Calgene Inc. said Wednesday that it has received a broad patent on the use of antisense technology to regulate gene expression in plant cells. But as with many biotech patents, its issuance may be the beginning rather than the end of the story. Antisense technology is the use of a reverse sequence of a specific gene to repress the expression of that gene. U.S. patent No. 5,107,065, issued on Tuesday, covers any plant gene in any plant species. The patent does not cover non-plant genes. Calgene
Zynaxis Inc. said Wednesday that it will collaborate with Eli Lilly and Co. to use Zynaxis' drug delivery technology to develop drugs that reduce the rate of restenosis, or the re- narrowing of vessels after angioplasty. Under the agreement, Lilly will make a $3 million equity investment in the Malvern, Pa., company, giving it a 4.3 percent stake. Lilly will provide an additional $1.3 million per year for at least two years and will have an exclusive worldwide license to manufacture, use and
The anti-sepsis monoclonals E5 and HA-1A should remain experimental treatments until clinical trials can show a reproducible, beneficial effect, according to an opinion published today in the New England Journal of Medicine. Reviewing the available clinical data on Xoma Corp.'s E5 and Centocor Inc.'s HA-1A (Centoxin), physicians writing in the Journal said that human testing has given inconsistent outcomes and that even preclinical testing has not demonstrated a clear-cut benefit in animal
Creative Biomolecules on Wednesday became the latest victim of the sour public market, announcing that it is delaying its initial public offering due to market conditions in the sector. "We're just waiting for the biotech market to straighten itself out," said Wayne Mayhew, chief financial officer of the Hopkinton, Mass., company. In March, Creative filed for an IPO of 3.5 million shares priced between $10 and $12 per share. Creative is developing differentiation factors and growth factors
Organogenesis Inc. said Wednesday that it has received a basic patent covering technology for the manufacture of its collagen. U.S. patent No. 5,106,949, issued on Tuesday, covers the source and method of extracting the collagen used in all of the Cambridge, Mass., company's products. The company (AMEX:ORG) manufactures human tissues and organ replacements. Organogenesis uses bovine collagen extracted using an acid bath. Because its method differs from that of other companies developing
United Biomedical Inc. has been issued a U.S. patent for technology underlying its hepatitis C test. Patent No. 5,106,726, issued Tuesday, covers synthetic peptides specific for the detection of antibodies to HCV, diagnosis of HCV infection and HCV vaccines. UBI's HCV enzyme immunoassay (ELIZA) test is marketed by Organon Teknika in Europe and Asia as a screening test for donated blood and to aid in diagnosis of HCV infection. UBI is negotiating with Organon regarding U.S. marketing rights
Agouron Pharmaceuticals Inc. was to announce today that its psoriasis drug showed the same efficacy in a pilot study as a placebo. Patients given AG-85, a rationally designed topical treatment, showed no significant adverse effects. But while patients treated with 0.1 percent AG-85 in a delivery vehicle showed improvement, patients who were treated with the vehicle alone showed similar improvement. The vehicle contains propylene glycol and ethanol. The San Diego company plans to conduct a
The AMEX Biotechnology Index gained 0.56 points to 140.82 on Wednesday, despite profit taking on Amgen Inc., which fell $2.38 to $55 after gaining $2.88 on Tuesday. Based on a favorable earnings report, Genzyme Corp. added $1.38 to its $2.13 gain Tuesday to close at $40.50. (c) 1997 American Health Consultants. All rights reserved.
WASHINGTON -- The AIDS drug ddC on Tuesday became the first drug to receive FDA advisory committee approval based on surrogate markers for an indication for which there already is an approved therapy. The Antiviral Drug Products Advisory Committee voted 8-2 to recommend accelerated approval of dideoxycytidine as a combination therapy with AZT, the only approved drug for the disease. But the panel also voted against use of Hoffmann-La Roche Inc.'s ddC as a single agent for patients who cannot
WASHINGTON -- Despite outspoken misgivings by advisory committee members, FDA Commissioner David Kessler on Tuesday proclaimed that new ground had been broken by the panel's decision to recommend approval of the AIDS drug ddC under the agency's new accelerated approval regulations. The regulations allow market approval for a therapy if it is "reliably based on evidence of the drug's effect on a surrogate end point that reasonably suggests clinical benefit," on the condition that studies are
Biotechnology shares finally gained ground Tuesday, boosted by a positive earnings report by Genzyme Corp. and anticipation of similar news from Amgen Inc., which was released after the close of the market. A recommendation by an FDA advisory committee for accelerated approval of Hoffmann-La Roche Inc.'s AIDS drug ddC based on surrogate markers also may have helped the sector, which has been awash in discouraging news from the regulatory front. "People may even have done some buying of
The Liposome Co. Inc. has reported positive responses in an ongoing Phase II study of its liposomal doxorubicin in women with metastatic breast cancer. According to an abstract in the Proceedings of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, published for the May ASCO meeting in San Diego, interim results indicated that nine of 17 women treated with TLC D-99 had partial or complete responses to the drug. One patient had a complete response, defined as no signs of tumors for at least 30 days
Deprenyl Research Ltd. has received Canadian marketing approval for Eldepryl as a first-line treatment for Parkinson's disease, the company announced on Tuesday. Eldepryl deprenyl had previously been approved in Canada for use in combination with L-dopa in late-stage Parkinson's disease. "Deprenyl blocks the brain enzyme responsible for inactivation of dopamine, the transmitter which modulates our movements," said Roger Mailhot, director of scientific affairs at the Toronto-based company
Genzyme Corp. said Tuesday that its revenues for the first quarter ended March 28 were a record $42 million, a 122 percent increase over first-quarter 1991 revenues of $18.9 million. Net income for the quarter was $7.7 million, or 32 cents per share, compared with $3.8 million, or 20 cents, in the year-ago period. The earnings per share number was in line with the Wall Street consensus, said Robert Kupor of Kidder, Peabody. Genzyme stock (NASDAQ:GENZ) rose $2.13 to $39.13. Sales of Ceredase
Amgen Inc. on Tuesday announced first-quarter earnings per share of 43 cents, up 65 percent from the 26 cents per share figure of the 1991 quarter. The company had net income of $63.2 million on revenues of $220.2 million, compared with first-quarter 1991 profits of $36.9 million on revenues of $139.5 million. Montgomery Securities analyst Brandon Fradd said that he had estimated EPS of 43 cents, although both revenues and expenses were lighter than he expected. Both Fradd and Smith Barney
Nova Pharmaceutical Corp. said Monday that it has filed a new drug application seeking FDA approval of Pergamid, a bone marrow purging agent. The application is for autologous bone marrow transplants (ABMT) in patients with acute myelogenous leukemia. Pergamid is used outside the body to destroy cancer cells in bone marrow in preparation for ABMT. Pergamid, which has orphan designation, is a non-biotech drug that is an activated form of cyclophosphamide, a chemotherapeutic agent commonly used
Cambridge NeuroScience Inc. said it has received a Phase II small business innovation research grant to search for human versions of worm genes that program nerve cells to die. The $500,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health will fund the discovery effort, which the Cambridge, Mass., company (NASDAQ:CNSI) hopes will lead to agents that can control expression of the genes, and thereby treat a variety of degenerative diseases of the brain. Genes have been identified in a roundworm that
Ligand Pharmaceuticals Inc. has made a silent filing for an initial public offering of 3 million shares of common stock with a proposed maximum price of $13 per share. Ligand is developing small molecule drugs aimed at regulating hormone-activated intracellular receptors to treat cancer and gynecological disorders. No products are expected to enter the clinic this year. In May 1991, Ligand announced a five-year joint discovery program with Pfizer Inc. to develop drugs to treat osteoporosis and
Cygnus Therapeutic Systems Inc. said Monday that it has postponed its 3 million-share secondary offering due to market conditions. "We will continue to monitor the market climate for growth stocks, and expect to reinstate our offering when more favorable market conditions arise," said Gregory Lawless, president and chief executive of the Redwood City, Calif., company (NASDAQ:CYGN). Cygnus shares rose $1 to $16.25. Cygnus' first commercial product, its Nicotrol nicotine patch, is being
ImmuCell Corp. said that it has received a $50,000 small business innovation research grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to test the effectiveness of its bovine antibody against strains of a bacterium that causes severe, chronic diarrhea in people who are immunocompromised. The Portland, Maine, company estimates that Cryptosporidium parvum infections occur in 5 percent to 10 percent of U.S. AIDS patients, with associated mortality as high as 60 percent
Calgene Inc. said Wednesday that it has received a broad patent on the use of antisense technology to regulate gene expression in plant cells. But as with many biotech patents, its issuance may be the beginning rather than the end of the story. Antisense technology is the use of a reverse sequence of a specific gene to repress the expression of that gene. U.S. patent No. 5,107,065, issued on Tuesday, covers any plant gene in any plant species. The patent does not cover non-plant genes. Calgene