AVAX Technologies Inc., of Overland Park, Kan., reported publication in the August 2002 issue of Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy studies related to its AC Vaccine cancer technology. The paper was a retrospective analysis of dosing regimens given to 284 melanoma patients meant to determine the impact of live and dead cells in eliciting an immune response, as measured by delayed-type hypersensitivity testing, to their own tumor cells. The paper concluded that dead tumor cells appear to contribute to the vaccine's immunogenicity.

Bioenvision Inc., of New York, published data in Cancer Cell Biology on the mode of action of Modrenal. The data showed that the drug works on cancer cells in a way that distinguishes it from other breast cancer treatments. The results show that Modrenal, in addition to inhibiting production of oestrogen, also acts on the oestrogen receptors. The product is approved for marketing in the UK to treat advanced breast cancer in postmenopausal women.

Dendreon Corp., of Seattle, said it would outsource its Mountain View, Calif., cell-processing operations to Progenitor Cell Therapy LLC, of Hackensack, N.J. Progenitor will pay a fee to Dendreon and assume operational, lease and personnel obligations for the facility. Progenitor will provide cell-processing services at the facility for Dendreon as requested. Dendreon said it estimates $10 million in savings over four years from the outsourcing.

DNAPrint genomics Inc., of Sarasota, Fla., said it obtained a nonexclusive right of supply from the Danish company Exiqon A/S to incorporate Locked Nucleic Acid technology into certain of DNAPrint's pharmacogenomics and forensics tests. The agreement enables DNAPrint to use a specially modified DNA in the construction of its test kits. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Dyax Corp., of Cambridge, Mass., said it initiated its Phase I/II trial to evaluate DX-88 in patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass. Three patients have been dosed thus far. DX-88 inhibits an enzyme in the blood called kallikrein. Dyax is evaluating DX-88 for prophylactic use in reducing perioperative blood loss and the need for transfusion in patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass in the course of coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

Gilead Sciences Inc., of Foster City, Calif., selected Hepsera as the U.S. trade name for adefovir dipivoxil, its investigational treatment for patients with chronic hepatitis B. Gilead's application to market Hepsera is under review by the FDA. On August 6, the FDA's Antiviral Drugs Advisory Committee voted unanimously in support of approval of the drug. Hepsera is a nucleotide analogue designed to treat hepatitis B that works by blocking HBV DNA polymerase.

Neurochem Inc., of Saint-Laurent, Quebec, said the Data Safety Monitoring Board unanimously recommended to continue the Phase II/III trial for Fibrillex in secondary amyloidosis. The recommendation was based on the first review of the safety data from 27 patients who completed at least four months of the study. The trial is progressing on schedule, the company said. Fibrillex has orphan drug status in the U.S. and Europe.

Nexell Therapeutics Inc., of Irvine, Calif., said it was notified by the Nasdaq Stock Market that it fails to comply with the $1 minimum bid price and $5 million market value of publicly held shares necessary for continued listing. As a result, Nexell's securities, including common stock and publicly traded warrants, will be delisted at the start of business Sept. 3. Nexell said it believes it meets the eligibility criteria to list its securities on the OTC Bulletin Board, where it might be quoted following Nasdaq's delisting.

Ortec International Inc., of New York, received executed purchase agreements for the issuance of $8.5 million of Series B convertible preferred stock. Since May Ortec has received about $4 million through the issuance of debt and equity securities that will be exchanged for securities issued in the Series B financing. The financing includes new funds as well as funds received since May and is conditioned on the receipt of $2 million into escrow from an institutional investor. Ortec is a tissue-engineering company focused on the application of its OrCel product to heal chronic and acute wounds.

Panacos Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Gaithersburg, Md., was awarded by the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md., a Phase I $143,000 Small Business Innovation Research grant to help support Panacos' program to discover drugs that inhibit fusion of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) to human cells. Panacos will use the funding to discover orally available small-molecule inhibitors of HIV fusion, it said.

PsychoGenics Inc., of Hawthorne, N.Y., was awarded by the National Institute of Mental Health, part of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md., a fast-track Small Business Innovation Research grant worth more than $1 million to help support the development of SmartCube, a high-throughput system for testing behavior and physiology in live animals. SmartCube combines PsychoGenics' knowledge in behavioral pharmacology with robotics, computer vision and bioinformatics.

QLT Inc., of Vancouver, British Columbia, and Novartis Ophthalmics, the eye health unit of Novartis AG, of Basel, Switzerland, said Visudyne (verteporfin) therapy was granted marketing approval from the European Commission for the treatment of occult subfoveal choroidal neovascularization secondary to age-related macular degeneration. The approval includes all patients with that indication who have recent or ongoing disease progression. Visudyne is administered intravenously, then activated by a nonthermal laser light. The product selectively targets abnormal blood vessels on the retina.

Selective Genetics Inc., of San Diego, began treating the first patient in its Phase I study involving chronic, nonhealing diabetic foot ulcers. The trial will investigate its Gene-Activated Matrix technology, developed at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and exclusively licensed to Selective Genetics. The study is designed to test the safety of the product through escalating doses and administrations. Selective Genetics said efficacy studies could begin next year.

Targacept Inc., of Winston-Salem, N.C., acquired Inversine (mecamylamine HCl) from Layton Bioscience Inc. Inversine is thought to modulate nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, a property that Targacept said holds promise for treating diseases of the central nervous system. Inversine is marketed for the management of moderately severe to severe essential hypertension and in uncomplicated cases of malignant hypertension. Financial details were not disclosed. Separately, Targacept said it gave several of its management members new titles to reflect the company's progress from a research company to a product-focused research and development company.

Valentis Inc., of Burlingame, Calif., said it was notified by the Nasdaq Stock Market that it fails to comply with the minimum $50 million market capitalization requirement necessary for continued listing, making its securities subject to delisting at the start of business Aug. 30. Valentis has requested a hearing.