• BioLineRx Ltd., of Jerusalem, signed a worldwide exclusive license agreement with Yissum, the technology transfer company of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and Hadasit, the technology transfer company of Hadassah medical organization, for the development and commercialization of BL-4060, a small-molecule drug candidate for the treatment of cancer. Financial terms of the license were not disclosed. BL-4060 is an analogue of the fatty molecule ceramide, a strong pro-apoptotic agent that induces apoptosis, indicated for the treatment of cancer.

• Chromos Molecular Systems Inc., of Burnaby, British Columbia, completed the previously announced sale of its ACE System technology to GlaxoSmithKline plc, of London, and its selective adhesion-molecule inhibitors to Glenmark Pharmaceuticals SA, a wholly owned Swiss subsidiary of Mumbai, India-based Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd. Since filing for creditor protection in April, Chromos also satisfied its obligations to its creditors and is preparing to apply to have the cease-trade orders on its stock revoked. The company's management does not believe its remaining cash and assets are sufficient to support operations and is reviewing strategic options.

• DOR BioPharma Inc., of Ewing, N.J., said it has entered into a cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) with the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research to provide additional means to characterize the immunogenic protein subunit component of the firm's ricin toxin vaccine RiVax. The CRADA, which will be carried out at Walter Reed, will encompass basic studies to reveal the underlying protein structure that is important in inducing human immune responses to ricin toxin, an easy to manufacture toxin that poses a serious threat as a bioweapon, primarily by inhalation. DOR has been developing RiVax in a consortium effort between academic and industrial partners under several separate National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, as well as the FDA grants to DOR and University of Texas Southwestern, totaling about $15 million. The RiVax development program also has been awarded a $1 million FDA orphan-products grant to carry out additional testing of the vaccine.

• Dragon Pharmaceutical Inc., of Vancouver, British Columbia, agreed to sell its EPO business to an undisclosed party for C2.08 million (US$2.17 million). Dragon said the EPO business accounted for less than 3 percent of the company's revenues so far this year, and it will focus instead on antibiotics. Shares of Dragon (OTC BB:DRUG) fell 20 cents, or 22.2 percent, to close at 70 cents on Thursday.

• Eli Lilly and Co., of Indianapolis, is providing a three year, $3 million grant to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) to fund research focused on identifying Type I diabetes biomarkers associated with pancreatic beta cell mass and function. Under the program, JDRF will award funding to both academic and commercial investigators.

• F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., of Basel, Switzerland, said that the FDA has granted U.S. marketing approval for its erythropoiesis-stimulating agent (ESA) Mircera (methoxy polyethylene glycol-epoetin beta) for the treatment of anemia associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD) in adults. The product is the only ESA-approved drug in the U.S. to provide correction of anemia with once-every-two-week dosing and to maintain stable hemoglobin levels with once-monthly or once-every-two-week dosing in CKD patients, the firm noted. Roche said that the outcome of an ongoing patent infringement suit brought by Thousand Oaks, Calif.-based Amgen Inc. will determine when patients can gain access to the product in the U.S. A jury in the U.S. District Court in Massachusetts in October found in favor of Amgen in the dispute, and Roche said it is evaluating its legal options, including the possibility of an appeal. (See BioWorld Today, Oct. 25, 2007.)

• Halozyme Therapeutics Inc., of San Diego, amended its shareholder rights plan by increasing the ownership threshold that would trigger the anti-takeover plan from 15 percent ownership to 20 percent ownership. The change follows the expansion of a deal with Baxter International Inc., of Deerfield, Ill., for Halozyme's Enhanze drug delivery platform. (See BioWorld Today, Sept. 11, 2007.)

• Johnson & Johnson, of New Brunswick, N.J., reported that it will reorganize effective Jan. 1, 2008. New divisions include: an Office of Strategy and Growth, which will identify opportunities outside existing business areas and will encompass Johnson & Johnson Development Corp., the Corporate Office of Science and Technology, and Worldwide Operations; a Comprehensive Care Group, which will focus on chronic diseases such as metabolic disorders and will encompass Diabetes, Cordis, Johnson & Johnson Vision Care and Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics; and a Surgical Care Group, which will encompass Ethicon, Ethicon Endo-Surgery and DePuy. Additionally, Joseph Scodari, worldwide chairman of pharmaceuticals, will retire in early 2008 and be replaced by Christine Poon.

• Medistem Laboratories Inc., of Scottsdale, Ariz., published data in the Journal of Translational Medicine regarding the discovery of a stem cell population derived from menstrual blood. Those adult stem cells can be converted into liver, lung, pancreas, brain, heart, blood vessel and muscle, and researchers are evaluating them in preclinical studies. The research was conducted in collaboration with the University of Western Ontario, the University of Alberta and the Bio-Communications Research Institute.

• OraSure Technologies Inc., of Bethlehem, Pa., settled its patent infringement suit against Schering-Plough Healthcare Products Inc., a subsidiary of Schering-Plough Corp., of Kenilworth, N.J., relating to the sale of Dr. Scholls Freeze Away cryosurgical wart removal product in the U.S. over-the-counter market. According to the settlement, Schering-Plough will license OraSure's patents and pay past and future royalties.

• PA Early Stage Partners, of Wayne, Pa., changed its name to Novitas Capital. The venture firm makes investments in early stage technology and life science companies.

• PerkinElmer Inc., of Waltham, Mass., completed its acquisition of ViaCell Inc., of Cambridge, Mass for $7.25 per share in cash. The companies announced the $300 million deal last month. (See BioWorld Today, Oct. 3, 2007.)

• Singulex Inc., of Hayward, Calif., said it has received a $900,000 Phase I/II Fast Track Small Business Innovation Research contract from the National Cancer Institute to create biomarker assays to help predict patient response and therapeutic efficacy of cancer therapies in development. The firm is collaborating with the Washington University School of Medicine on the project to develop biomarker assays for validated and putative biomarkers in important disease areas, including breast cancer, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes and stroke.

• Trimeris Inc., of Morrisville, N.C., appointed Martin Mattingly as CEO, effective immediately. Mattingly, who most recently served as president and CEO of San Diego-based Ambrx Inc., also will join Trimeris's board of directors.

• VioQuest Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Basking Ridge, N.J., said CEO Daniel Greenleaf has resigned. Brian Lenz, the company's chief financial officer, will serve as interim CEO. Shares of VioQuest (OTC BB:VQPH) lost 2 cents, to close at 25 cents on Thursday.