• BG Medicine Inc., of Waltham, Mass., and ACS Biomarker BV, of Maastricht, the Netherlands, entered an agreement granting BG rights to develop and commercialize a biomarker-based molecular diagnostic test as a prognostic indicator of congestive heart failure. Under the terms, BG has an exclusive, worldwide sublicense from ACS to rights owned by the University of Maastricht and the Academic Hospital Maastricht relating to galectin-3 and another blood-plasma biomarker. A collaborative study between researchers at the university and Massachusetts General Hospital found a correlation between a diagnosis of acute heart failure and elevated levels of galectin-3 and another protein. Specific financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, though ACS will be entitled to milestones and royalties.

• BioMerieux SA, of Marcy L'Etoile, France, signed an exclusive agreement with AdvanDx Inc., of Woburn, Mass., for U.S. distribution of AdvanDx's PNA FISH diagnostic tests, which rapidly identify bacteria and yeast in the blood. Terms were not disclosed.

• Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., of New York, received approval from the European Commission for Orencia (abatacept) in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Orencia, a selective T-cell co-stimulator, is already available in the U.S.

• CEL-SCI Corp., of Vienna, Va., said CEL-1000 increased the immune response against H5 avian influenza antigen in combination with MAS-1, a water-in-oil adjuvant delivery system. The findings were presented at the American Society of Microbiologists meeting in Toronto. The company said the findings may have application for enhancing immune responses by individuals who have a poor immune response to vaccinations, as well as application for antigen sparing (reducing the amount/dose of antigen required for protective immunity), and to biodefense and pandemic settings for anti-infectious vaccines. CEL-1000 has been shown to increase the antigenicity of hepatitis B virus and to protect animals against infection against viruses and unrelated diseases, specifically herpes simplex virus, viral encephalitis and malaria. CEL-1000, derived from the beta chain of human MHC-II, is a modified version of a human immune-based protein known to bind to both human and mouse immune cells to enhance protective immune response.

• CoGenesys Inc., of Rockville, Md., achieved milestones under license agreements with PDL BioPharma Inc., of Fremont, Calif., and Vegenics Ltd., of Melbourne Australia. PDL has advanced into late-stage preclinical testing in support of an investigational new drug application filing for an antibody-based therapeutic targeting an undisclosed antigen licensed from CoGenesys in January 2006. CoGenesys has received a milestone payment from Vegenics, based on an agreement in the field of vascular endothelial growth factors, signed with CoGenesys in August 2006.

• Nanobac Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Tampa, Fla., said scientists at the Mayo clinic, working in collaboration with Nanobac, cited evidence showing the presence of calcifying nanoparticles (CNPs) in plaque-filled arteries in animals, which they said potentially represents a previously unrecognized factor in the development of arteriosclerosis and calcific arterial disease. The project seeks to determine if human-derived nanoparticles are pathogenic and induce inflammatory and calcific pathologic arterial disease, and also confirm that Nanobac's diagnostic test specifically identifies CNPs.

• ProtoKinetix Inc., of Vancouver, British Columbia, received the results of studies conducted by Ittec Stem Inc., of Laval, Quebec, at the University of Finland. Outcomes using AAGP in the cryopreservation process for stem cells proved the molecule's worth in the first of a series of tests on human embryonic stem cells, the company said. Using standard cryogenic protocol for stem cell storage, the addition of 2mg/ml of AAGP resulted in a recovery of 87 percent.

• SinoBiomed Inc., of Shanghai, China, said its subsidiary Shanghai Wanxing Bio-pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd. has signed a letter of intent to acquire pharmaceutical distribution company Suzhou Baoi Medical Development Co., of Suzhou, China. Suzhou had 2006 revenues of $21 million and will be acquired through an equity transfer of not less than 80 percent. The transfer price initially is set at two times Suzhou's authorized capital of $2.5 million.

• ThromboGenics NV, of Leuven, Belgium, has decided to absorb Thromb-X NV, its wholly owned subsidiary. There will be no issuance of new shares or cash payment upon completion of the transaction, which is expected to be approved at the next Extraordinary General Assembly in July. The decision will allow ThomboGenics to streamline its corporate structure, consolidating its Belgian activities. There will be no impact on the company operations or financials.

• VGX Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Blue Bell, Pa., presented preclinical data indicating that its pandemic influenza DNA vaccine candidates using its Cellectra adaptive electroporation delivery triggered protective immune responses at the DNA Vaccines 2007 conference in Malaga, Spain. One of four vaccines resulted in complete protection of mice from death and illness due to a lethal Vietnamese H5N1 strain of avian influenza, while two other vaccines had 60 percent to 80 percent protective effects. VGX also presented positive preclinical data with its Cellectra HIV vaccine candidates.

• Vical Inc., of San Diego, presented results from an animal study of its Vaxfectin injection at the DNA Vaccines 2007 conference in Malaga, Spain. The company said that the DNA vaccine formulated with its Vaxfectin adjuvant and delivered by needle-free injection yielded significantly higher antibody responses than an unformulated DNA vaccine delivered by needle and syringe. In a separate animal study, electroporation following injection of unformulated vaccine yielded comparable improvements in antibody responses, but electroporation required anesthesia of the animals, while needle-free injection of Vaxfectin-formulated vaccine was administered safely and tolerably without anesthesia. Both studies were conducted in rabbits with DNA vaccines encoding cytomegalovirus glycoprotein B.