WASHINGTON -- Bert Vogelstein of Johns Hopkins University and two other researchers announced on Wednesday the discovery of a new gene that triggers colorectal cancer at a press conference at the American Association for the Advancement of Science here. Because the gene apparently triggers mutations that lead to cancer, it may also be responsible for cancers of the uterus, stomach, ovary, small intestine, gall bladder, kidney and ureter. "This development in three different laboratories, which
Phase III clinical trial results on Genzyme Corp.'s recombinant glucocerebrosidase (r-GCR) for treating Gaucher's disease were reported Tuesday at the American Pediatric Society/The Society for Pediatric Research Meeting in Washington, D.C. The pivotal trial was a double-blind, randomized study comparing the effects of r-GCR with Ceredase (Genzyme's FDA- approved natural version of the enzyme, which is derived from human placenta) in 30 patients with Gaucher's disease over a period of six
Genzyme Corp. announced that its diagnostics division has acquired the business assets of Omnia Res srl to form Genzyme srl, which will remain in Milan Italy. Omnia Res has been the sole distributor of Genzyme immunobiological and research products to the Italian market. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Just last week Genzyme (NASDAQ:GENZ) of Cambridge, Mass., acquired a German diagnostics company, Virotech System- Diagnostika GmbH of Russelsheim, for about $10 million. David
Preclinical studies of a class of adenosine regulating agents (ARAs) showed inhibition of cell adhesion molecules involved in accumulation of neutrophils at sites of inflammation, scientists from Gensia Pharmaceuticals Inc. reported Tuesday at the American Society of Clinical Investigators and American Federation for Clinical Research meetings in Washington, D.C. The studies examined inhibitors of adenosine kinase. Two agents, AKI-1 and AKI-2, significantly inhibited neutrophil adhesion to
Phase I safety data on an antisense oligonucleotide for treating genital warts were presented last week at the Sixth International Conference for Antiviral Research in Venice, Italy. The compound, ISIS 2105, is an antisense construct to human papilloma virus, the cause of genital warts, being developed by Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:ISIP) of Carlsbad, Calif. It was the first injectable antisense drug to gain investigational new drug approval from the FDA. In the Phase I trials, ISIS 2105
Pharmakon Research International Inc., a pharmacology, toxicology and pharmacokinetic testing service, introduced Wednesday its first animal model that can be used to screen drugs for treating the glucose intolerance associated with Type II diabetes. The transgenic mouse, called Biodigm-IGT, has been genetically engineered to express elevated levels of insulin, the presence of which makes the mouse hyperinsulinemic and glucose- intolerant. The Biodigm transgenic mouse is proprietary to DNX
Seragen Inc.'s interleukin-2 receptor targeted fusion toxin DAB486IL-2 is able to produce a statistically significant improvement in the clinical symptoms of some rheumatoid arthritis patients, according to the latest results of the company's double-blind Phase II clinical trial. Larry Moreland, director of clinical intervention programs at the University of Alabama, Birmingham, presented the trial results on Sunday at the jointly sponsored Annual Meeting of the Association of American
Magainin Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced that it has received a patent for the composition and use of the first antibiotic isolated from within an animal's throat. The anti-microbial peptide, separated from tissue in a cow's trachea and purified, might play a role in defending the respiratory tract from germs. The Plymouth Meeting, Pa., company (NASDAQ:MAGN) has filed more than 40 related host-defense type patents, of which six have issued. The current patent, No. 5202420, "reinforces Magainin
Immunex Corp. (NASDAQ:IMNX) announced that the Securities and Exchange Commission has declared effective the joint proxy and registration statement concerning its proposed merger with the Lederle Oncology Corp. subsidiary of American Cyanamid Co. (NYSE:ACY). Immunex shareholders must still vote their approval before the merger, first announced in December 1992, is completed. Shareholders of record in the Seattle company as of April 2 will get to cast their votes at a special meeting, scheduled
Hygeia Holdings Inc. announced that it has engaged Marleau, Lumire Securities Inc. for a private placement of its stock, which trades on the Vancouver Stock Exchange under the symbol HYG. Marleau Lumire will use its best efforts to place special warrants exercisable as a total of 2 million units at C$1.50 (U.S.$1.18) per unit, with the expectation that the common stock will then be listed on the Montreal Stock Exchange, said Ronald Brown, president and chief operating officer of the San Diego
After languishing in limbo for more than a year, the report of a crucial clinical study appeared in today's Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), despite attempts to suppress it. Titled "A Controlled Trial of HA-1A in a Canine Model of Gram- negative Septic Shock," the seven-page paper tells in detail how researchers at the NIH Clinical Center's Department of Critical Care Medicine tested Centocor Inc.'s sepsis-fighting antibody, HA-1A, in 28 dogs, and found the drug more lethal
Antisense drug developer Genta Inc. and ophthalmic drug delivery specialist InSite Vision announced Tuesday that they will join forces to formulate and test antisense compounds for anti-viral or anti-inflammatory ophthalmic applications. Genta of San Diego will contribute its Anticode compounds (both antisense and triple-strand constructs), which it is already researching for applications in dermatological or systemic treatments, according to chief executive officer Thomas Adams. And InSite of
WASHINGTON -- What separates the long-term survivors with HIV from those who succumb to AIDS? Lack of a single amino acid change and a lot of CD8 cells, Jay Levy, professor of medicine at the Cancer Research Institute of the University of California, San Francisco, told an audience Monday at the annual meeting of the American Federation for Clinical Research here. The virus goes through three stages of response to the patient's antibodies. In the first stage, antibodies neutralize the virus
The growth factor BetaKine has shown a statistically significant ability to heal macular holes in the retina, both in terms of repairing tissue damage and restoring lost vision. Preliminary data from the Phase II clinical trial on BetaKine, which is being developed by Celtrix Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:CTRX), were presented Tuesday at the annual meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) in Sarasota, Fla. They demonstrated that BetaKine was able to repair
Embrex Inc. announced today that Tyson Foods, the leading producer of broiler chickens worldwide, will convert 23 of its largest hatcheries from vaccinating newly hatched chicks manually to inoculating them in ovo via Embrex's automated egg injection system Inovoject. Initially, Tyson Foods will inoculate its broilers with a vaccine against Marek's disease, which is a viral affliction common in the U.S. poultry industry. If left untreated, it causes nervous systems tumors that make the birds
Four San Diego area biotechnology company CEOs and the head of California's Biomedical Industry Council conferred with key administration aides and legislators in separate meetings on Tuesday, mainly to raise the issue of drug pricing. "We were received extremely well," David Hale, chief executive officer of Gensia Pharmaceuticals Inc., told BioWorld. The biotechnology company executives focused on the need to avoid price controls on drugs. Concerns about price controls have devalued companies
Enzo Therapeutics Inc. received a new antisense patent on Tuesday that the company said enhances effectiveness of antisense constructs. The Farmingdale, N.Y., company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Enzo Biochem Inc. (ASE:ENZ), holds exclusive worldwide rights to antisense technology from the Research Foundation of the State University of New York. The company was issued a similar patent in March. Patent No. 5,208,149, issued Tuesday, "just adds to our proprietary position," Barry Weiner
In what may be the first reported evidence that a vaccine can be used to effectively treat a chronic viral infection, researchers using a herpes simplex vaccine made by The Biocine Company reported Saturday that the treatment can significantly reduce the frequency of genital herpes outbreaks. Biocine is a joint venture of Chiron Corp. of Emeryville, Calif., and the Swiss pharmaceutical company Ciba-Geigy. Chiron's stock (NASDAQ:CHIR) rose sharply on the news Monday, gaining $3.75 a share to $58
Greenwich Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced Monday that it has raised nearly $6 million from the sale of its equity securities. "These additional funds will be used primarily to accelerate our strategic sales and marketing efforts for Therafectin, which is being developed as a chronic treatment for rheumatoid arthritis," said Edwin Thompson, chief executive officer of the Fort Washington, Pa., company. Greenwich Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:GRPI) submitted a new drug application (NDA) on Therafectin
WASHINGTON -- AIDS patients and others for whom time is critical have emphasized the need for an alternative to the lengthy drug-approval process. And from the researcher's point of view, "it's difficult to justify waiting 10 years before you can have a clinical trial result," Deborah Cotton, a professor at the Harvard Medical School, told a symposium at the American Federation for Clinical Research here on Saturday. Surrogate markers "substitute for clinically meaningful endpoints that
WASHINGTON -- Bert Vogelstein of Johns Hopkins University and two other researchers announced on Wednesday the discovery of a new gene that triggers colorectal cancer at a press conference at the American Association for the Advancement of Science here. Because the gene apparently triggers mutations that lead to cancer, it may also be responsible for cancers of the uterus, stomach, ovary, small intestine, gall bladder, kidney and ureter. "This development in three different laboratories, which