• Algeta ASA, of Oslo, Norway, said a paper showing the potential of its TH-1 technology for targeted cancer therapy was published in the journal Blood. Algeta's TH-1 technology links thorium-227, which emits alpha particles, to cancer-targeting molecules such as antibodies. The paper describes how researchers linked thorium-227 to the monoclonal antibody rituximab (Rituxan) to create 227Th-rituximab. It also included demonstrations of antitumor effects in vitro and in preclinical models.

• Derma Sciences Inc., of Princeton, N.J., obtained clearance from Health Canada to market and sell as Class II devices its line of API-MED Antimicrobial Dressings with Active Manuka Honey. That represents the first honey-based products to be cleared for medical use in North America, Derma said. Active Manuka Honey-based products have been available in Europe, Australia and New Zealand for the past two years.

• DUSA Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Wilmington, Mass., said Robert Doman, president and board member, was elected CEO. D. Geoffrey Shulman, current chairman and CEO, remains as chairman and takes on the title of chief strategic officer. DUSA's stock (NASDAQ:DUSA) gained 40 cents Thursday, or 11.7 percent, to close at $3.82.

• GeoPharma Inc., of Largo, Fla., said it acquired EZ-Med Technologies Inc., of Rochester, N.Y. EZ-Med is a manufacturer of soft-textured chew technology applicable to masking bitter-tasting drugs and those that can be difficult to swallow, in both human and animal products. It currently sells a line of companion animal nutritional supplements. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

• Immunotope Inc., of Doylestown, Pa., said it received grant funding from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to study the human immune response to Dengue virus infection as the basis for development of a vaccine against the pathogen. The company will use its immunoproteomics platform in the effort. Further details were not disclosed.

• Intellect Neurosciences Inc., of New York, said its stock was approved for listing and began trading on the Over-The-Counter Bulletin Board under the symbol "ILNS." The company recently completed Phase I trials for Oxigon, an antioxidant and anti-amyloid compound being developed for Alzheimer's disease. Intellect earlier this year completed a reverse merger with GlobePan Resources Inc., an SEC registrant company. Intellect has about 30 million shares outstanding. (See BioWorld Today, Feb. 2, 2007.)

• KV Pharmaceutical Co., of St. Louis, acquired all the technologies, assets and related intellectual property of Particle and Coating Technologies Inc., also of St. Louis. Terms were not disclosed. Privately held PCT applies its particle-coating technology to product development in the pharmaceutical, nutritional, veterinary, industrial and cosmetic markets.

• MedImmune Inc., of Gaithersburg, Md., was awarded a contract from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to retrofit its U.S.-based vaccine manufacturing facilities to produce pandemic influenza vaccines using its live, attenuated, needle-free influenza vaccine technology. The total value of the base FluMist-related contract is about $55.1 million. Under the cost-sharing portion of the contract, MedImmune will contribute about $14 million to the retrofitting efforts. Separately, Sanofi Pasteur, of Swiftwater, Pa., was awarded a $77.4 million contract from HHS to retrofit its existing influenza vaccine manufacturing facility. Sanofi will contribute about $25 million to the project. The contract also relates to expanding capacity for use in the event of a influenza pandemic.

• Pluristem Life Systems Inc., of New York, said its Placenta expanded (PLX) cells demonstrated in vitro properties the company believes gives them the potential to treat Parkinson's disease. PLX cells are Pluristem's placental-derived mesenchymal stem cells that have been expanded in its PluriX 3-D bioreactor. In vitro assays demonstrated the cells can be differentiated into dopaminergic neurons, which were found to have favorable properties.

• Prolexys Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Salt Lake City, and Columbia University said data describing the properties of the selective small-molecule antitumor agent erastin were published in the June 14, 200, issue of the journal Nature. Prolexys and Columbia applied the company's chemi-proteomics technology to understand the mechanism of action of erastin. Results showed erastin binds to mitochondrial voltage-dependent anion channels, a novel target for anticancer drugs. Knockdown of VDAC2 and VDAC3 gene expression caused resistance to erastin, implicating the involvement of the two proteins in erastin-mediated cell death.

• ProNAi Therapeutics Inc., of Kalamazoo, Mich., entered a deal under which Polymun Scientific GmbH, of Vienna, Austria, will manufacture its PNT2258 DNAi-based cancer therapeutic. Polymun will use its cross-flow injector technology to manufacture ProNAi's liposome-formulated lead drug candidate, which is in the final stages of preclinical toxicology testing. Terms were not disclosed.

• Shire plc, of Basingstoke, UK, said Health Canada approved Elaprase, a human enzyme replacement therapy for the treatment of Hunter syndrome. Hunter syndrome, also known as mucopolysaccharidosis II, is a rare, life-threatening genetic condition resulting from the absence or insufficient levels of the lysosomal enzyme iduronate-2-sulfatase. The product was approved in the U.S. last year and in Europe early this year. At the end of the first quarter, 291 patients were being treated with Elaprase, Shire said, adding it estimates there are about 2,000 patients worldwide afflicted with Hunter syndrome in areas where reimbursement may be possible.

• StemCell Technologies Inc., of Vancouver, British Columbia, and BD, of Franklin Lakes, N.J., entered a worldwide license agreement with the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation. The deals allow the companies to develop and commercialize novel growth media and validated tissue culture surfaces that together will allow for a cell culture environment for human embryonic stem cells. Terms were not disclosed. StemCell and BD also began a collaboration to provide products in the field of stem cell research. Details on that collaboration were not disclosed.

• Transgenomic Inc., of Omaha, Neb., entered a collaboration with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Transition Technologies Inc., Transgenomic's distributor in Canada. The project is focused on the development of novel molecular PCR-based assays for the detection of animal materials that have been banned from cattle feed, as a potential additional means to verify enforcement of Canada's feed controls.