British Bio-technology Group plc of Oxford, England, named Ron Irwin commercial director. He is currently chairman and managing director of the U.K. subsidiary of Marion Merrell Dow. British Bio also named John Raisman and L. John Wilkerson non-executive directors. Raisman retired as chairman and chief executive officer of Shell UK Ltd. in 1985, and Wilkerson is chairman of The Wilkerson Group, a health care industry consulting firm. Immunomedics Inc. of Morris Plains, N.J., named to its board
ImmunoTherapeutics Inc. announced that it has started Phase II clinical trials of ImmTher, its immunomodulator for treating colorectal cancer, at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. ImmTher is a macrophage activator, explained Gerald Vosika, the president and scientific director of the Moorhead, Minn., company. It's an "essentially synthetic material" based on components of the cell wall of BCG, an attenuated strain of the tubercular bacterium, Vosika said. Initial
Zonagen Inc. announced Thursday that it has completed its initial public offering (IPO) of 1.35 million shares of common stock at $5.50 per share. The shares are trading on NASDAQ as ZONA. The company filed its registration statement in February with the Securities and Exchange Commission's regional office in Fort Worth, Texas. Reich & Co. Inc., the offering's underwriter, has an option to purchase an additional 202,500 shares of common stock to cover any overallotments. Zonagen of The
Cephalon Inc. announced Thursday that modafinil, its treatment for narcolepsy, has been designated an orphan drug by the FDA. Modafinil was approved for marketing in France in February 1992. The developer of the drug, Laboratoire L. Lafon of Paris, will begin sales upon pricing and reimbursement approval. In February, Cephalon (NASDAQ:CEPH) of West Chester, Pa., licensed from Lafon the rights to develop, market and sell modafinil in the U.S. and Mexico. Narcolepsy, a debilitating multigenic
Cortecs International Ltd. announced Thursday that it has entered a collaboration with a major Japanese company to test oral delivery of synthetic peptides. The Japanese company did not want to be named and did not want to have its proprietary product identified, Michael Flynn, Cortecs' president, told BioWorld. The protein has not been previously researched by the London drug delivery company (NASDAQ:DLVRY), which has worked on the protein hormones calicitonin, insulin, human growth hormone
In what could become one of the more unique applications of catalytic antibodies, researchers have created in the test tube antibodies that are able to bind specifically to cocaine and break it down into two inert byproducts -- the same two that are found in the circulatory systems of people who have taken cocaine hydrochloride or cocaine free base. To create the antibody, Donald Landry and his colleagues at Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons immunized mice with a compound
Two articles in scientific journals this week reported findings that may have pinpointed the gene responsible for Huntington's disease (HD). Researchers from the University of British Colombia and Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children report in today's issue of Nature that they have identified a "strong candidate" gene for HD. And the Huntington's Disease Collaborative Research Group (HDCRG) reports in Friday's issue of the journal Cell that it has located the HD gene. Researchers the world
A four-year, 22-scientist, trans-Atlantic task force has created a recombinant protein with potential for regenerating damaged peripheral nerves and treating degenerative neuropathies. Their discovery is the lead article in today's Nature, "Glial growth factors are alternatively spliced erbB2 ligands expressed in the nervous system." The implications of the discovery moved the editors of Nature to accept the paper for publication a mere three weeks after Cambridge NeuroScience Inc. (NASDAQ:CNSI
Interneuron Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced Wednesday that the underwriters of the company's recent follow-on offering of 2 million shares at $6.50 a share have exercised their 300,000- share overallotment option. The underwriters were led by Montgomery Securities and Cowen & Co. The net proceeds to the Lexington, Mass. firm will be approximately $13.5 million. The stock (NASDAQ:IPIC) closed Wednesday at $6.50 a share, down 25 cents. (c) 1997 American Health Consultants. All rights reserved.
Immunex Corp. announced Wednesday that the European Community's Committee for Proprietary Medicinal Products has recommended approval of its white blood cell booster, Sargramostim. Immunex (NASDAQ:IMNX) of Seattle already markets this yeast-derived granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) in the U.S. under the trade name Leukine for patients underdoing autologous bone marrow transplantation and to improve survival in patients whose bone marrow transplants have failed. Immunex
Celtrix Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced Wednesday that it has been assigned a new U.S. patent on the composition of a tissue- repair protein. The protein, IGF-BP3, binds insulin-like growth factor and may be useful in treating osteoporosis, ophthalmic diseases, wound repair and wasting conditions associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cancer or AIDS, said Sandra McNamara, chief financial officer of the Santa Clara, Calif., company (NASDAQ:CTRX). The patent is based on work begun
British Bio-technology Group plc started Phase II clinical trials this week on its injectable drug for treating acute pancreatitis, the Oxford, England, company announced Wednesday. The trials are being conducted in six hospitals in Liverpool. The drug, BB-882, is designed to reduce inflammation of the pancreas (often caused by gallstones or excess alcohol) by inhibiting the levels of platelet activating factor (PAF), which is thought to act as an inflammatory mediator. The Phase I studies on
Two research teams are publishing reports today in the journal Nature showing that HIV thrives hidden within the lymph system long before symptoms of AIDS appear. The reports imply that anti-viral drugs should be given before patients show drops in helper T cells associated in later stages of disease, and that other therapeutic approaches should be re- evaluated. Anthony Fauci, director and chief of the Laboratory of Immunoregulation of the National Institutes of Health, and Ashley Haase of
Synergen Inc. will conduct another Phase III trial before asking FDA to approve its anti-infective, Antril, Chief Executive Officer Jon Saxe said Tuesday. In February, when Synergen announced disappointing preliminary results from its first Phase III Antril trial, Saxe said the company planned to discuss with regulatory agencies in the U.S., Canada and Europe submitting a product license application in the third quarter. On Tuesday, Saxe spoke on a conference call after results from the
Cadus Pharmaceutical Corp. announced Tuesday that it has licensed exclusive worldwide rights to key drug discovery technologies based on signal-transducing G protein receptors from Duke University of Durham, N.C. The technology centers on the finding that these receptors can be isolated individually, incorporated into yeast cells and function biochemically -- thus providing a bio-functional assay to screen for potential drugs and therapeutic compounds. Cadus and Duke will cooperate on research
Bio-Technology General Corp. (BTG) announced Tuesday that it has been granted U.S. patent No. 5,196,335 covering broad claims for the gene encoding human copper/zinc superoxide dismutase (SOD), recombinant expression vectors and genetically engineered cells containing the SOD gene. The patent is assigned to Yeda Research and Development Corp. of Israel and is licensed exclusively to BTG (NASDAQ:BTGC) of New York. "Because of this patent, competitors will be precluded from manufacturing copper
Biorelease Corp. announced Tuesday that it has filed a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for a public offering of up to 160,000 units, each consisting of five shares of common stock and three detachable, callable warrants. Biorelease of Salem, N.H., develops pharmaceutical and biological applications of its hemoglobin-based and chondroitin sulfate-based carrier technologies. The company's first product, Erythrogen, is a bovine hemoglobin-based cell-culture
The agricultural research division of American Cyanamid and Houghten Pharmaceuticals Inc. (HPI) announced that they will collaborate on developing combinatorial libraries for rapidly screening organic compounds and natural products for leads for health and agricultural products. The research collaboration provides HPI with milestone payments and royalties on sales of agricultural and animal health products developed by Cyanamid (NYE:ACY) of Wayne, N.J. "HPI will retain rights to compounds that
BioChem Pharma Inc. announced Tuesday that it will soon begin several Phase II/III clinical trials of its drug 3TC in HIV- infected patients. The trials will compare 3TC, which is an anti- viral nucleoside, alone and in combination with AZT, to AZT or to AZT plus ddC, in early and advanced HIV infection. London-based Glaxo, the Laval, Quebec, company's collaborator on 3TC, will conduct trials in the U.S. under an investigational new drug (IND) application and has filed similar applications in
Athena Neurosciences Inc. announced Tuesday that it has signed a 10-year supply agreement with Sandoz Pharmaceuticals Corp. for the purchase of bromocriptine mesylate, a medication used for treating Parkinson's disease. Creighton Products Corp., Sandoz's wholly owned subsidiary, will manufacture bromocriptine for Athena (NASDAQ:ATHN), which will market the drug directly to neurologists and their patients through Athena Home Pharmacy, its mail-order business. Sandoz of East Hanover, N.J., will
British Bio-technology Group plc of Oxford, England, named Ron Irwin commercial director. He is currently chairman and managing director of the U.K. subsidiary of Marion Merrell Dow. British Bio also named John Raisman and L. John Wilkerson non-executive directors. Raisman retired as chairman and chief executive officer of Shell UK Ltd. in 1985, and Wilkerson is chairman of The Wilkerson Group, a health care industry consulting firm. Immunomedics Inc. of Morris Plains, N.J., named to its board