• Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Cambridge, Mass., formed a collaboration with the University of California, San Francisco to evaluate the potential of an RNAi therapeutic targeting a heterotrimeric G protein alpha-subunit, known as G-alpha q or GNAQ, for the treatment of metastatic uveal melanoma. The collaboration is based on new data that UCSF scientists, along with collaborators, published in the journal Nature suggesting that GNAQ plays an important role in the development of uveal melanoma.

• AspenBio Pharma Inc., of Castle Rock, Colo., said its clinical trial for AppyScore, a blood-based diagnostic test for human appendicitis, has completed enrollment. The company estimates that four to six weeks will be needed for an independent medical data management contractor to review and validate all final clinical and assay data, unblind the study subject codes, and provide final data metrics for statistical analysis.

• CureVac GmbH, of Tuebingen, Germany, said the German regulatory authority has approved the clinical trial application to begin a Phase I study with RNActive - derived mRNA vaccine CV9103. The vaccine will be tested in patients with hormone-refractory metastatic prostate cancer. The trial is designed to assess the safety and tolerability of the vaccine, and will be conducted in Germany and Italy. CureVac expects to begin treatment of the first patient by year-end and to report initial trial results by late next year.

• Evotec AG, of Hamburg, Germany, said Joern Aldag will resign as president and CEO effective Dec. 31. Mario Polywka, chief operating officer, and Klaus Maleck, chief financial officer, will jointly lead the company until a permanent successor is announced.

• Intercell AG, of Vienna, Austria, said the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has extended its five-year contract with an additional $12.5 million for the development of its Pandemic Influenza Vaccine Patch System, which includes an immunostimulant patch administered in conjunction with an injected pandemic influenza vaccine, manufactured by Solvay Biologicals BV, of the Netherlands. The system is designed to enhance the immune response and enable dose-sparing of the pandemic influenza vaccine. Intercell said it expects to start a randomized, blinded Phase II study of its product in early 2009, which will be conducted in the U.S. and plans to enroll 500 subjects at six sites. The potential worth of the HHS contract is $128 million over five years.

• Monogram Biosciences Inc., of South San Francisco, was notified by Nasdaq that the market value of Monogram's listed securities has been below the minimum $50 million requirement for continued inclusion on the Nasdaq Global Market. Nor is Monogram in compliance with an alternative requirement of total assets and total revenue of $50 million each for the most recently completed fiscal year or two of the last three most recently completed fiscal years. The company has 30 days, or until Jan. 2, 2009, to regain compliance with the applicable Nasdaq rules.

• Novavax Inc., of Rockville, Md., and the University of Massachusetts Medical School said a preclinical study of a respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine candidate showed it induced strong antibody responses against RSV, protected mice against RSV replication in the lungs, and did not lead to enhanced inflammation of the airways. The data supported continued development of this and additional RSV vaccine candidates containing other proteins (i.e., Gb and F) important for immunity, the two said.

• Salix Pharmaceuticals Ltd., of Raleigh, N.C., acquired rights to crofelemer from Napo Pharmaceuticals Inc., of San Francisco. Salix will pay Napo an up-front license fee of $5 million ($4.5 million cash and $500,000 equity investment in Napo) and a regulatory milestone for an HIV-associated diarrhea indication. Additional regulatory milestones also are included, and Salix will pay sales-based milestones and royalties on net sales of crofelemer. Crofelemer is being investigated in a Phase III study as an antisecretory antidiarrheal agent for the treatment of chronic diarrhea in people living with HIV, or HIV-associated diarrhea. Salix now has an exclusive license to the indication and the additional indications of pediatric diarrhea and acute infectious diarrhea in North America, Europe (excluding Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland) and Japan. Salix also has a worldwide license to all other possible human indications, including irritable bowel syndrome, for crofelemer.

• Thallion Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Montreal, said it is reviewing its strategic alternatives, including a sale of the company and has hired Desjardins Securities as financial advisor. The review was precipitated by the overtures from an unnamed pharmaceutical company to purchase all of the outstanding shares of the company, Thallion said. The company's board of directors has established a committee of independent directors to oversee the review process and make recommendations to the board.