Lisa Raines, vice president for government relations at the Industrial Biotechnology Association, was named vice president for government relations at Genzyme Corp. of Cambridge, Mass. Celgene Corp. of Warren, N.J., named Thomas Odiorne president and chief operating officer. Odiorne was president of the pharmaceutical development group of Johnson & Johnson. Phillip Radlick was appointed president and chief executive officer of Hepatix Inc. of Houston. He was group vice president for business
Endogen Inc. announced late Friday that it had completed its acquisition of Diagnostics Holding Corp. In the transaction, Endogen of Boston, Mass., increased its cash reserves by $3.075 million and acquired all the outstanding stock (5,711,041 shares) of Diagnostics Holding Corp. in exchange for approximately 1.2 million shares of Endogen common stock. Endogen's stock started trading Monday under the NASDAQ symbol ENDG. It closed the day at $2.50 per share. "The cash generated through the
The first drug resulting from the Johnson & Johnson research agreement with The Scripps Research Institute was approved by the FDA earlier this month. Leustatin, a nucleoside for treating hairy cell leukemia, is being introduced by Ortho Biotech, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson. Scripps will receive royalties from Johnson & Johnson. About 3,000 patients have the disease, which primarily affects men over age 50. There are about 600 new cases each year. Named for the altered appearance of
Collagen Corp. (NASDAQ:CGEN) announced Monday that it has received an "Approvable Letter" from the FDA on its Contigen Bard collagen implant. The FDA apparently indicated that it was ready to approve the Palo Alto, Calif., firm's product for marketing H subject to certain requests. According to company spokesman Bruce Voss, the letter contains 11 questions relating to labeling, clinical data, a post-approval study and marketing materials. This latest letter from FDA comes after Collagen
Ribi ImmunoChem Research Inc. (NASDAQ:RIBI) anounced Monday that it has postponed its follow-on offering of 3 million shares of common stock "pending improvement in market conditions." Hambrecht & Quist is underwriting the offering. "The price of our stock reflects the generally weak market for biotech issues; we do not believe it is reflective of the continued advancement of our product development programs," said Robert E. Ivy, Ribi's chief executive officer, president and chairman. The
Pets as well as people may benefit from artificial blood products, as evidenced in an agreement between Enzon Inc. and American Veterinary Products Inc. announced last Friday. Under the licensing agreement, the companies will develop Enzon's blood substitute for potential transfusion in animals that have suffered accidents. Specific details of the agreement were not disclosed. At the Fifth International Symposium on Blood Substitutes this week, however, reports were delivered on animal
Scientists from Cantab Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:CNTBY) reported on Monday results of their disabled infectious single cycle virus technology (DISC-virus) as an immunotherapeutic for genital herpes at the UCLA Symposium on the Immunology of Virus Infections in Taos, New Mexico. The Cambridge, England-based company said that its proprietary DISC-virus technology is effective in preventing disease caused by Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 (HSV 2) infection in a guinea pig model of the disease
BioCryst Pharmaceuticals Inc. has filed its third investigational new drug (IND) application on BCX-34, a compound created via structure-based drug design to inhibit the enzyme purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP). BioCryst announced Friday that the latest IND is for treating allergic contact dermatitis. Researchers at the Birmingham, Ala. company have shown in animal studies that the drug selectively prevents T cell proliferation. The first IND on BCX-34 was for treating psoriasis; the
Research comparing the sensitivity of two different radioisotopes for immuno-imaging of colorectal cancer was reported by Cytogen Corp. (NASDAQ:CYTO) and its collaborators last weekend at the Eighth International Conference on Monoclonal Antibody Immunoconjugates for Cancer in San Diego, Calif. The study was designed to compare the colorectal cancer- imaging characteristics and safety of an indium-labeled intact monoclonal antibody (OncoScint CR372) with a technitium- labeled antibody fragment
Unigene Laboratories, Inc. has received notice of a patent approval from the European Patent Office for its process of efficiently producing a large class of peptide hormones, including one that inhibits bone loss. The Fairfield, N.J. company (NASDAQ:UGNE) expects the European market for calcitonin, which is used to combat osteoporosis to be the fastest and largest-growing. Current European sales of calcitonin account for about 75 percent of the nearly $1 billion worldwide total. The hormone
ROCKVILLE, Md. -- Betaseron, a beta interferon analog, got a big boost on Friday when the Peripheral and Central Nervous System Drugs Advisory Committee of the FDA voted 7-2 to recommend approval of Chiron Corp. and Berlex Laboratories Inc.'s product licensing application (PLA). It would be the first new treatment for symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS) in 20 years, succeeding cyclosporin, an immune suppressant of questionable efficacy. Berlex's unit in Richmond, Calif., developed the product
In the span of one week, three independent research groups have reported in scientific literature the successful introduction into mice of very large pieces of foreign DNA -- via yeast artificial chromosomes (YAC) -- and the transmission of that transgenic DNA through the germline. They have used three different methods to introduce those YACs into the recipient cells -- spheroplast fusion, micronuclear injection, and now lipofection -- all apparently successful. Thus the research community now
Interneuron Pharmaceuticals Inc. last week completed its follow-on offering of 2 million shares of common stock at $6.50 a share. The Lexington, Mass., company (NASDAQ:IPIC) expects $11.7 million in proceeds from the offering, which was managed by a syndicate of underwriters led by Montgomery Securities and Cowen & Co. The underwriters have a 30-day option to purchase up to 300,000 additional shares of IPIC common stock. This offering was decreased from the 3 million shares the company
Published Feb. 17, 24 (EPO), Feb. 18 (WO), Feb. 24 (GB) Mt. SInai School of Med. Steroid hormone WO 93/02691 New York delivery Pharmocological glucocorticoids target a cell population, using a recombinant protein carrier molecule with binding sites for hormoneand cell. Mt. Sinai School of Med. Lead-poisoning WO 93/03185 New York susceptibility A DNA sequence encoding the d-amino-levulinate type 2 gene, diagnostic kits to detect it, and vectors containing its sequence. Mycogen Corp
The new Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) policy exempting biotechnology companies from regulation as investment firms still won't free research and development companies to play the stock market. The Investment Company Act of 1940, designed to regulate mutual fund companies, has burdensome reporting requirements and restrictions that some biotechnology companies have sought to avoid by seeking exemptions to invest their capital. But the SEC responded promptly when Icos Corp. (NASDAQ
The Peripheral and Central Nervous System Drugs Advisory Committee of the FDA recommended approval on Thursday of Cognex, the Alzheimer's disease drug being developed by the Parke-Davis division of Warner-Lambert Co. The data supplied by Warner-Lambert of Morris Plains, N.J., to the FDA committee provided statistically significant evidence that Cognex improves cognitive function in Alzheimer's patients. Cognex, an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, potentiates the activity of the neurotransmitter
Heart attack patients over the age of 75 are less likely to be treated early -- or even at all -- with thrombolytic therapy than younger individuals, according to an analysis of data on 130,367 patients enrolled in the National Registry of Myocardial Infarction (NRMI). Moreover, elderly patients who do receive thrombolytic therapy are more likely to die the longer that therapy is delayed. Joel Gore, the director of the division of cardiovascular medicine at the University of Massachusetts
Two emerging biotechnology companies, Incyte Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Celtrix Pharmaceuticals Inc., announced details of agreements with Genentech Inc. on Thursday. Privately held Incyte of Palo Alto, Calif., has gained exclusive rights to Genentech technology related to a protein being explored for its potential effects against shock-causing endotoxin, bactericidal/permeability increasing protein (BPI). Incyte holds two patents and several pending applications covering the composition and use
ICN Biomedicals Inc. announced late Thursday that it would take a special, non-cash charge and other adjustments for the fourth quarter totaling about $73 million. The charge includes the write-off of $35.5 million of goodwill associated with the company's acquisition of Flow Laboratories, the company said. ICN (ASE:BIM), which is 86 percent owned by ICN Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NYSE:ICN), acquired Flow in 1989 for about $41 million. ICN Biomedical said the charge also includes the write-down or
Univax Biologics Inc. announced Wednesday that clinical trials are under way on its vaccine for fighting Staph infections in kidney failure patients. HyperVax+Staph A vaccine is made from two strains of Staphylococcus aureus, the most common infection of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis. The Phase I trials will be conducted in both ESRD patients and healthy volunteers. The trials, which began Feb. 26, are the latest in a series of National Institutes of
Lisa Raines, vice president for government relations at the Industrial Biotechnology Association, was named vice president for government relations at Genzyme Corp. of Cambridge, Mass. Celgene Corp. of Warren, N.J., named Thomas Odiorne president and chief operating officer. Odiorne was president of the pharmaceutical development group of Johnson & Johnson. Phillip Radlick was appointed president and chief executive officer of Hepatix Inc. of Houston. He was group vice president for business