• DiagnoCure Inc., of Quebec City, completed development of its DiagnoGene test for early detection of circulating tumor cells from which metastases develop in cases of prostate cancer. The test will be made available to research centers to help assess its value.

• Dow AgroSciences LLC, of Indianapolis, a subsidiary of the Dow Chemical Co., and Integrated Genomics Inc., of Chicago, entered a multi-year research and licensing agreement aimed at improving yields of Dow’s spinosad, a product used to control insects. Integrated Genomics will determine the complete DNA sequence of the bacterium that produces spinosad. Terms were not disclosed.

• Hemispherx Biopharma Inc., of Philadelphia, received FDA authorization to double the number of chronic fatigue syndrome patients undergoing treatment with Ampligen in a cost-recovery program. The drug is being tested in a placebo-controlled, double-blind Phase III trial. More than 200 patients are involved in the combined program. Ampligen, a double-stranded RNA drug, is the synthetic compound Poly I: Poly C12U. This therapeutic is thought to act in two ways: by regulating the level of immune system modulators and, as an anti-viral, by switching on enzymes that are critical to anti-viral defense mechanisms in cells.