• Neose Technologies Inc., of Horsham, Pa., gained FDA clearance to start trials with NE-180, a long-acting, glycoPEGylated erythropoietin for anemia in adult cancer patients with non-myeloid malignancies who are getting chemotherapy, and for anemia associated with chronic kidney disease, including patients on dialysis and patients not on dialysis. In Switzerland, NE-180 is already in a Phase II trial for oncology-related anemia.

• TorreyPines Therapeutics Inc., of La Jolla, Calif., said it will make two scientific presentations at the 8th International Conference on Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Diseases to be held March 14-18 in Salzburg, Austria. One will deal with in vivo modulation of the gamma secretase enzyme complex with orally bioavailable small molecules, and the other will deal with "first-in-man" experience with NGX267, TorreyPines' selective muscarinic (M1) agonist for Alzheimer's.