Ligand Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced Friday that it is collaborating with E. Merck of Germany to discover and develop new drugs. At its own expense, Ligand will scan Merck’s extensive collection of steroid, flavonoid, and isoflavanoid compounds for drug candidates. Ligand’s patented assay detects compounds that interact with intracellular receptors, which play a key role in regulating the genetic processes affecting certain cancers, gynecological disorders, and cardiovascular, inflammatory
BioCryst Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced that it has filed an investigational new drug (IND) application with the FDA to begin clinical trials on its psoriasis drug BCX-34. BCX-34 acts by inhibiting the enzyme purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP). In turn, this selectively prevents T cell proliferation. In animal models, the drug halts the progress of inflammatory disease. The privately held Birmingham, Ala., company is using its proprietary structure-based drug design technology to search for
Published Sept. 23 (EPO) and Sept. 17 (WO ) BioWorldLs weekly European patent preview lists in alphabetical order by assignee, and briefly summarizes, all salient biotechnology patent applications as they are made public in Europe. European patent offices publish full texts of patent applications worldwide within six months of their filing, and months to years before the corresponding U.S. patent issues. Two organizations, with Great Britain (GB) comprise the European system: -- The European
Enzon Corp. is about to obtain a partially exclusive license from the National Institutes of Health to produce a longer-lived version of Ceredase, Genzyme Corp.'s treatment for Gaucher's disease. Ceredase, which is a chemically remodeled-carbohydrate replacement for the enzyme glucocerebrosidase (GC), received FDA marketing and use approval in April 1991 as an Orphan Drug. NIH's technology was developed by Edward I. Ginns, who heads the neurogenetics section in the National Institute of Mental
By Michelle Slade Associate Editor Hemacare Corp. on Friday reported positive results from Phase I/II trials of its Passive Hyperimmune Therapy (PHT) treatment for AIDS. The Sherman Oaks, Calif. company said at the Fifth National AIDS Update Conference in San Francisco that PHT improves survival, preserves T4 lymphocyte levels and maintains immune competence in patients who began treatment with circulating blood T4 lymphocyte counts of at least 50/cu. mm. Patients who entered the study
Greenwich Pharmaceuticals Inc. stock dropped almost 32 percent following an announcement on Friday that Syntex Pharmaceuticals International Ltd., a subsidiary of Syntex Corp., terminated a 1989 development and license agreement between the two companies for Greenwich's lead drug, Therafectin. Greenwich's stock (NASDAQ:GRPI) closed down $2.50 per share to $5.25 on Friday. Stock in Syntex Corp. (NYSE:SYN) was off 38 cents a share to $25.88. Greenwich's Therafectin, an amiprilose hydrochloride
Ligand Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced Thursday that it licensed a novel transcription factor technology from Rockefeller University that may be useful in developing drugs to control cellular gene expression. Under the agreement, Ligand will get exclusive worldwide rights to any patents and other proprietary rights covering the technology. Proteins related to the transcription factor transmit signals from interferon receptors on the cell surface to the cell nucleus, bringing about specific
Magainin Pharmaceuticals Inc. of Plymouth Meeting, Pa., said Thursday it is beginning Phase I clinicals for its broad- spectrum topical anti-bacterial and anti-fungal drug, MSI-78. Preclinical tests showed the drug to be effective against a broad spectrum of bacteria and fungi associated with skin infections, the company said. (c) 1997 American Health Consultants. All rights reserved.
Molecular Oncology of Gaithersburg, Md., as part of the formation of a new therapeutics division, has reorganized its senior management. Charles N. Blitzer was named president and chief executive officer; Paul H. Fischer was appointed executive vice president of research and development; William A. Bundy will become chief operating officer and the president of the diagnostics division; David R. Crockford is now vice president for regulatory affairs; Michael L. Berman was named director of
Roche Biomedical Laboratories Inc. (RBL), part of the Roche Diagnostics Group, announced Thursday the availability of its rapid test for tuberculosis. The 48-hour assay uses polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology to pick up the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis in sputum and other respiratory specimens. The standard bacterial culture test for TB takes about three to six weeks. The PCR-based test will not replace the tuberculosis skin test, which is used to screen large numbers of
North American Biologicals Inc. (NABI) announced Thursday that it has acquired Abbott Laboratories' H-BIG (hepatitis B immune globulin), a proprietary plasma-based product to treat hepatitis B. Under the terms of the deal, Abbott will receive 2 million NABI shares -- amounting to about 16 percent of NABI's outstanding shares -- and royalties from NABI based upon sales of the acquired products. NABI stock (NASDAQ:NBIO) closed Thursday at $3.69 a share, up 38 cents. In addition, Miami-based NABI
Cell Genesys Inc. announced Thursday that it concluded a $9 million private placement funding, bringing the company's total private equity funds raised to date to about $25 million. According to Stephen Sherwin, company president and chief executive officer, the funds will be used in part for Cell Genesys' product development programs, particularly for its cell transplant and therapeutic protein areas. New investors in this financing included General Electric Investment Corp., New York Life
Cortex Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced Thursday that it is shifting its focus to developing products for Alzheimer's disease rather than for stroke. Until now, the Irvine, Calif., neurotech company had put its own in-house research programs on Alzheimer's, programmed cell death and cognitive enhancers on the back burner. Instead, Cortex focused on its joint development program with Alkermes Inc. of Cambridge, Mass., for calpain inhibitors for preventing the brain damage caused by stroke and
Michelle Slade Associate Editor The Ares-Serono Group announced Thursday that its Gonal-F human follicle stimulating hormone (r-hFSH) produced the world's first human birth from a recombinant infertility treatment. The mother of the twins, born last week in Switzerland, received Gonal-F under a multinational clinical trial expected to be completed by mid-1993. This Phase III trial is evaluating the use of Gonal-F in stimulating ovarian follicular development in women undergoing in vitro
Oclassen Pharmaceuticals Inc. of San Rafael, Calif., has received an exclusive license from Eli Lilly & Co. to distribute Lilly's Cordran and Cinobac products in North America. Cordran products are topical corticosteroids for the treatment of skin inflammation and include the only steroid-impregnated tape marketed in the U.S. and Canada, which provides superior localization of anti-inflammatory therapy. Cinobac is an oral quinolone antibiotic for the treatment of urinary tract infections
COLD SPRING HARBOR, N.Y. -- Disappointment and optimism mark the attempts to treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy (MD) by gene replacement. Molecular geneticist Ronald G. Worton of Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children reported those efforts late last month to a Gene Therapy meeting here at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Duchenne MD is a muscle-wasting, crippling disorder that begins in early childhood, puts most of its victims in wheelchairs before adolescence and leads to death by age 20. Its
Gliatech Inc. a private neurotech company in Cleveland, has received three separate $50,000 grants to further its research on neurological disorders, the company said Wednesday. A Phase I SBIR grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, is for research on nerve regeneration, specifically on increasing glial cell proliferation. The glial cells of the central nervous system, called Schwann cells, produce the myelin sheath around central nervous system neurons that is
The FDA User Fee Act has been approved by both the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives. The Senate passed the bill on Wednesday and the House approved it on Tuesday. President Bush has already expressed support for the measure. The bill would assess companies $100,000 for new drug applications. The fees would be used to hire new product reviewers at the FDA and accelerate the drug-approval process. Companies with fewer than 500 employees that have not yet received their first product
Synergen Inc. may well be leading the race for an effective treatment for sepsis after it reported that trials of its sepsis drug, Antril, are 80 percent complete. The company said at last week's Cowen & Co. conference in San Francisco that it expects to complete the pivotal efficacy trials by the end of the year. Once results are analyzed, Synergen will be ready to submit a product license application, according Paul Laland, spokesman for the Boulder, Colo., company. About 20 companies have
Applied Biosystems Inc.'s (ABI) announcement Tuesday that it was merging with Perkin-Elmer surprised some industry observers and analysts, many of whom had considered the Foster City, Calif., instrumentation maker a stand-alone entity. But the marriage may provide an opportunity for ABI to combine its expertise with Perkin-Elmer's promising PCR technology. "I think ABI sees in PCR (polymerase chain reaction) an enormous potential, especially in being able to open up new applications for their
Ligand Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced Friday that it is collaborating with E. Merck of Germany to discover and develop new drugs. At its own expense, Ligand will scan Merck’s extensive collection of steroid, flavonoid, and isoflavanoid compounds for drug candidates. Ligand’s patented assay detects compounds that interact with intracellular receptors, which play a key role in regulating the genetic processes affecting certain cancers, gynecological disorders, and cardiovascular, inflammatory