory approvals. • Digene Corp., of Beltsville, Md., received marketing clearance from the FDA for its Hybrid Capture II HPV Test, a DNA-based technology to detect the human papillomarvirus (HPV...The company hopes to launch the test this spring. • Ergo Science Corp., of Boston, said it will appeal the FDA’s not-approvable letter for Ergoset tablets for the

Phytopharm plc , of Godmanchester, Cambridge shire, has received approval to start a Phase IIa trial of P54 in cancer of the colon...A Phase II study of P54, licensed from Phytochemindo, of Indonesia, is under way in osteoarthritis, with results expected in the second quarter of of 1999. • SR Pharma, of London, entered a research collaboration with Genesis Research and Development Cor poration, of New Zealand, to jointly exploit certain aspects of SR’s immunotherapeutic agent Mycobacterium vaccae

In addition, in October 1999, upon receipt of a $6 million payment due CytoMed from UCP Pharma, of Brussels, Belgium, LeukoSite will issue an additional 631,313 shares to CytoMed shareholders. (See BioWorld Today, Jan. 6, 1999, p. 1.) v• The Immune Response Corp., of Carlsbad, Calif., received a $5 million milestone payment from Agouron Pharmaceuticals Inc., of La Jolla, Calif., as part of its collaboration to complete the development and commercialize Remune, an immune-based therapy for HIV

Sosei will also act as an independent, nonexclusive advisor to ExonHit in negotiating commercial partnerships with Asian companies...Financial terms were not disclosed. * IGT Pharma Inc., of Vancouver, British Columbia, reported that preliminary results from tests performed at the Royal Danish School of Pharmacy, of Copenhagen, showed that IGT's first series of compounds, known as IGT440101, are specifically active as blockers of the mGluR 1 receptor...The trial is expected to enroll 15 patients, all

A second pivotal study, which is needed for regulatory filing, will involve combination treatment and is expected to begin later this year. * Genentech Inc., of South San Francisco, signed an agreement with Schwarz Pharma AG, of Monheim, Germany, for development and distribution of the growth hormone products Nutropin AQ and Nutropin Depot in Europe and other countries outside North America and Japan...The merger is expected to be competed this quarter. * Watson Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Corona

Financial terms were not disclosed. * Infigen Inc., of DeForest, Wis., and Imutran Ltd., a subsidiary of Novartis Pharma AG, of Basel, Switzerland, formed a partnership to develop technologies for porcine targeting and nuclear transfer for use in xenotransplantation...Oral mucositis is expected to be a lead indication for further testing. * Medco Research Inc., of Research Triangle Park, N.C., began a Phase III Acute Myocardial Infarction Study of Adenosine, called AMISTAD-II, combining adenosine

The stock deal is connected to the formation of the Hoechst-Ariad Genomics Center LLC, which earlier led to Hoechst's purchase of $24 million in preferred stock. * Aronex Pharmaceuticals Inc., of The Woodlands, Texas, reported initiation of a Phase I/II study combining Atragen (injectable all-trans retinoic acid) and interferon alpha in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma. * Axys Pharmaceuticals Inc., of South San Francisco, entered into an agreement with Rhone-Poulenc Rorer Inc., of

to send investors jumping from the tallest buildings, but general disenchantment with the sector served to put the brakes on what was otherwise a very good year for the biotech industry. (See attached charts for a list of the various products that are now in clinical trials, for instance.) While Ezra Lwowski, the healthcare analyst at Toronto-based Yorkton Securities Inc., believes that the bear market is still with us, the recent news from Biomira and BioChem Pharma has definitely caused an

Specific financial details were not disclosed, but the agreement calls for up-front funding and potential milestone and royalty payments to EnzyMed. * MGI Pharma Inc. , of Minneapolis, said it is expanding its Phase II study with MGI 114, an anticancer drug, to include 16 more evaluable patients...The decision to expand the trial was made after the minimum response criteria for expansion were observed in patients in the trial

Appligène Oncor, of Strasbourg, France, has reported a 12.9 percent increase in revenues to FFr9.3 million (US$1.6 million) in the third quarter of 1998 relative to the corresponding three months of 1997, when revenues totaled FFr8.3 million...Novartis, through its Novartis Pharma AG division, is the second pharmaceutical company to enter a collaboration based on the RAPiD technology

The payment was triggered by the issuance of a patent on Medarex's HuMAb-Mouse technology. * MGI Pharma Inc., of Minneapolis, began enrolling patients in a Phase II clinical study with MGI 114 to treat ovarian cancer...The Phase I trial is scheduled to be conducted early next year at the Center for Vaccine Development at the University of Maryland...difficile is a spore-forming bacterium responsible for diseases ranging from diarrhea to life-threatening colitis, and is common in hospitalized elderly

o MGI Pharma Inc., of Minneapolis, began enrolling patients in a Phase II clinical trial with MGI 114, the company's anticancer drug, to evaluate its ability to treat pancreatic cancer

David Evans, managing director of Shield, said the study “demonstrates that AFT is an early, independent and stable marker of cardiovascular risk, with clear indication that it is more efficacious than other single markers, such as cholesterol and fibrinogen.” • SR Pharma plc, of London, has purchased the patents and associated intellectual property rights for SRL 172, upon which its entire drug development portfolio is based, from University College London for #150,000...Research and development

Proceeds will be used to fund the company's drug development activities, including preclinical studies, as well as for working capital...Maxamine has been shown to clearly and effectively prevent the production and release of phagocyte-derived free radicals, thereby protecting and enhancing the immune-stimulating capabilities of certain immunotherapies...o Imutec Pharma Inc., of Toronto, reported additional preclinical data on Virulizin, its lead anticancer product

In that agreement, Elan agreed to purchase $20 million of Ligand common stock and to purchase from Ligand up to $100 million in issue price of zero coupon, convertible senior notes due 2008 with an 8 percent per annum yield to maturity...Elan also licensed to Ligand in the U.S