• AmVac AG, of Zug, Switzerland, is starting its first research cooperation program with Bayer Innovation GmbH, of Düsseldorf, Germany, on the development of a new influenza vaccine. Joint research and development work is beginning with the Bayer subsidiary Icon Genetics GmbH on a novel production approach. Antigens will be produced for the first time in tobacco plants, which along with AmVac AG's adjuvant MALP-2, will be developed into an efficient new generation of flu vaccines.

• AVI BioPharma Inc., of Corvallis, Ore., said preclinical results of a study designed to demonstrate the ability of AVI's NeuGene class of drugs to induce sustained expression of dystrophin in the mdx mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy has been published in the journal Molecular Therapy. Treatment with the AVI compound resulted in production of functional dystrophin in numerous appropriate tissues, including the heart, diaphragm and skeletal muscles; key organs for the treatment of the disease.

• Axelar AB, of Stockholm, Sweden, said it has received financing from the Foundation for Baltic and East European Studies and Karolinska Development AB to perform a Phase I/II trial with the insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) receptor inhibitor AXL1717 on cancer patients. The amount of the funding was not revealed.

• Baxter International Inc., of Deerfield, Ill., announced publication in the June 12 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine of data demonstrating that its candidate avian influenza (H5N1) vaccine, Celvapan, met Phase I/II trial endpoints for safety and immunogenicity.

• BioNeutral, of Newark, N.J., said tests using its Ygiene formulation to kill anthrax spores on contact showed it did so in as little as 15 seconds. The test compared results with a 10 percent solution of chlorine bleach which required almost 100 times the contact time to achieve the same test result. Ygiene is being developed for use by the military and first responders in conjunction with any suspected anthrax exposure.

• Maxygen Inc., of Redwood City, Calif., has received the necessary approvals in the UK to initiate a first-in-human Phase I trial of MAXY-VII in hemophilia patients. MAXY-VII is a Factor VIIa protein for the treatment of hemophilia. Patient dosing is on schedule to begin in the second half of this year.

• NeoPharm Inc., of Lake Bluff, Ill., has received approval from Nasdaq to transfer the listing of its common stock from the Nasdaq Global Market to the Nasdaq Capital Market. The transfer will be effective as of the market opening on Friday. Its trading symbol will remain "NEOL."

• Proton Laboratories Inc., of Alameda, Calif., has formed a business alliance with the principals of BW2Asia, of Pasig City, the Philippines. The principals will exclusively represent Proton Laboratories' four business development priorities in the Philippines.

• Q Therapeutics Inc., of Salt Lake City, said Nicholas Maragakis of Johns Hopkins University received notification of an $800,000 grant to be awarded from the Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund to enable study of the company's human neural cell product Q-Cells in preclinical models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The study will focus on the ability of Q-Cells to protect motor neurons from degeneration in the SOD-1 rat model of ALS.

• Viral Genetics, of Azusa, Calif., has expanded the existing license agreement with the University of Colorado by obtaining two options to acquire rights for treatment and detection of several forms of cancer including lung, breast, leukemia, and others, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, malaria and several other diseases.