DNX Corp. (NASDAQ:DNXX) announced at Hambrecht & Quist's10th Annual Life Sciences Conference that it has produced twomale pigs that produce levels of human hemoglobin sufficientfor preclinical and clinical trials.

The birth of the boars, which produce 10 percent humanhemoglobin, will allow the Princeton, N.J., company to file aninvestigational new drug application to begin clinical trials inmid-1993, four to six months ahead of schedule, said PaulSchmitt, president and chief executive. Pigs producing 50percent human hemoglobin will be necessary for commercialproduction levels, Schmitt said.

Among other presentations made this week at the conference:

Agouron Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:AGPH) of San Diegosaid it will begin this yeart Phase I clinical trials of its AG331and AG337 compounds to treat solid tumors.

Biogen Inc. (NASDAQ:BGEN) of Cambridge, Mass., said that itsHirulog thrombin inhibitor will move into Phase III trials thisyear for at least one indication, unstable angina. Recombinantalpha interferon will also enter Phase III trials for hepatitis Band C.

British Bio-Technology Group plc, which last year raised $72million in the largest private biotech financing ever, said that itplans to go public this year. The Oxford company will also beginthis year clinical trials of BB-94, a small molecule drug thatinhibits matrix metalloproteinase enzymes responsible for thespread of cancer. The company's AIDS immunotherapeuticvaccine, p24-VLP, will move into Phase II trials. And BB-882, aPAF antagonist for asthma and septic shock, will begin Phase Itrials.

Centocor Inc.'s Chairman and CEO Hubert Schoemaker saidEuropean sales and approvals of the company's Centoxinmonoclonal to treat gram-negative sepsis have been slowerthan expected, although the company does anticipate Italianapproval this quarter.

The Malvern, Pa., company (NASDAQ:CNTO) plans to file formarketing approval of two products this year: CenTNF forseptic shock and CentoRx, its anti-platelet MAb. CenTNF willenter Phase III trials this quarter.

Cephalon Inc. (NASDAQ:CEPH) of West Chester, Pa., will file inJune to begin clinical trials of its Myotrophin recombinantinsulin-like growth factor-1 for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Gensia Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:GNSA) said it willcomplete by April Phase III trials of its Arasine compound toreduce heart attacks caused by coronary artery bypass graftsurgery. The San Diego company plans to file for U.S. andEuropean marketing approvals in September.

Phase III trials will begin this month of its GenESA arbutaminestress agent for people unable to take conventional stress tests.The company expects a patent on GenESA to issue this quarter.

Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:ISIS) of Carlsbad, Calif., willfile in the next few weeks to begin clinical trials of Isis 2105,its anti-viral compound for the human papilloma virus thatcauses genital warts. Later this year, Isis 1082 for herpes 1 and2 will enter the clinic.

Targeted Genetics Corp. of Seattle, a genetic therapy companyfounded in 1989 as an Immunex subsidiary, plans to begin itsfirst clinical trial next month in patients with AIDS. Theindividually tailored gene therapy will isolate CD8 Pluscytotoxic T lymphocyte cells, add its HyTK marker, grow cellpopulations and reinfuse them in patients following allogeneicbone marrow transplants. A second HIV trial, scheduled tobegin in the fourth quarter, will use CD8 plus CTLs that havebeen engineered to be independent of CD4 Plus helper cells.The company expects to complete a private placement in thefirst half of the year, including a $2.5 million investment fromImmunex.

Transkaryotic Therapies Inc. of Cambridge, Mass., which isdeveloping gene therapy to deliver proteins to treat and curecommon diseases, plans to close a $19 million financing roundin February. Warburg, Pincus Capital Co., L.P. has alreadycontributed $4 million, and H&Q Healthcare Investors put in $1million last October. The rest of the funding will come fromnew investors.011092H&Q

-- Karen Bernstein BioWorld Staff

(c) 1997 American Health Consultants. All rights reserved.