* VimRx Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Wilmington, Del., licensed rights from Columbia University to an anticoagulating protein, called Factor IXa inhibitor. VimRx said it initially will target the protein for prevention of blood clots in patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass surgery and in hemodialysis patients.

* Digital Gene Technologies Inc., of La Jolla, Calif., and Recordati Group, of Milan, Italy, entered a collaboration to apply the former's gene expression technology to assess the activity of the latter's calcium channel blocker, Lercanidipine, against atherosclerosis. The drug already is approved for hypertension. Digital Gene Technologies received $3 million up front, including an equity investment, and could receive milestone payments and royalties. The companies also will attempt to identify other genetic targets involved in atherosclerosis.

* Eli Lilly and Co., of Indianapolis, said the FDA cleared its growth hormone, Humatrope, for treatment of short stature associated with Turner's syndrome. Humatrope has been on the U.S. market since 1987 for treatment of growth hormone deficiencies. The company applied to expand the label in tandem with Genentech Inc., of South San Francisco, which sought approval of Nutropin for Turner's Syndrome. Nutropin has been sold in the U.S. since 1993 for growth hormone deficiencies. The FDA approved expansion of Genentech's drug on Dec. 31, 1996.

* NeoRx Corp., of Seattle, raised $12 million through the sale of preferred stock to private investors. The preferred stock is convertible to common shares before March 1999. NeoRx said the new financing gives the company enough cash to support operations until early 1999.

* NeoTherapeutics Inc., of Irvine, Calif., filed an investigational new drug application with the FDA to begin clinical trials of AIT-082 for Alzheimer's disease. The Phase I trial will be conducted by the Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study Unit, a group of 35 U.S. medical centers, and is sponsored by the National Institutes of Health. NeoTherapeutics has another clinical trial of AIT-082 ongoing in Canada. The small-molecule drug is designed to boost levels of neurotrophic factors, which are proteins that promote growth of nerve cells.

* Neurogen Corp., of Branford, Conn., said a Phase I trial in the U.K. of NGD 94-4, a dopamine D4 antagonist, for schizophrenia showed the drug was safe and well tolerated, but that it also was metabolized more quickly than expected, raising questions about its potential activity. Neurogen also said Schering-Plough Corp., of Madison, N.J., extended their research collaboration on schizophrenia treatments.

* Sequus Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Menlo Park, Calif., said a preclinical study of Amphotec for treatment of Cryptococcus neoformans, a fungal infection, showed Sequus' lipid-based form of amphotericin B was more effective than Abelcet and equivalent to AmBisome. Amphotec is on the U.S. market, as is Abelcet, a lipid-based form of amphotericin B made by The Liposome Co., of Princeton, N.J. AmBisome, a liposomal form of amphotericin B from NeXstar Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Boulder, Colo., is under review by the FDA.

* Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Inc., of Jerusalem, said it launched sales of its multiple sclerosis drug, Copaxone, in late March. Copaxone is marketed by Teva Marion Partners, of Kansas City, Mo., which is a partnership between Teva and Hoechst Marion Roussel, of Frankfurt, Germany. The drug, an amino acid peptide fragment derived from myelin basic protein, will compete with Avonex from Biogen Inc., of Cambridge, Mass., and Betaseron, which is made by Chiron Corp., of Emeryville, Calif., and is sold by Berlex Laboratories Inc., of Wayne, N.J. Berlex is a subsidiary of Schering AG, of Berlin.