• Arrowhead Research Corp., of Pasadena, Calif., said its portfolio company, Leonardo Biosystems Inc., received the second half of its previously disclosed $2.5 million grant from the Texas Emerging Technology Fund. Leonardo is developing a drug delivery platform that uses micron-sized particles of porous silicon loaded with a variety of secondary nanoparticles containing a therapeutic agent, such as a drug or small interfering RNA molecule.

• Athersys Inc., of Cleveland, and Angiotech Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Vancouver, British Columbia, said they terminated their collaboration to co-develop cell therapies in the cardiovascular field, with all rights to the MultiStem cardiovascular program returning to Athersys. Through the termination, Angiotech will have no further funding obligations. Athersys now has the right to pursue other collaborations and, in the case of a new deal, Angiotech will be entitled to a future payment equal to a percentage of the up-front cash license fees. Angiotech also will retain its shares of Athersys common stock. The firms inked the deal in 2006 to work on MultiStem, an adult stem cell-derived product for cardiovascular indications such as acute myocardial infarction.

• Digna Biotech SL, of Madrid, Spain, regained rights to disitertide (p144) from Barcelona, Spain-based skin care company Isdin. Disitertide is a Transforming Growth Factor-Beta 1 inhibitor that significantly improved skin compared to placebo (p < 0.034) in a Phase IIa trial for systemic sclerosis. Digna is planning a Phase IIb trial.

• Dyax Corp., of Cambridge, Mass., said it has decided with partner Sigma-Tau Group, of Rome, to withdraw the European marketing authorization application for hereditary angioedema drug Kalbitor (ecallantide). Although Kalbitor is approved in the U.S., European regulators indicated the data were not sufficient to prove a positive risk-benefit. The companies will consider resubmitting an application for approval based on higher-dose data, and in the interim they continue to move forward with approval applications in Australia, the Middle East and Latin America.

• ImmunoGen Inc., of Waltham, Mass., said a second investigational new drug (IND) application submitted to the FDA by partner Amgen Inc., of Thousand Oaks, Calif., is now active, triggering a $1 million milestone payment to ImmunoGen. Both INDs cover drugs that use ImmunoGen's Targeted Antibody Payload technology and are part of a license between ImmunoGen and Abgenix Inc., which Amgen acquired. (See BioWorld Today, Sept. 7, 2000.)

• IntelGenx Corp., of Saint Laurent, Quebec, said the FDA approved CPI-300, a high-strength formulation of bupropion hydrochloride, for use in patients with major depressive disorder. The firm is in discussions with potential partners and said it anticipates finalizing a commercialization deal soon.

• Invida Pharmaceutical Holdings Pte, of Singapore, acquired a portfolio of dermatology products from Shalaks Pharmaceuticals Pvt Ltd., of New Delhi, India. No terms were disclosed.

• The Medicines Co., of Parsippany, N.J, reported that researchers with the ISAR group, of Munich, Germany, presented results of an independent study that supported the use of Angiomax (bivalirudin ) as the standard of care for patients suffering from a heart attack and undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. The randomized, double-blind, active-controlled, multicenter ISAR-REACT-4 trial compared bivalirudin with a combination of unfractionated heparin and abciximab (ReoPro, Eli Lilly and Co.). According to data from the trial, which enrolled 1 ,721 patients, 22 patients, or 2.6 percent, on bivalirudin experienced major bleeding compared with 40 patients, 4.7 percent, taking abciximab and heparin. The two groups had similar occurrences of death, major heart attack or the need for another procedure to unblock the same artery within 30 days of teatment. The results were presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions and published in The New England Journal of Medicine.