* U.S. Bioscience Inc., of West Conshohocken, Pa., was granted alicense in the U.K. for the marketing of Ethyol (amifostine), aselective cytoprotective agent. It is indicated for the reduction ofneutropenia-related infection resulting from uses ofchemotherapeutic agents in patients with advanced ovarian cancer.An affiliated company of Schering-Plough Corp. plans to launch theproduct in early 1995.

* Cadus Pharmaceutical Corp., of New York, and the NationalJewish Center for Immunology and Respiratory Medicine, ofDenver, agreed to give Cadus exclusive worldwide rights to drugdiscovery technology in the field of signal transduction. Theagreement covers the work of two senior researchers at the center.

* Genetics Institute Inc., of Cambridge, Mass., and Affymetrix Inc.,of Santa Clara, Calif., will collaborate to develop novel assays usingthe DNA chip technology of Affymetrix. Genetics Institute, whichwill provide research funding, hopes to rapidly screen for theexpression of a panel of genes simultaneously.

* Arcturus Pharmaceutical Corp., of Woburn, Mass., began Phase IItrials of buspirone hydrochloride as a treatment for atopic dermatitis.The double-blind, placebo-controlled study will involve about 60patients.

* BioCryst Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Birmingham, Ala., signed amultiyear research and development agreement with the ResearchFoundation of the University of Alabama at Birmingham to design,synthesize and develop inhibitors of the enzyme influenzaneuraminidase to treat influenza.

* Therexsys Ltd., of Keele, England, signed a wide-rangingagreement with the Department of Cell Biology and Genetics of theFaculty of Medicine, Eramus University, of the Netherlands, on thecommercialization rights of intellectual property applicable to genetherapy.

* The British High Court of Justice ruled in favor of Chiron Corp., ofEmeryville, Calif., in saying that International Murex TechnologiesCorp., of Norcross, Ga., must discontinue manufacturing and sellingits tests to detect hepatitis C. The decision pertains only to the U.K.

* Viagene Inc., of San Diego, adopted a stockholder rights plan toguard against inadequate or unfair takeover attempts.

* Tanox Biosystems Inc., of Houston, began a Phase IIa clinical trialof CGP 51901, an anti-IGE monoclonal antibody, for the treatmentof diseases such as hay fever and allergic asthma. It is beingdeveloped jointly with Switzerland-based Ciba-Geigy Ltd.

* Zonagen Inc., of The Woodlands, Texas, said preclinical data on itadjuvant for enhancing the antibody response in vaccines, calledImmuMax, using chicken egg albumin, is effective in elicitingresponse in laboratory animals and enhances antibody responseelicited by weakly immunogenic antigens.

(c) 1997 American Health Consultants. All rights reserved.