• Affitech A/S,of Oslo, Norway, agreed to produce fully human monoclonal antibodies against an undisclosed oncology target forF. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., of Basel, Switzerland. In exchange for screening and antibody engineering work, Affitech will receive an unspecified amount of research fees, milestone payments and royalties.

• Ark Therapeutics Group plc, of London, said it filed an application to the U.S. Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee for a Phase III clinical study of Trinam, a gene therapy to prevent the blockage of grafts in patients undergoing hemodialysis. A decision on the 200-patient study is expected by the end of June

• Artemis Pharmaceuticals GmbH, of Cologne, Germany, and Taconic Farms Inc., of Hudson, N.Y., jointly acquired worldwide rights to the ASKA technology from CGI Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Branford, Conn. The ASKA technology, an approach to in vivo kinase-related drug discovery, is based on the replacement of a normal kinase with a selectively modified kinase, or ASKA (analogue sensitive kinase allele), in genetically modified mice. Under the terms, Artemis and Taconic are assigned the entire portfolio of ASKA intellectual property rights. Financial details were not disclosed.

• Astellas Pharma Inc., of Tokyo, and Theravance Inc., of South San Francisco, said Astellas submitted a marketing authorization application to the European Medicines Agency for telavancin, an injectable antibiotic, for the treatment of complicated skin and soft tissue infections in adults. A new drug application previously was filed with the FDA. (See BioWorld Today, Dec. 11, 2006.)

• Cancer Research Technology Ltd., of London, the technology commercialization arm of the charity Cancer Research UK, said it granted Australian biotech Peptech Ltd. an exclusive worldwide license to a panel of cancer therapeutic antibodies for therapeutic, vaccine and in vitro diagnostic use. The antibodies, originally developed by Cancer Research UK-funded studies at Nottingham University, target antigens that are overexpressed on a variety of tumors. Financial details were not disclosed, but CRT will receive development-based milestones and royalty payments on sales.

• GE Healthcare, of Chalfont St. Giles, England, a unit of General Electric, completed a license agreement granting NorDiag ASA, of Bergen, Norway, access to GE patents for the biomagnetic isolation and purification of nucleic acids using magnetic separation technology. Financial terms were not disclosed.

• GPC Biotech AG, of Martinsried, Germany, is consolidating its drug discovery efforts to one location, a move that involves closing the company's facility in Waltham, Mass., and reducing staff by about 16 percent. The drug discovery programs being managed in Waltham will be moved to Munich, Germany. The company said it is continuing to build its clinical development and commercialization groups based in Princeton, N.J. GPC said reasons for the move included the acquisition of the assets and the hiring of many research scientists from Munich-based Axxima Pharmaceuticals AG in 2005, as well as the ending this year of a five-year collaboration with Altana Pharma, of Bad Homburg, Germany, to build a research institute in Waltham.

• Helsinn SA, of Lugano, Switzerland, and MGI Pharma Inc., of Bloomington, Minn., filed a supplemental new drug application with the FDA for Aloxi (palonosetron hydrochloride) injection for postoperative nausea and vomiting. Aloxi already is approved by the FDA for nausea and vomiting associated with emetogenic cancer chemotherapy.

• Hunt Biosciences Ltd., of Trondheim, Norway, was launched as the commercial arm of the HUNT Study, a population-based biobank operated as a satellite facility to the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. The Hunt Study offers close to 100,000 genetic samples gathered over 20 years.

• Oridis Biomed GmbH, of Graz, Austria, and Expression Pathology Inc., of Gaithersburg, Md., formed an alliance to offer tissue microproteomic capabilities for protein biomarker discovery and validation. The relationship combines Expression Pathology's Liquid Tissue and Director technologies, which enable mass spectrometry-based discovery and measurement of protein biomarkers, with Oridis' Tissomics platform for high-throughput analysis of patient tissue and its access to tissue samples. The goal is to provide capabilities to identify and measure protein biomarkers that relate to specific disease progression, drug response and toxicity. Both companies will offer collaborative research capabilities and services to clients.

• Proteome Systems Ltd., of Sydney, Australia, entered a licensing and commercialization deal for its Eukarion topical compounds with Minerva Healthcare Inc., a new venture launched by the founders of Impax Laboratories Inc., of Hayward, Calif.; Athena Diagnostics Inc., of Worcester, Mass.; and IVAX Corp., of Miami. PSL has granted an option to license its topical Eukarion compounds to Minerva for development and commercialization subject to Minerva completing an initial fund raising. Under the terms, PSL will receive an up-front license fee of $4 million, along with an undisclosed milestone payment for clinical development, 12 percent royalties on sales and a 10 percent equity stake in Minerva, which plans to focus on drugs and devices for skin conditions.

• Rosetta Genomics Ltd., of Rehovot, Israel, entered an agreement under which the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit will provide it samples of metastases found in brain tissue. The samples then will be analyzed using Rosetta's miRdicator technology to determine the origin of the metastasis. Rosetta is using the samples in development of a microRNA-based diagnostic test to identify the site where metastases originate. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

• Silence Therapeutics plc, of London, said the name change from SR Pharma plc has been completed. The new name, Silence Therapeutics, is intended to reflect the company's focus on RNAi.

• SkyePharma plc, of London, said it will delist from Nasdaq. The decision follows the sale of the company's U.S. business unit earlier this year.

• ThromboGenics NV, of Leuven, Belgium, said it concluded an out-licensing deal involving its antibodies against platelet glycoprotein Ib and von Willebrand factor, so it can focus resources on its advanced preclinical programs. Those antibodies, which are in development as anti-thrombotic agents, were licensed to the D. Collen Research Foundation, in exchange for a lump sum payment equal to the company's total investment in the programs, plus a 25 percent share of any future revenue that the foundation might receive from the programs. In the meantime, ThromboGenics will turn its efforts to its preclinical programs, such as TB-403, which is due to enter the clinic later this year. TB-403 (anti-PIGF) is a humanized monoclonal antibody designed to block the formation of new blood vessels in solid tumors.

• Trigen plc, of London, a cardiovascular drug discovery and development specialist, said it completed a first-in-man Phase I study of PR-15, a platelet adhesion inhibitor. The compound is being developed as a treatment for acute arterial thrombosis and prevention of atherosclerosis.