• Cangene Corp., of Toronto, received approval from the Israeli Ministry of Health for the use of HepaGam B (hepatitis B immune globulin [human] intravenous) for two indications. The product has been approved for treating acute exposure to the hepatitis B virus (post-exposure prophylaxis or PEP) and preventing re-infection in liver transplant recipients who are positive for HBV infection. This is the first non-North American approval for the product.

• Cel-Sci Corp., of Vienna, Va., said its collaborators at the University of Hawaii reported on data at the annual American Society for Microbiology in Philadelphia, showing that vaccines using the Ligand Epitope Antigen Presentation System technology with specificity for particular Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigens can elicit immune responses that would be protective against tuberculosis and have the potential to treat swine and other H1N1 influenzas. The investigators presented data showing that blood cells from immunized mice produced gamma interferon in response to the vaccine, while the blood cells from mice in the various control groups did not.

• Genaera Corp., of Plymouth Meeting, Pa., said stockholders voted in favor of liquidating the company. The company's board said in late April that it had opted to liquidate after being unable to raise additional capital to fund operations. It likely will be seeking buyers for its assets, which include trodusquemine for Type II diabetes and obesity. Shares of Genaera (NASDAQ:GENR) gained 10 cents, or 62 percent, to close Friday at 30 cents. (See BioWorld Today, April 30, 2009.)

• Ortho Biotech Oncology Research & Development, of Raritan, N.J., a unit of Centocor Research & Development Inc., entered a five-year Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with the National Cancer Institute to research and develop cell therapy technologies as potential treatments for a variety of cancers. The adoptive immunotherapy technologies are designed to work by helping the immune system fight cancer.

• Somaxon Pharmaceuticals Inc., of San Diego, resubmitted its new drug application to the FDA for Silenor (doxepin) for the treatment of insomnia. The resubmission includes additional statistical analyses of the company's clinical data relating to the durability of subjective sleep maintenance efficacy. It also includes the results of the company's completed clinical trial of doxepin that evaluated the potential for electrocardiogram effects. Somaxon said in April that it would resubmit the NDA, after the FDA issued a complete-response letter in February. The company's stock (NASDAQ:SOMX) closed Friday at $1.38, up 13 cents. (See BioWorld Today, April 9, 2009.)