Clinical results from a trial of anti-idiotype antibodies in melanoma patients showed a significantly longer survival in some patients, but not all patients appeared to have responded to the therapy as expected from animal studies. Anti-idiotypes create a molecular image of a selected cell marker that should prompt the immune system to destroy tumor cells bearing that marker. The trial at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York showed that patients who developed antibodies that
Ecogen Inc. said Wednesday that it has signed a five-year agreement with Pfizer Inc. under which Pfizer will manufacture Ecogen's Bacillus thuringiensis-containing biopesticides. The companies previously had a two-year agreement. Pfizer produces all of Ecogen's requirements for its Bt products in the United States and abroad at a facility in Terre Haute, Ind. Shares of Langhorne, Pa.-based Ecogen (NASDAQ:EECN) closed at $14.38, up $1.25. (c) 1997 American Health Consultants. All rights reserved
Sandoz Ltd. said Wednesday that the waiting period under the Hart-Scott Rodino Antitrust Act for its tender offer for slightly more than 4 million shares of SyStemix Inc. stock has expired without requests for additional information from the Department of Justice or the Federal Trade Commission. The expiration date for the $70 per share tender offer is Feb. 18. In December, Sandoz bought 60 percent of the Palo Alto, Calif., company for $392 million. SyStemix shares (NASDAQ:STMX) rose 63 cents to
Gynex Pharmaceuticals Inc. on Wednesday said it has received approval to charge for Oxandrin in Canada when the drug is prescribed for use in Turner's syndrome and in constitutional growth delay. The approval from the Canadian Health Protection Bureau adds to the company's treatment IND in the United States, which also allows it to recover costs of production, distribution and research on the drug. The Vernon Hills, N.J., company (NASDAQ:GYNX) is testing the steroid in U.S. Phase III trials
Mayfield Fund was to announce today formation of a new biopharmaceutical company, Tularik Inc., to develop drugs based on transcription factors. First-round financing of $3.8 million includes a minority investment by Genentech Inc. (NYSE:GNE), which may collaborate with the new company's programs and is expected to provide research materials. Transcription factors are proteins that exist in the cell nucleus. By binding in various combinations to sites on the genes, they regulate the expression
Zynaxis Inc. said Tuesday that it has filed for an initial public offering of 2 million shares of common stock with a proposed price of $7 to $8 per share. The Malvern, Pa., company is developing cell linker molecules called Zyn-linkers for the delivery and retention of therapeutics and radiopharmaceuticals at disease sites. Zyn- linkers are organic compounds with lipophilic tails that insert themselves into the lipid portion of a cell's membrane. The compounds thus far have been developed in
Enzo Biochem Inc. stock (AMEX:ENZ) has gained 115 percent since Monday's annual shareholders meeting, closing up $1.25 at $7 on Tuesday. At the meeting, Elazar Rabbani, president, reiterated the importance Enzo attached to winning an antisense patent interference case last October, according to spokeswoman Carol Dempster. The Farmingdale, N.Y., company is developing a number of anti-viral applications using antisense, including a method of inhibiting acute HIV infection in lymphoid cells. The
Alpha-Beta Technology Inc. said its first product has entered clinical trials to treat and suppress infections related to upper- abdominal surgery and cancer chemotherapy. The South Plainfield, N.J., company said Betafactin, a carbohydrate polymer (PGG) derived from genetically engineered yeast, is the first of a new generation of carbohydrate pharmaceuticals to enter the clinic. Engineered carbohydrate polymers, called polysaccharides, are potentially significantly less toxic and less
Elan Corp. plc said Tuesday that it has reached an agreement in principal to acquire Vega Biomedical Inc. for $4.5 million. The transaction is subject to a definitive purchase agreement, which will include provisions for milestone payments that could bring the total purchase price to $7.6 million. The transaction would include $2.25 million in cash and $2.25 million in about 50,700 newly issued shares of Elan common stock (AMEX:ELN). Vega markets an automated system for performing SED Rate
Cytogen Corp. and Chiron Corp. shares both jumped Tuesday on the announcement that Italy has given marketing approval to Cytogen's OncoScint CR103, a monoclonal antibody-based imaging agent for colorectal cancer. Cytogen's European marketing partner, EuroCetus B.V., now has obtained approvals for the product in seven European countries. "Colorectal cancer is a serious disease in Italy, accounting for 24,000 new cases annually," said Filippo LaMonica, president of EuroCetus. "With seven
CytRx Corp. on Tuesday said it has filed an investigational new drug application for TherMax Gel, a topical product for severe burns that is intended to help wound remodeling by promoting wound closure and inhibiting inflammation and pain. TherMax uses polyoxyethylene and polyoxypropylene polymers packaged as a "thermo-reversible" liquid carrier that becomes a gel when applied to warm skin. It contains mucopolysaccharide as the active ingredient. "In addition to acting like a barrier dressing
Roberts Pharmaceutical Corp. said Tuesday that it has entered into a letter of intent to acquire for $6.25 million National Clinical Research Centers Inc., a clinical trials management company. Roberts of Eatontown, N.J., will pay $2 million in cash and $4.25 million in Roberts stock (NASDAQ:RPCX). The shares closed at $34.75, up 25 cents, on Tuesday. The acquisition "is motivated by Roberts' desire to augment its drug development capabilities for its own new drug pipeline," said Robert A
Immunomedics Inc. said that it has received Canadian government approval to begin Phase III trials of ImmuRAID- CEA, its colorectal cancer imaging agent. ImmuRAID consists of a monoclonal antibody labeled with the radioisotope technetium-99m. The Warren, N.J., company filed last April for U.S. marketing approval of ImmuRAID. Immunomedics stock (NASDAQ:IMMU) closed Tuesday at $14.25, down 38 cents. COLLAGEN SELLS DENTAL IMPLANT BUSINESS Collagen Corp. said it has sold assets from its
TSI Corp. and CytoTherapeutics Inc. (CTI) on Monday announced plans to begin joint marketing of a preclinical testing system designed to speed up the evaluation of biopharmaceuticals in animal models. The system encapsulates a living cell line in a permeable membrane that can be implanted in an animal host, where the cells then secrete the therapeutic substance desired. The system uses CytoTherapeutics' CRIB (cellular replacement by immunoisolatory biocapsule) technology. When implanted in an
Shares of Enzo Diagnostics Inc. climbed $2.50, closing at $5.75, after the company announced new products and discussed progress for reorganizing its $30 million debt at its annual shareholders meeting on Monday. The Farmingdale, N.Y., company said it would add seven new monoclonal antibodies and a staining kit for cancer biopsies, aimed at the research market, to its product line. Enzo has been trying to restructure its defaulted 9 percent convertible subordinated debentures due in 2001
Affymax N.V. announced Monday that it has entered into a collaboration with Sandoz Pharma Ltd. under which Sandoz will fund Affymax research on the feasibility of developing a catalytic antibody to be used in the manufacture of an unnamed, proprietary Sandoz pharmaceutical. Sandoz will fund three years of research and have an option for exclusive rights to the results. In addition to R&D funding, Affymax will receive milestone payments and royalties on sales of any products manufactured using
Interneuron Pharmaceuticals Inc. has received exclusive worldwide rights from The Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research to patents for compounds with potential application to Alzheimer's disease. The agreement includes Huperzine A, Huperzine A analogs, and any additional patents on new and improved syntheses of Huperzine A. Huperzine A, a naturally occurring substance, has been used outside the United States to treat Alzheimer's disease because it inhibits cholinesterase, an
Genetics Institute Inc. on Monday reported a net profit for the fourth quarter ended Nov. 30 and a loss for the year. Both had been expected. Despite two consecutive profitable quarters last year, GI (NASDAQ:GENI) said it expects a loss this year due to significant increases in R&D expenses. "Much of this expected increase relates to accelerating activities involving our three priority development-stage products, M-CSF, BMP-2 and IL-11," said Garen Bohlin, executive vice president and chief
Medarex Inc. has filed an investigational new drug application for its MDX-11, a monoclonal antibody-based treatment for acute myeloid leukemia (AML), the Princeton, N.J., company said Monday. Medarex expects early in the year to begin Phase I/II clinical trials of the drug as an adjunct to chemotherapy. MDX-11 is intended to preclude relapses by targeting and destroying residual leukemia cells and their precursors. Medarex (NASDAQ:MEDX) was granted orphan drug designation for MDX-11 in 1991
The National Institutes of Health has increased the number of outside patent law firms under contract from four to 12 as it increases its emphasis on protecting the government's intellectual property rights and on marketing inventions through its new Office of Technology Transfer. This new direction was dramatically demonstrated in October, when the NIH announced plans to apply for patent protection for more than 300 partially sequenced cDNA fragments. The law firms will provide services in the
Clinical results from a trial of anti-idiotype antibodies in melanoma patients showed a significantly longer survival in some patients, but not all patients appeared to have responded to the therapy as expected from animal studies. Anti-idiotypes create a molecular image of a selected cell marker that should prompt the immune system to destroy tumor cells bearing that marker. The trial at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York showed that patients who developed antibodies that