• 4SC AG,of Martinsried, Germany, said it obtained positive results in animal models of its drug candidate SC12267 for treatment of chronic inflammatory bowel diseases. The drug already is being tested in a Phase IIa trial in rheumatoid arthritis, another autoimmune disorder.

• Advanced Cell Technology Inc., of Alameda, Calif., said it has successfully produced a human embryonic stem cell line (hESC) without destroying an embryo. In August 2006, ACT published a paper in Nature documenting a technique for removing a single cell (known as a blastomere) from an eight-cell human embryo, and using that cell to generate multiple hESCs without destroying the embryo. Now, Robert Lanza, vice president of research and scientific development for ACT, said he and his team have reproduced the work of removing a single cell blastomere from a human embryo with the surviving embryo cryo-preserved. He said these are the first human embryonic stem cells in existence to be made without destroying an embryo. He made the announcement at a meeting of the International Society for Stem Cell Research in Cairns, Australia.

•Anacor Pharmaceuticals, of Palo Alto, Calif., said the journal Science is publishing research data today showing how AN2690 kills fungal cells by interfering with synthesis of a specific protein required for fungal growth. Anacor said the unique mechanism of action of its compound is made possible by its boron-based chemistry. It also said that could prove useful in developing new classes of therapeutic agents such as antibiotics. AN2690 is in Phase II trials for treating of onychomycosis, a fungal infection of the nails and nail beds. The agent from the benoxaborale family is partnered with Schering-Plough Corp., of Kenilworth, N.J., in a deal worth up to $625 million. (See BioWorld Today, Feb. 5, 2007.)

• Applied Genetic Technologies Corp., of Alachua, Fla., said it received a $2 million milestone payment from Genzyme Corp., of Cambridge, Mass. The payment was triggered by the successful transfer of AGTC's adeno-associated virus vector production technology to Genzyme, the first phase of their agreement. They jointly are developing a gene therapy product for the treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration under a deal from 2004.

• Bioxel Pharma Inc., of Sainte-Foy, Quebec, said it submitted a drug master file with the FDA for its docetaxel chemotherapy drug. Bioxel said it is pursuing commercial discussions with generic and specialty pharmaceutical companies interested in using its docetaxel in their formulated products. Bioxel said the filing positions the product well since the patents for Sanofi-Aventis Group's docetaxel will begin to expire at the end of 2007.

• Commonwealth Biotechnologies Inc., of Richmond, Va., said its CBI Services unit received notification of two new anticipated contract awards collectively totaling about $2.8 million. One is a new three-year government contact, valued at about $1.7 million, for continued development of analytical methods for biotoxin detection and quantitation. The second contract, valued at about $ 1.1 million, is a one-year deal in biomarker analysis by mass spectrometry for a private-sector client. Work on both contracts is expected to begin in July.

• Diversa Corp., of San Diego, and Celunol Corp., of Cambridge, Mass., completed their previously announced merger to create Verenium Corp. Verenium will utilize its specialty enzyme products for production of low-cost, biomass-derived sugars for industrial applications, including the large-scale commercial production of cellulosic ethanol. As a result of the merger, former Celunol security holders will own approximately 24 percent of Verenium, while former Diversa shareholders will own approximately 76 percent. Verenium has approximately 63 million shares outstanding and reported $125.5 million in cash and equivalents as of March 31, not including $20 million received in April. Verenium now trades on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol "VRNM" and is headquartered in Cambridge, Mass.

• GenoLogics Life Sciences Software Inc., of Victoria, British Columbia, entered an agreement with Illumina Inc., of San Diego, under which it will become a technology partner and participant in IlluminaConnect, a bioinformatics software program established by Illumina to advance data integration and analysis among life science companies. GenoLogics will build integrations into its Geneus platform that support Illumina's BeadArray technology platforms and software for both gene expression and genotyping applications.

• Haemacure Corp., of Montreal, entered a technology acquisition alliance with technology transfer specialist UTEK Corp., of Tampa, Fla. Haemacure, which develops human-derived fibrin sealant and human thrombin for use in biosurgical applications, said the deal will provide it with access to intellectual property.

• LAB International Inc., of Montreal, licensed its lead product, Fentanyl Taifun, to Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, a unit of New Brunswick, N.J.-based Johnson & Johnson, for marketing in the European Union, Eastern Europe, Russia, the Middle-East and Africa. In exchange, LAB will receive $10.8 million up front and up to $33.6 million in milestone payments. LAB also may receive royalties and revenue from manufacturing the product. For the initial indication of breakthrough cancer pain, the companies will collaborate on development of the fast-acting fentanyl formulation delivered using LAB's Taifun dry-powder inhaler, but Janssen will handle development in additional indications. Fentanyl Taifun is currently in a Phase II trial for breakthrough cancer pain.

• Pfizer Inc. of New York said the FDA issued an approvable letter for maraviroc, which is under review for treatment-experienced patients infected with CCR5-tropic HIV-1. While not defining the issues involved, the company said it is in continuing discussions with the FDA to address outstanding questions and finalize the product labeling. Maraviroc is a twice-a-day designed to keep the HIV virus from entering healthy immune cells, unlike older medicines that attack the virus itself.

• Senesco Technologies Inc., of New Brunswick, N.J., received notice from the American Stock Exchange that the company is not in compliance with continued listing standards because shareholders' equity was less than $4 million and losses from continuing operations and/or net losses were incurred in three of the last four years. Senesco must submit a plan by July 16, advising AMEX of action it has taken, or will take, that would bring Senesco into compliance with continued listing standards within 18 months.

• Tacere Therapeutics Inc., of San Jose, Calif., and Oncolys BioPharma Inc., of Tokyo, entered an alliance to develop TT-033, an RNA interference-based product for the treatment of hepatitis C virus. Oncolys got an option to acquire Asian rights to TT-033, which it would name OBP-701. Terms of the deal include Tacere receiving an undisclosed equity investment from Oncolys. Further details were not disclosed. TT-033 contains three separate RNAi elements entrapped in an AAV protein coat. The three sequences were chosen to be effective against all HCV genotypes. Tacere said it will begin investigational new drug-enabling studies on TT-033 shortly and plans to enter Phase I trials in late 2008.