• Advaxis Inc., of Princeton, N.J., published the results of preclinical research with its ADXS-PSA (ADXS31-142) Lm-LLO immunotherapy for prostate cancer. The study showed that ADXS-PSA immunotherapy plus radiation therapy produced complete regression of established tumors in 60 percent of mice, compared to less than or equal to 10 percent regression in either treatment alone. In mice that regressed completely, tumors did not develop upon re-challenge with tumor cells, and combination therapy caused an increased induction of PSA-specific T cells in the periphery, and increased filtration of those cells in the tumor microenvironment. Data were published in Cancer Immunology Immunotherapy.

• Alexza Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Mountain View, Calif., disclosed a 10-for-1 reverse split of its common stock, which reduced the number of shares outstanding from about 119.6 million shares to about 12 million. The purpose of the split is to raise the per-share trading price to regain compliance with the $1 minimum bid requirement for continued listing. Shares (NASDAQ:ALXA) closed Wednesday at $3.10.

• BioAlliance Pharma SA, of Paris, inked an exclusive license agreement for Sitavig (acyclovir Lauriad) with Abic Marketing Ltd., a subsidiary of Jerusalem-based Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. for commercialization rights in Israel. Sitavig, based on BioAlliance's mucoadhesive buccal technology, is in development for treating recurrent labial herpes in immunocompetent patients presenting more than four episodes per year. Specific financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but BioAlliance expects to receive up-front and milestone payments, as well as royalties for sales in Israel.

• Celgene Corp., of Summit, N.J., said its board authorized the repurchase of up to an additional $2.5 billion in common stock.

• Erytech Pharma, of Lyon, France, said the European Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products adopted a positive opinion to grant orphan designation to Enhoxy, human erythrocytes encapsulating inositol hexaphosphate, for sickle cell disease. Orphan status would guarantee 10 years of marketing exclusivity in the European Union upon approval. Erytech aims to start clinical trials of Enhoxy next year.

• FivePrime Therapeutics Inc., of South San Francisco, signed an agreement with BioWa Inc., of Princeton, N.J. and Lonza Group AG, of Basel, Switzerland, to use the Potelligent CHOK1SV cell line for development of antibodies for its pipeline. The technology is a combination of BioWa's engineered glycosylation Potelligent platform with Lonza's GS Gene Expression System, including the CHOK1SV cell line. Financial terms were not disclosed.

• Idera Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Cambridge, Mass., said it received a notice from Nasdaq informing the firm that it is not in compliance with the minimum market value requirement for continued listing on the Nasdaq Global Market. The value of Idera's common stock fell below $50 million for 30 consecutive business days. The company has 180 calendar days, or until Dec. 4, to regain compliance.

• Innovimmune Biotherapeutics Inc., of New York, was awarded a $600,000 Small Business Innovation Research grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for development of its macrophage migration inhibitor factor for rheumatoid arthritis.

• Karolinska Development AB, of Stockholm, Sweden, will exchange its shares in Oncopeptides AB, also of Stockholm, for Industrifonden's shares in Aprea AB, of Stockholm. That exchange would leave Karolinska with 69.4 percent ownership of Aprea AB, where it owned 41.1 percent before. The deal includes a provision for Karolinska to receive a 5 percent share of any revenue to Industrifonden from its holdings of Oncopeptides, to a maximum of SEK80 million (US$11.4 million).

• PolyMedix Inc., of Radnor, Pa., said the Adopted Names Council approved the use of the nonproprietary generic name brilacidin for PMX-30063, a defensin mimetic antibiotic. PolyMedix recently reported Phase II data showing brilacidin's activity as an intravenous treatment in patients with acute bacterial skin and skin structure Staphylococcus aureus infections.

• Xenetic Biosciences plc, of London, said it plans to relocate its drug development operations to Massachusetts. Xenetic plans to hire up to six employees in Massachusetts before the end of the year and build a new drug development center with up to 20 employees by the end of 2013. The specialty drug development company focuses on rare and orphan diseases.