Epitope Inc. has received Food and Drug Administration approval to export its OraSure oral specimen device for use in HIV-1 testing, the company said Tuesday. The Beaverton, Ore., company has received approval to export OraSure to Australia, Belgium, Canada, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy and Thailand. The company expects to receive approvals for other countries in the near future, according to Adolph J. Ferro, president and chief executive officer. In July, the FDA forced Epitope (AMEX: EPT) to
Genentech Inc. on Monday announced a $20 million research agreement and equity investment in Xenova Ltd., the largest such agreement Genentech has reached with another biotech company. The five-year agreement, which extends joint work already being done by the two companies, includes $10 million in research support and a $10 million equity investment in privately held Xenova. Half of the equity investment was made on Monday and the other half will be made within the next two years against a
Athena Neurosciences Inc. said Monday that it has filed for an initial public offering of 3.5 million shares of common stock with an expected price range of $10 to $12 a share. If the offering is successfully completed, Athena will have 13.2 million shares outstanding. Athena has two in-licensed drugs in advanced development. An anti-convulsant to treat epilepsy, AHR 11748, is in Phase II trials. Athena on Sept. 27 filed an investigational new drug application to begin Phase III trials of
Escagenetics Corp. has received an $800,000 award from the National Cancer Institute to investigate the feasibility of scale-up and economic production of the cancer drug taxol by plant cell culture. The three-year award also includes funds for the production in bioreactors of derivatives of taxol. Escagenetics stock (AMEX:ESN) closed up $1 at $11 on Monday. Taxol, which is derived from the bark and needles of the Pacific yew tree, has been shown in clinical trials to be effective in treating
Greenwich Pharmaceuticals Inc. said Friday that its board has adopted a so-called stockholder rights plan designed to prevent hostile takeovers. The Fort Washington, Pa., company said the plan was not a response to any specific attempt to acquire control. Under the plan, each stockholder at the close of business on Oct. 7 will receive one right to purchase one one-hundredth of a share of a newly created Series A preferred stock with an exercise price of $60. The rights will be exercisable only
The Food and Drug Administration has given marketing approval to the drug foscarnet for the treatment of AIDS patients with cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis, which can lead to blindness in victims with impaired immune systems. Foscarnet on Sept. 27 became the second drug approved for use in AIDS patients with CMV retinitis and the eighth drug approved for treatment of an AIDS-related condition. Many AIDS patients cannot tolerate ganciclovir, which was approved in 1989 for treatment of CMV
Ecogen Inc. announced on Monday its acquisition of a majority interest in First Mississippi Corp. Inc., a biopesticide company, for about $900,000 in Ecogen stock and a small amount of cash. Ecogen transferred 61,000 shares of its stock to First Mississippi Corp. Inc.'s parent, First Mississippi Corp. (NYSE:FRM). Ecogen stock (NASDAQ:EECN), which closed on Monday at $13.50, up 75 cents, represented 95.5 percent of the deal, according to an Ecogen spokesman. The Langhorne, Pa., company acquired
Robert Nowinski is leaving Icos Corp., ending the reign of the company's stellar executive triumvirate and leaving George Rathmann with all the top executive positions. In a short announcement on Friday, the company said Nowinski was leaving Icos "to pursue other opportunities." Rathmann will take over Nowinski's positions as president and chief executive officer. Rathmann, who will remain chairman of Icos, held all these positions at Amgen Inc., which he also helped found. Nowinski was a
Neurogen Corp. stock jumped 73 percent on Friday after Robertson, Stephens & Co. analyst Mark Simon initiated coverage with a "strong buy" recommendation. "We would aggressively buy the stock up to $15 per share," he wrote. Stock of the Branford, Conn., developer of drugs to treat psychiatric and neurological disorders (NASDAQ:NRGN) closed at $12.13, up $5.13. Neurogen hopes in 1992 to begin clinical trials of its lead compound, NGD91-1, to treat anxiety. The company told BioWorld in August
Liposome technology is advancing on several fronts, with newly issued patents for the use of the fatty microspheres to lessen the number of injections for allergy sufferers, and to deliver drugs deep into the lungs. Researchers, meanwhile, are reporting that the liposomes can get cancer drugs to tumors. Liposomes are spherical shells of a double layer of phospholipid, made to precise sizes and solubilities to deliver desired drugs at controlled rates. Allergy Immuno Technologies Inc. on Sept
Dr. Thomas J. McKearn has been appointed president of Cytogen Corp. McKearn, who founded the company in 1981 and had been executive vice president, will manage day-to-day operations. George W. Ebright will remain chairman and chief executive officer. Cytogen has also appointed James H. Geddes to the newly created position of group vice president, with responsibilities for marketing, sales, business development and strategic planning. Geddes was previously vice president of marketing and sales
Univax Biologics Inc. said Friday that it has formalized its collaboration with the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases to develop a conjugated vaccine against Staphylococcus aureus. S. aureus most commonly causes gram-positive sepsis and bacteremia. "Staph is a real clinical headache because it's resistant to so many antibiotics," said W. Scott Harkonen, vice president of medical and regulatory affairs at Univax. "We're down to about one drug now, and it's making
Research published today shows that combination treatments for AIDS may sidestep the problem of drug resistance caused by genetic mutations of HIV. Mutations have enabled the virus to resist the nucleoside drugs AZT, ddI and ddC. The new findings suggest that the three corporate giants developing these AIDS drugs -- Burroughs Wellcome Co., Bristol Myers Squibb Co. and Hoffmann La Roche Inc. -- could end up with their products cooperating to fight the epidemic. Resistant strains of HIV have
Genetic Systems Corp. said Thursday that it has received Food and Drug Administration approval to sell the first combination test kit for both HIV-1 and HIV-2. The enzyme immunoassay (ELISA) test, which incorporates inactivated whole virus of both AIDS viruses, detects within four hours circulating antibodies to the viruses in human serum or plasma. Pricing information was not available. Although the FDA hasn't required HIV-2 antibody testing, FDA Commissioner David Kessler said the test may
Genetics Institute Inc. said that two class-action complaints have been filed against the company in connection with its proposed merger with American Home Products Corp. GI, based in Cambridge, Mass., said Lewis J. Bair has filed suits in Delaware and Massachusetts against the company, each of its directors and AHP. The suits allege that GI stockholders will receive inadequate consideration for their stock in the merger, and seek unspecified monetary damages and injunctive relief, according
Chiron Corp. stock picked up $4.25 on Thursday, closing at $74.25, after the Food and Drug Administration's blood products advisory panel recommended testing blood plasma for hepatitis C. Chiron (NASDAQ:CHIR), which dominates the screening market, estimates the recommendation will result in $25 million in total additional hepatitis C screening test sales annually. Chiron of Emeryville, Calif., and Ortho Diagnostic Systems of Raritan, N.J., which have a joint business, control about 60 percent
Amylin Corp. has received a Phase I small business innovation research grant of about $50,000 to develop monoclonal antibodies to amylin, a hormone that may play a key role in adult-onset diabetes. The monoclonals would be used to develop diagnostic tests. Amylin excess is thought to contribute to obesity and to adult- onset diabetes, which is linked to obesity. A lack of amylin, on the other hand, seems to underlie some of the problems that come with Type I, insulin-dependent diabetes
Oxford GlycoSystems Ltd. said it has completed an $8 million round of venture financing that will fund its expanded R&D efforts and the introduction of new instrumentation. The round, which was led by S.R. One, included Suez Ventures; Singapore EDB; Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers; and Oxford University. OGS of Abingdon, United Kingdom, is switching its product focus to instrumentation for molecular biology and molecular structure studies, particularly carbohydrates. Within the next six
HemaCare Corp.'s board has voted to extend to Oct. 21, 1992, the expiration date of the company's 700,000 warrants outstanding. The warrants, which were issued as part of the company's 1986 initial public offering, were due to expire on Oct. 21 of this year. The exercise terms remain unchanged. Each warrant may be used to purchase one share of common stock at $3.50. The Sherman Oaks, Calif., company may redeem the warrants after the market price of the common stock has equaled or exceeded $5.25
MGI Pharma Inc. has acquired the patent rights to a mouthwash form of pilocarpine for treating dry mouth from its inventor, Adib R. Mikhail. MGI plans to submit late this year or early next year a new drug application for Salagen, its tablet form of pilocarpine, to treat radiation-induced dry mouth in head and neck cancer patients. The Food and Drug Administration has granted Salagen orphan drug designation for this indication. The mouthwash formulation will give MGI the opportunity to look at
Epitope Inc. has received Food and Drug Administration approval to export its OraSure oral specimen device for use in HIV-1 testing, the company said Tuesday. The Beaverton, Ore., company has received approval to export OraSure to Australia, Belgium, Canada, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy and Thailand. The company expects to receive approvals for other countries in the near future, according to Adolph J. Ferro, president and chief executive officer. In July, the FDA forced Epitope (AMEX: EPT) to