• Angiotech Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Vancouver, British Columbia, said Cook Medical, a license holder of Angiotech's paclitaxel technology, has enrolled the first patient in its Formula PTX trial. The trial is the first of its kind to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of a paclitaxel-eluting stent to treat renal artery disease. The multi-center, randomized trial plans to enroll 120 patients at sites across Europe.

• Morria Biopharmaceuticals plc, of London, has begun a Phase II trial on its leading topical multifunctional anti-inflammatory drug MRX6. The double-blind, placebo-controlled study of up to 80 contact dermatitis patients will take place at the Hadassah Hospital in Israel. The study will examine a shortened regime of 21 days as well as look at pharmacokinetics and dose-response parameters.

• StemCells Inc., of Palo Alto, Calif., has submitted a protocol to the FDA for initiation of a second clinical trial of HuCNS-SC human neural stem cells in neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis, also referred to as Batten disease. The proposed new trial is designed to further assess the safety of HuCNS-SC cells in NCL, while also examining the ability of the cells to affect the progression of the disease. The company plans to enroll six patients with infantile and late infantile NCL.

• Swedish Orphan Biovitrum AB, of Stockholm, Sweden, reported positive results from the second Kiobrina Phase II study. The study demonstrated an improvement in preterm infant growth velocity when Kiobrina was administered in pasteurized breast milk. As a result of that and other data, Swedish Orphan has decided to move Kiobrina into Phase III development. Kiobrina is a recombinant human bile-salt-stimulated lipase.