• Apollo BioPharmaceutics Inc., of Cambridge, Mass., retained the investment-banking firm of Adams, Harkness & Hill Inc. to advise the company in its efforts to explore merger or acquisition opportunities. The company is looking to gain critical mass to accelerate its clinical programs in Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, stroke and certain metabolic disorders.

• Avant Immunotherapeutics Inc., of Needham, Mass., said it received a Tibbetts Award from the U.S. Small Business Administration. The award recognizes the company's accomplishments using Small Business Innovation Research grant funds in support of its atherosclerosis vaccine program.

• Cephalon Inc., of West Chester, Pa., said its CEP-1347 compound for Parkinson's disease slowed the development of the disease's symptoms in a primate model. News of the study of CEP-1347, a selective inhibitor of the stress-activated protein kinase pathway, was announced at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience in Miami Beach, Fla.

• Cerus Corp., of Concord, Calif., said a Phase Ib trial of its S-303 pathogen-inactivation system showed positive results. The system inactivates viruses, bacteria and other pathogens in red blood cells intended for transfusion. The study demonstrated no detectable immune response directed against treated red blood cells.

• Chromagen Inc., of San Diego, signed a five-year instrument partnership agreement with Labsystems Oy, of Helsinki, Finland. It provides for the transfer of manufacturing and worldwide distribution rights for Chromagen's scanning photon-counting fluorescence detection instrument in return for revenues and royalties. Labsystems will begin marketing the instrument in 2000.

• Corixa Corp., of Seattle, and Allergy Therapeutics Ltd. (ATL), of Worthing, West Sussex, UK, said Phase II and Phase III studies show that Corixa's MPL adjuvant in ATL's Pollinex Quattro allergy vaccines demonstrate effective immunotherapy in tree and grass pollen allergies. Together, the products reduced the number of injections required to achieve a therapeutic effect. The therapy now can be completed with four injections in three weeks prior to the pollen season, the companies said.

• Creative BioMolecules Inc., of Hopkinton, Mass., said new data shows that its OP-1 restores dopaminergic neurons in an animal model of Parkinson's disease. OP-1 or a control was administered in a rat model one week after injury. Animals treated with OP-1 showed a significant increase in dopamine levels in comparison to the control-treated group.

• Genetic Vectors Inc., of Miami, said it agreed in principle to acquire all of the stock of DNA Sciences, of San Diego. An acquisition would give Genetic Vectors in vitro diagnostic and research reagent products. It is contingent on whether the parties enter into a definitive agreement.

• LigoCyte Pharmaceuticals, of Bozeman, Mont., received $1.5 million from the U.S. Department of Defense for the company's bio-adhesion research in 2000. The research seeks to identify and prepare to deal with infectious agents, such as E. coli, the Norwalk virus and brucellosis.

• Genzyme Transgenics Corp., of Framingham, Mass., and Pharming Group NV, of Leiden, the Netherlands, entered into a non-exclusive licensing agreement for the transgenic production of human Serum Albumin in the milk of cattle. Genzyme Transgenics obtained a license for patents covering bovine transgenic technology from Pharming in exchange for a $750,000 up-front payment, an annual maintenance fee and milestone payments. Pharming also will receive royalties on any resulting products.

• Neurocrine Biosciences Inc., of San Diego, said it completed a randomized, placebo-controlled, multi-center Phase II trial of NBI-34060 in 228 patients with transient insomnia. Results of the study, which was assessing safety and efficacy, will be announced in early December, the company said.

• Ortec International Inc., of New York, said the FDA has approved the company's application to proceed with a multi-center pilot trial using Composite Cultured Skin to treat diabetic ulcers. The trial is expected to include 32 patients followed for six months after application.