* Cel-Sci Corp., of Alexandria, Va., signed a long-term agreement with the American Red Cross, of Washington, to supply the company with white blood cells for production of Cel-Sci's Multikine. The drug is a natural mixture of cytokines, which are immune system regulators, and is in clinical development as a treatment for HIV, prostate cancer and head and neck cancer.

* Ergo Science Corp., of Boston, filed a new drug application with the FDA for approval of Ergoset tablets to treat Type II diabetes. The company said its clinical studies have demonstrated the drug, an oral form of bromocriptine, was effective in controlling blood glucose levels. Bromocriptine is a generic dopamine agonist approved by the FDA for treatment of Parkinson's disease.

* MediChem Research Inc., of Lemont, Ill., received three Phase I Small Business Innovation Research grants totaling $300,000 from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Two from the NIH's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases are for research into synthesis of quinolone anti-HIV agents and development of a non-nucleoside HIV reverse transcriptase inhibitor. The other grant, from the National Cancer Institute, is for synthesis of indolocarbazole topoisomerase inhibitors for antitumor agents.

* Oncor Inc., of Gaithersburg, Md., reported the availability of methylation assay kits designed to detect gene inactivation in cancer research. Oncor holds a worldwide exclusive license to the technology. Methylation of tumor suppressor genes, the company said, has recently been established as a mechanism for loss of gene expression.

* Ilex Oncology Inc., of San Antonio, entered an alliance with Pharma Forschung Kaufbeuen G.m.b.H. (PFK), of Munich, a contract research organization, to perform oncology clinical trials in Europe. Ilex paid $1.7 million in cash and stock for a 30 percent stake in PFK, which will be renamed PFK-ILEX. Over the next two years, Ilex has the option to purchase an additional 19 percent of the partnership.

* The Liposome Co., of Princeton, N.J., signed an agreement with Wyeth-Ayerst International Inc., of King of Prussia, Pa., to market Abelcet in France and Italy. The drug is a lipid-based formulation of amphotericin B for treatment of systemic fungal infections. Wyeth-Ayerst is a division of American Home Products Corp., of Madison, N.J.

* Sonus Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Bothell, Wash., began a Phase III trial investigating the use of EchoGen as an ultrasound contrast agent during stress echocardiography. The study will evaluate the use of EchoGen during both exercise and pharmacologic stress echocardiography to enhance the visualization of cardiac function, assisting physicians in the diagnosis of coronary artery disease.

* Techniclone Corp., of Tustin, Calif., contracted with Paul Scherrer Institute, of Zurich, to expand the former's antibody radiolabeling capabilities for its most advanced product, LYM-1, and other drugs employing the company's tumor necrosis therapy (TNT). LYM-1 is a monoclonal antibody combined with radioactive iodine for treatment of non-Hodgkin's B cell lymphoma. TNT uses monoclonal antibodies to deliver cancer-killing agents inside tumor cells rather than to the surface membrane, which is the target for most other anticancer antibodies.