* Celgene Corp., of Warren, N.J., received an approvable letter from the FDA for thalidomide as a treatment of cutaneous manifestations of erythema nodosum leprosum, a debilitating condition associated with leprosy.

* ICN Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Costa Mesa, Calif., and Schering-Plough Corp., of Madison, N.J., reported positive results in two pivotal Phase III trials of a combination therapy for hepatitis C infection consisting of Intron A (interferon alfa-2b) and oral ribavirin. The combination outperformed Intron A alone in patients who had relapsed after prior alpha interferon treatment. ICN created ribavirin, marketed in the U.S. in an aerosol form dubbed Virazole, for the treatment of infants hospitalized with severe lower respiratory tract infection caused by respiratory syncytial virus.

* Neose Technologies Inc., of Horsham, Pa., adopted a shareholder rights plan to protect stockholders in the event of an unwanted takeover attempt.

* PathoGenesis Corp., of Seattle, along with the University of Washington, in Seattle, and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, in Bethesda, Md., established a web site (http://www.pseudomonas.com) containing the genetic make-up of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which causes infections in cystic fibrosis, burn and cancer patients.

* Pharmacyclics Inc., of Sunnyvale, Calif., said the National Cancer Institute will sponsor nine clinical trials to evaluate the company's radiation sensitizer, Gadolinium-Texaphyrin (Gd-Tex), for a variety of cancers. The program is being conducted under a National Institutes of Health Cooperative Research and Development Agreement. Gd-Tex is one of a group of synthetic molecules, called texaphyrins, which are energy-potentiating drugs designed to boost effectiveness of radiation, chemotherapy and photodynamic therapy.

* QLT PhotoTherapeutics Inc., of Vancouver, British Columbia, said the FDA's Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee recommended expanding the label of the company's light-activated drug, Photofrin, to include early stage lung cancer where surgery and radiotherapy are not applicable. But the commitee did not vote on whether to recommend the treatment for advanced lung cancer. The photodynamic therapy is approved by the FDA as a palliative treatment for esophageal cancer and in other countries for a variety of cancers.

* Sequus Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Menlo Park, Calif., said the FDA approved additions to the company's label for Amphotec, a lipid-based form of amphotericin B., stating the drug's renal safety profile allows its use with other products that have potential toxic side effects for kidneys. The additions also state the drug is safe for children. Amphotec was approved by the FDA in 1996 for treatment of invasive aspergillosis in patients who cannot use amphotericin B.