• Amarantus BioSciences Inc., of Sunnyvale, Calif., said preclinical data showed that its mesencephalic-astrocyte-derived neurotropic factor (MANF) candidate improved behavioral deficits and neuronal cell death in neuroprotective and neurorestorative 6-OHDA rat models of Parkinson's disease. In response to serum starvation insult of dopaminergic neurons in vitro, MANF up-regulated the TH+ biomarker and general neuron marker MAP2. Those and other data are being presented at the American Society of Experimental Neurotherapeutics conference in Washington.

• Apceth GmbH & Co. KG, of Munich, Germany, and Indivumed GmbH, of Hamburg, Germany, said they agreed to partner on the development of a predominately tissue-based biomarker strategy for treating solid cancers with cellular and/or gene therapeutics. The goal is to predict the response of a targeted cancer treatment with Apceth's cell and cell-based gene therapeutics. Financial terms were not disclosed, but the project is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.

• AVI BioPharma Inc., of Bothell, Wash., said it received a letter from Nasdaq stating that the firm has regained compliance with the minimum $1 bid price requirement.

• BioDelivery Sciences International Inc., of Raleigh, N.C., said it was informed that the Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) rejected all claims by MonoSol Rx LLC, of Warren, N.J., in its U.S. Patent No. 7,425,292, which is being asserted against BDSI and its commercial partners for Onsolis (fentanyl buccal-soluble film). MonoSol filed a patent infringement suit against BDSI in 2010, and the PTO rejected all 191 claims late last year. In September 2011, MonoSol added additional patents in its case, and the current action by the PTO rejects all claims in two of the three patents asserted against BDSI. Re-examination of a third patent is pending.

• Inovio Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Blue Bell, Pa., said its next-generation surface skin electroporation technology was used successfully to enhance the delivery of small interfering RNA molecules to skin in animal studies. Data were published in Molecular Therapy – Nucleic Acids.

• Protein Sciences Corp., of Meriden, Conn., said it granted Merck & Co. Inc., of Whitehouse Station, N.J., a nonexclusive license to its express+ serum-free insect cell line and related technology (the PS Technology) to conduct vaccine research. Protein Sciences also granted Merck an exclusive license to use PS Technology for commercial production of an undisclosed vaccine candidate. Specific terms were not disclosed. Protein Sciences will get an up-front fee, plus potential payments associated with Merck exercising its option to the PS Technology, development and regulatory milestones and royalties on product sales.