• Avera Pharmaceuticals Inc., of San Diego, licensed two products from Cornell University. The first, designated AV002, is an intermediate-acting, non-depolarizing neuromuscular blocking compound in late preclinical development designed to produce endotracheal intubating conditions within 60 to 90 seconds and provide muscle paralysis for about 30 minutes. The second product is a reversal agent, which was shown in preclinical studies to rapidly and completely reverse the neuromuscular blockade in animals treated with AV002. The company also expects that reversal agent to work with equal efficacy in neutralizing its ultrashort-acting, non-depolarizing neuromuscular blocker, gantacurium chloride, which recently completed a Phase II trial for rapid sequence intubation. Under the terms, Avera gained worldwide rights to the two compounds in exchange for undisclosed up-front, milestone and royalty payments.

• BioLineRx Ltd., of Jerusalem, signed a worldwide, exclusive license agreement with Yissum Research Development Co. of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Ramot at Tel Aviv University Ltd., for the development and commercialization of BL-4020, a peptide for inflammatory diseases. Designed to mimic ManLAM, a protein from the cell surface of Myocbacterium tuberculosis, BL-4020 has shown in preclinical testing to be effective in animal models of inflammation, including asthma, colitis and others. Financial terms were not disclosed.

• Curidium Medica plc, of London, said it discovered the existence of four statistically significant diagnostic gene expression profiles in blood samples from schizophrenia/bipolar disorder patients using its Homomatrix tool and whole genome screening technology from Santa Clara, Calif.-based Affymetrix Inc. The genes identified in each of four subgroups of patient/control members include known and new drug targets and biomarkers. The company now is in the process of determining specificity and sensitivity of a potential blood diagnostic test.

• Emergent BioSolutions Inc., of Rockville, Md., has submitted an investigational new drug application with the FDA for the company's anthrax immune globulin (AIG) product. The company expects to initiate a pivotal clinical trial in 2007 to evaluate AIG safety and pharmacokinetics in 105 healthy volunteers. The company expects to complete the trial in about one year and said it believes no additional clinical trials will be needed before submitting a marketing approval application to FDA. Emergent is relying on the FDA animal rule in developing its AIG candidate, and expects to conduct pivotal efficacy studies in two animal models.

• Medistem Laboratories Inc., of Scottsdale, Ariz., is in discussions with immunology laboratories to begin preclinical studies with its second pipeline candidate, Tolerostem, a cellular therapy platform aimed at controlling harmful immunological responses through the use of adult stem cells undergoing modification. Based on the concept that regulatory T cells are activated by stem cells of specific lineages, Tolerostem could be used in treatments for autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and Type I diabetes. Medistem hopes to file an investigational new drug application in the fourth quarter.

• Merck KGaA, of Darmstadt, Germany, said its subsidiary, Merck Vierte Allgemeine Beteiligungsgesellschaf mbH, initiated a squeeze-out procedure with respect to the remaining publicly held bearer shares of Geneva-based Merck Serono SA (formerly Serono SA). As a result of the squeeze-out, all Merck Serono publicly held bearer shares will be cancelled. Merck Serono also intends to delist its securities from the SWX Swiss Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange.

• Tripos Inc., of St. Louis, completed the asset sale of its Discovery Informatics business to affiliates of Vector Capital, a San Francisco-based private equity boutique. Tripos received a final purchase price of $26.2 million, representing an increase of about $575,000 due to improved working capital of the business since the companies signed the agreement in November. Tripos used a portion of the proceeds to retire existing debt. Efforts to sell Tripos' Discovery Research business are ongoing.