• Access Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Dallas, and Somanta Pharmaceuticals, of Irvine, Calif., said new data emerging from a preclinical collaboration with Imperial College London suggested that Somanta's Angiolix could be effective in treating ovarian cancer. The work at Imperial has shown that Angiolix specifically can localize to human ovarian cancers using three different ovarian cancer types, while sparing normal tissues. In addition, high doses of Angiolix were seen to be nontoxic in healthy mice. Examination of tumor tissues using state-of-the-art microscopy showed that Angiolix rapidly and evenly distributes throughout the tumor tissues in the matrix surrounding all the tumor cells.

• AGI Dermatics, of Freeport, N.Y., received fast-track designation from the FDA for Dimericine (T4N5 Liposome Lotion), a topical DNA repair drug for the treatment of solar and ultraviolet photosensitivity in patients with Xeroderma Pigmentosum (XP). Dimericine is in Phase III for XP and Phase II for the prevention of skin cancer in renal transplant patients, with additional Phase II trials planned in high-risk skin cancer patients.

• Amylin Pharmaceuticals Inc., of San Diego, made an equity investment in Kelaroo Inc., of Solana Beach, Calif., and the companies expanded their contract research agreement. Amylin's Phinder system for peptide hormone identification and optimization was developed using Kelaroo's SeqR technology, a sequence-profiling approach that combines machine learning methods and sequence analysis tailored for genomic-scale data mining and optimization. Specific financial terms were not disclosed.

• Aradigm Corp., of Hayward, Calif., said it entered into an exclusive license, development and commercialization agreement with Lung Rx Inc., of Silver Spring, Md., for inhaled treprostinil using Aradigm's AERx Essence technology for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension and other potential therapeutic indications. Under the terms of the agreement, Aradigm will receive an up-front fee of $440,000 from Lung Rx, followed by an additional $440,000 four months after the signing date. Aradigm will initiate, and is responsible for conducting and funding, a study that includes a bridging clinical trial comparing the AERx Essence technology to the nebulizer used in an ongoing Phase III study of inhaled treprostinil in patients with severe PAH. Following successful completion of the bridging study, Aradigm will receive from Lung Rx certain milestones and license fees, paid within three years of signing the agreement and total up to $9.65 million. In addition, Lung Rx will purchase $3.47 million of Aradigm's common stock at the average closing price for the 30-day period prior to specified events.

• Cisbio International, of Bagnols-sur-Cèze, France, and Lumiphore Inc., of Redwood City, Calif., signed an agreement in which Lumiphore's Lumi4 fluorescent lanthanide detection reagent complexes will be incorporated into Cisbio's Time-Resolved Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (TR-FRET) drug discovery assays. Specific terms were not disclosed.

• CODA Genomics Inc., of Laguna Hills, Calif., and scientists from the University of California at Irvine are partnering on research aimed at turning a common yeast strain used in the production of beer, wine and bread into a producer of ethanol. They are using CODA's gene-protein-production algorithms to tweak the genetic structure of Saccharomyces, which produces ethanol as a byproduct when it ferments sugars found in plant materials. Researchers from the Institute for Genomics and Bioinformatics' Computational Biology Research Laboratory and biological chemistry and biochemical engineering labs also are involved in the project.

• DOR BioPharma Inc., of Miami, said preclinical data published in the journal Vaccine showed that its RiVax ricin toxin vaccine can protect mice against death from both aerosol and oral toxin exposure, as well as prevent lung tissue damage associated with aerosol exposure. The study also found that pure ricin toxin is 2,000-fold more toxic by the oral route than previously described. DOR and its partners next plan to evaluate the vaccine against aerosol exposure in larger animals.

• Dow AgroSciences LLC, of Indianapolis, and Exelixis Plant Sciences, of South San Francisco, announced that they have signed a major research collaboration agreement, which includes the purchase of selected assets by Dow AgroSciences' affiliate Agrigenetics Inc. The agreement is focused on the development of new tools for gene discovery and validation of novel crop traits. The asset purchase by Dow AgroSciences includes certain intellectual property and physical assets used for crop trait discovery.

• Dyax Corp., of Cambridge, Mass., has entered into a deal with Bayer Schering Pharma AG, of Leverkusen, Germany, for the discovery of therapeutic antibodies. Under the agreement, Dyax will identify therapeutic antibodies for two targets provided by Bayer, and Dyax will be allowed to work on additional targets and/or allow Bayer to exercise an option for an antibody library license. Dyax will receive clinical milestone payments and royalties on net sales that result from Bayer's development and commercialization of any antibodies discovered through the collaboration. The agreement also provides Bayer Schering Pharma with sublicenses to relevant third-party antibody phage display patents that may be used with Dyax's technology. Financial terms were not disclosed.

• Evogene Ltd., of Rehovot, Israel, licensed from Midwest Oilseeds Inc., of Adel, Iowa, gene transformation technologies that will allow Evogene to more efficiently validate candidate genes to improve commercial crops. Separately, Evogene said its collaboration with Zeraim Gedera Ltd. (now by Syngenta SA) to develop salt tolerant tomato plants has completed its first phase, and experimental varieties are undergoing field trials. The companies agreed to extend the collaboration to develop additional tomato plant varieties. Terms were not disclosed for either deal.

• Genizon BioSciences Inc., of Montreal, reported the discovery of four loci in Crohn's disease, in addition to the confirmation of three known Crohn's disease genes, which were derived from a genome-wide association study in the Quebec Founder Population. Those discoveries, reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, were replicated and refined in two German populations. Genizon has identified additional complementary genes and is conducting research to identify new treatments for Crohn's disease.

• GenoLogics, of Victoria, British Columbia, has joined the Santa Clara, Calif.-based Affymetrix's GeneChip-compatible Applications Program, and its Geneus product has achieved GeneChip-compatible status with the Affymetrix Inc. GeneChip microarray platform. GenoLogics has integrated its Geneus solution, built for multiple genomics applications, with the Affymetrix GeneChip platforms, GeneChip Operating Software and the new GeneChip Command ConsoleSoftware.

• GenVec Inc., of Gaithersburg, Md., has executed the first option period in an agreement with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that will provide $5.6 million over the next 12 months to support development of vaccines for preventing foot-and-mouth disease. The funding increases the total value of GenVec's three-year agreement to $17.5 million. The additional funds will be used primarily for expanded development. Under the agreement, GenVec is responsible for the development, production and regulatory approval of the vaccine, while the department is responsible for conducting animal studies at the Plum Island Animal Disease Center.

• Goldschmidt GmbH, of Germany, and Helix BioMedix, of Bothell, Wash., announced an agreement through which Degussa Goldschmidt Personal Care will become Helix BioMedix's exclusive marketing partner for its Combikine and Replikine class of anti-aging peptides in addition to other selected peptides targeted at skin care applications.

• HistoRx Inc., of New Haven, Conn., entered a research collaboration with the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG), a National Cancer Institute-funded clinical cooperative group. HistoRx will provide RTOG with AQUA technology and customized immunohistochemical assays to research biomarkers associated with brain cancer. Terms were not disclosed, but HistoRx intends to commercialize assays and reagents developed in the course of the collaboration for clinical use as predictive diagnostics.

• International Stem Cell Corp., of Oceanside, Calif., reported laboratory data confirming that it has successfully created tissue compatible with a human cornea from embryonic stem cells. The company has repeated experiments using its stem cells derived from unfertilized human eggs, called parthenogenetic human embryonic stem cells (phESCs or parthenote stem cells), the use of which might substantially reduce the likelihood of immune rejection in patients. ISCO plans to further develop the corneal technology, with a goal of routinely growing living human corneas in the lab for use in corneal transplants.

• JADO Technologies, of Dresden, Germany, appointed Charl van Zyl as CEO. Van Zyl previously served as head of European marketing and sales for Novartis AG. JADO's technology focuses on membrane subcompartments known as lipid RAFTS and is discovering RAFT drug candidates for influenza and HIV.

• KeyGene NV, of Wageningen, the Netherlands, granted BCCM/LMG, a Belgium-based research consortium based at Ghent University, a five-year, nonexclusive license to its AFLP DNA marker technology for genome analysis, transcript profiling and genetic analysis of bacterial species. The two parties also agreed to resolve issues regarding the historic use of AFLP by the BCCM organization. Terms were not disclosed.

• Lpath Inc., of San Diego, reported positive results in several murine models of human cancer and age-related macular degeneration with Lpathomab, its mouse monoclonal antibody against LPA (lysophosphatidic acid), confirming the drug's expected anti-angiogenic and antimetastatic actions. Based on that outcome, Lpath said it will collaborate with London-based DataMabs to humanize Lpathomab to create a lead antibody for preclinical development, with aims of submitting an investigational new drug application in 2009.

• Medarex Inc., of Princeton, N.J., extended a licensing arrangement established in 1997 with Centocor Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of New Brunswick, N.J.-based Johnson & Johnson. Medarex will continue to allow Centocor to use its UltiMAb Human Antibody Development System in exchange for license fees, potential milestone payments and royalties on any resulting products. Specific financial terms were not disclosed. Products resulting from Centocor's use of UltiMAb already have entered clinical trials.

• Neurogen Corp., of Branford, Conn., said the nonproprietary name adipiplon was chosen for its insomnia drug NG2-72. The name was approved by the U.S. Adopted Names Council, in consultation with the World Health Organization. Neurogen's drug, a partial GABA agonist preferential for the alpha-3 subtype receptor, recently demonstrated statistical significance over placebo in Phase IIb studies for improvement in patient-assessed sleep quality.

• Oragenics Inc., of Alachua, Fla., said laboratory results demonstrated that its lead antibiotic candidate, MU1140, was effective at clinically relevant doses in killing pathogenic bacteria that are resistant to a variety of antibiotics, including all vancomycin-resistant strains of enterococci and Staphylococcus aureus in the Tier 3 Gram-positive bacteria panel. MU1140 previously was reported to be effective in a staph-infected mouse model system and recently displayed protection when administered by intravenous injection to rats infected intraperitoneally with 60 times the lethal dose of the pathogen. Maximum tolerated dose studies in the rat model confirm that a toxic dose of Oragenics' drug appears to be well above the observed therapeutic dose for this antibiotic.

• Peregrine Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Tustin, Calif., said new preclinical data published in the journal Clinical Cancer Research showed the combination of a mouse equivalent of Peregrine's immunotherapy bavituximab and radiation were more effective in reducing lung tumor growth than either treatment alone. Bavituximab, an anti-phosphatidylserine monoclonal antibody, is in clinical trials in combination with chemotherapy.

• Pieris AG, of Freising-Weihenstephan, Germany, said it successfully completed a series of preclinical studies validating the use of PRS-055 in ophthalmologic disease. PRS-055 is an anticalin specific for vascular endothelial growth factor, a key factor in the regulation of neovascular permeability and is implicated in debilitating eye diseases such as age-related macular degeneration, proliferative diabetic retinopathy and retinopathy of prematurity. Intravitreal injection of PRS-055 has been shown to inhibit VEGF-induced breakdown of the blood-retinal barrier in a rabbit in vivo model.

• Poniard Pharmaceuticals Inc., of South San Francisco, received fast-track designation from the FDA for lead product candidate picoplatin in the second-line treatment of refractory or resistant small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). Picoplatin, a next-generation platinum chemotherapy agent designed to overcome resistance issues, is in Phase III trials for SCLC. (See BioWorld Today, Jan. 4, 2007.)

• Viragen International Inc., of Plantation, Fla., a majority-owned subsidiary of Viragen Inc., completed a 1-for-40 reverse stock split. As of Wednesday, the company's trading symbol on the Over-the-Counter Bulletin Board changed to "VRGE."

• Zila Inc., of Phoenix, said its ViziLite Plus with Tblue630 screening system was selected to identify precancerous lesions in an National Institutes of Health-funded, Phase II study of Erbitux (cetuximab, ImClone Systems Inc.) in upper aerodigestive precancer. ViziLite is a screening technology designed to identify potentially precancerous oral abnormalities.