• Catalyst Pharmaceutical Partners Inc., of Coral Gables, Fla., disclosed results from a bioequivalence study demonstrating that CPP-109 (Catalyst's Vigabatrin tablets) is bioavailable and bioequivalent to Sabril tablets, the version of Vigabatrin marketed in Europe by Sanofi Aventis,NULL, of Paris. Vigabatrin has been marketed over the past decade in more than 30 countries under the brand name Sabril as a secondary treatment for adult epilepsy and as a primary treatment for the management of infantile spasms.

• Cell Genesys Inc., of South San Francisco, said it started three trials of GVAX immunotherapy for chronic myelogenous leukemia in collaboration with the Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center. The trials are based on encouraging, previously reported results from an initial Phase II study in CML patients. Clinical trials of GVAX cancer immunotherapies are under way in multiple cancer types. The non-patient-specific products are comprised of tumor cells that have been modified to secrete GM-CSF, an immune stimulatory hormone, and then irradiated for safety.

• Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Tarrytown, N.Y., disclosed interim positive results from Phase II studies evaluating the VEGF Trap-Eye in the neovascular form of age-related macular degeneration and diabetic macular edema. Regeneron and Bayer HealthCare AG, of Leverkusen, Germany, plan to initiate a VEGF Trap-Eye Phase III program in wet AMD in the third quarter. The companies are collaborating on development of the VEGF Trap-Eye for the treatment of wet AMD, diabetic eye diseases and other eye diseases and disorders. Bayer and Regeneron jointly would commercialize the VEGF Trap-Eye outside of the U.S. Regeneron maintains exclusive rights in the U.S.

• Sequenom Inc., of San Diego, said its non-invasive fetal Rhesus D (RHD) genotyping assay showed 100 percent concordance with European non-invasive real-time PCR methods in a study of blood samples from 100 pregnant women conducted at the University of Goettingen in Germany. The data demonstrated Sequenom's technology might be a suitable alternative for assessing prenatal RHD incompatibility.

• Sinovac Biotech Ltd., of Beijing, said the China State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) granted Sinovac approval to commence Phase II trials of Panflu, a vaccine against the H5N1 strain of pandemic influenza virus. Panflu was developed jointly with the China Centers for Disease Control. Two types of the H5N1 vaccine were given clearance by the SFDA to begin trials. The first is the H5N1 whole-viron inactivated vaccine for which a Phase I trial was completed in 2006. The Phase Ib and II trials for that vaccine will be conducted to further test tolerability, safety and immunogenicity, and to determine dosing schedules. The second type of vaccine is the H5N1 split-viron vaccine, for which Phase I and II clinical trials will be conducted.

• Tapestry Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Boulder, Colo., started enrolling patients in a Phase II trial of TPI 287, a next-generation taxane, in hormone-refractory prostate cancer. The company said it is planning another Phase II trial in glioblastoma multiforme, as well as a Phase II trial for pancreatic cancer. All patients in those trials will be dosed intravenously with the drug. A Phase Ib/II pharmacokinetic trial of an oral formulation of TPI 287 is planned for the summer. The compound was developed to overcome resistance to taxane therapy, or for tumors that become resistant to taxanes following chemotherapy.

• WEX Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Vancouver, British Columbia, said it filed a clinical trial application with the Biologics and Genetics Therapies Directorate of Health Canada for Tectin, the lead candidate from its Tetrodotoxin technology platform. Upon clearance, WEX said it would initiate a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to evaluate efficacy and safety in reducing pain and improving the quality of life in patients with cancer-related pain.