• Kiadis Pharma BV, of Groningen, the Netherlands, said data from an open-label Phase II trial showed that Reviroc improved overall survival of patients with end-stage non-Hodgkin's lymphoma compared to historic controls. In the 25-patient study, Reviroc was used to eliminate cancer cells from an autologous graft in bone marrow transplantations. Reviroc did not damage the graft, and patients had an 80 percent chance of survival three-years post transplantation, compared to 55 percent in the control group. Kiadis plans to move on to a Phase III trial.

• MediGene AG, of Martinsried, Germany, said the six-month dosage form of its prostate cancer drug Eligard was approved in Europe. One-month and three-month versions of the drug, a luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonist, were already available in Europe, and one-month, three-month, four-month and six-month versions are marketed by Sanofi-Aventis Group in the U.S. MediGene licensed European rights to Eligard from QLT Inc. subsidiary QLT USA Inc. The drug will be marketed in Europe by Astellas Pharma Europe Ltd. following the implementation of the approval in 23 individual European countries.

• Neurobiological Technologies Inc., of Emeryville, Calif., received notice from Nasdaq that it is not in compliance with the minimum required $35 million market value and has 30 days to regain compliance. Nasdaq also said the company is not in compliance with the minimum required $2.5 million stockholders' equity or with net income requirements. Neurobiological Technologies said it expects to regain compliance by closing its proposed $65 million public offering, filed earlier this month.

• YM BioSciences Inc., of Mississauga, Ontario, said its subsidiary YM BioSciences USA Inc. received FDA clearance to begin a Phase II trial of nimotuzumab in pediatric patients with recurrent diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma. European partner Oncoscience AG, of Wedel, Germany, recently completed enrollment of a Phase III European trial in the same indication and initiated additional trials in glioblastoma multiforme and pancreatic cancer. Other trials with the drug are ongoing. Nimotuzumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor and was discovered in Cuba. Its U.S. importation required a special license from the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control. (See BioWorld Today, Aug. 22, 2007.)