Organogenesis Inc., of Canton, Mass., entered discussions with Novartis Pharma AG, of Basel, Switzerland, to reacquire commercialization rights to Apligraf, a bi-layered skin substitute...In order to conserve funds and maximize the time available to negotiate those transactions, the company implemented cost reductions that resulted in the elimination of 26 jobs

Other financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed...Also, the company said, based on its second-quarter experience to date, it believes overall growth trends will be lower than expected in 2002 for products other than Avinza...to act as financial adviser on mergers and acquisitions while the office of the chairman conducts the mandate

AlphaRx said it expects to launch the products in September...Endovasc said the same mechanism of action that ameliorates Alzheimer's works on other diseases treated by Angiogenix, raising blood flow by the binding of alpha 7-nAChR brain cell receptors to initiate intracerebral angiogenesis and recruit new neuronal stem cells...since 1997 by Schwarz Pharma AG, of Monheim, Germany

Abiogen Pharma Spa, of Pisa, Italy, entered an agreement with Philogen Srl, of Siena, Italy, for a development program on hepatitis C and tetanic toxin-specific human immunoglobulin to be concluded before April 2005...BioDelivery's products are designed to place proteins, nucleic acids and other biologics within a bodily site...IBEX also acquired an option for the rights to certain molecular biomarkers for cancer and other diseases being developed at Mt

Ltd., of Tokyo, to discover antifungal compounds targeting Candida, Aspergillus and other causes of systemic fungal infections...Connetics plans to submit a new drug application to the FDA in late 2003...MGI Pharma Inc., of Minneapolis, and its partner, Helsinn Healthcare SA, of Lugano, Switzerland, presented results from a Phase III trial of palonosetron in patients with chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting

The company said it plans to commence clinical trials next year...The trial will enroll up to 340 clinically obese patients, who, apart from weight loss, will be monitored for other parameters associated with obesity, including markers for diabetes and high cholesterol...The company said it expects to start clinical trials in the fourth quarter of 2003

The company said the money would allow it to continue development of Colostrinin, a treatment for Alzheimer's disease, and investigate whether Colostrinin or its constituent peptides might have applications in other diseases...Several other companies are ready to float, and YM BioSciences' failure to reach its target indicates that, in effect, the IPO market remains closed

business, to verify the existence of dark genes predicted by computers, but whose presence have not yet been confirmed...BioTransplant intends to use net proceeds for working capital and other general corporate purposes...MDS Pharma Services Inc., of Montreal, introduced its Small Molecule Development Program aimed at providing consulting services for drug development

Nutra Pharma Corp., of Seattle, signed a definitive agreement to acquire 100 percent of the stock of Bio Therapeutics Inc., of Plantation, Fla., in a cash and stock transaction that was valued at $50 million when the deal was announced in late April...Bio Therapeutics would receive one share of Nutra Pharma common stock for every share of Bio Therapeutics common stock, as well as funding to continue clinical trials

Earlier this year, Biotie unveiled plans to merge with two other Finnish Firms, Oy Contral Pharma Ltd...has the option to license the compound at the end of the trial, paying all subsequent development costs

Axcan Pharma Inc., of Mont Saint-Hilaire, Quebec, signed a co-development and license agreement with NicOx SA, of Sophia Antipolis, France, for NCX 1000, designed to treat chronic liver diseases including portal hypertension and hepatitis C. Axcan obtained from NicOx an exclusive license to commercialize NCX 1000 in Canada and Poland, as well as an option to acquire rights for the U.S

Cardiome Pharma Corp., of Vancouver, British Columbia, said it exercised an option to acquire rights from ILEX Oncology Inc., of San Antonio, to clinical trial data for oxypurinol (Oxyprim) for the treatment of symptomatic hyperuricemia in allopurinol-intolerant patients...Sanochemia will have exclusive access to the results obtained by Synaptica, which would be used to develop third-generation therapies for Alzheimer's disease and other cognitive disorders

Ltd., of Tokyo, to provide medicinal chemistry knowledge for a lead optimization program...The company said the tissue-specific activity of Mammastatin is similar to other related proteins identified by Biotherapies...Mallinckrodt committed up to an additional $3.2 million to cover half of Palatin's estimated expenses associated with completing the FDA review process

Oral rights to the product in the same territory reverted to the Italian firm last May...Genomatix executives were optimistic that the technology could be used to develop tests for many other diseases, particularly those that might be part of biological warfare or terrorism

Nutra Pharma Corp., of Seattle, said its major shareholders agreed to retire up to 20 million shares of restricted stock in order to facilitate its acquisition of Bio Therapeutics Inc., of Plantation, Fla

Cepheid will develop biochemical reagents used to detect bio-threat agents and other pathogens, as well as develop various protocols, processes and assays for Cepheid's GeneXpert DNA detection system...MDS Inc., of Toronto, said MDS Pharma Services Inc., of Montreal, expanded and relocated its facility in Neptune, N.J., more than doubling its capacity for early clinical research studies to 25,000 square feet...Variagenics retains the rights to the development of pharmacogenomic applications in

Cropsolution develops agrochemicals to protect crops from diseases, pests and weeds...The antibodies are specific to PDGF D, a growth factor that has proliferative activity on a variety of cells that express PDGF receptors, and do not bind to other members of the PDGF family

It enables ICC to maintain its potential equity position of 31.25 percent in Bioniche Pharma...Prior to co-founding LION, Casari worked as a staff scientist at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory and the European Bioinformatics Institute...Develogen will transition to a clinical-stage company developing therapies for metabolic diseases, such as diabetes, obesity and liver disease, according to a statement from the company’s chairman, Peter Gruss

Other investors include Genavent, Societe Generale Asset Management and VCH Equity Group AG...When given to animals prior to exposure to lethal doses of radiation, HE2100 stimulated the production of a number of white blood cells involved in granulocytes, monocytes and natural killer cells...Merck has the right to commercialize any drugs resulting from the collaboration, while Isis retains any technology for its antisense program. (See BioWorld Today, June 10, 1998.) Lorus Therapeutics Inc., of