• Advanced Cell Technology Inc., of Alameda, Calif., said it acquired intellectual property assets of former competitor Infigen Inc., of DeForest, Wis., relating to somatic cell nuclear transfer, parthenogenesis and related technologies. A total of 26 issued patents and a number of patent applications were acquired for an undisclosed amount of cash and stock. The acquisition provides Advanced Cell with exclusive ownership rights to technologies in regenerative medicine, strengthening its position in its effort to commercialize embryonic stem cell and SCNT technology. As part of the deal, Advanced Cell no longer will have royalty obligations to Infigen.

• Applied DNA Sciences Inc., of Stony Brook, N.Y., has in-licensed rights to molecular beacons technology from PHRI Properties, of Newark, N.J. Applied DNA will incorporate the beacons in its next generation of instant detection devices. The company's APDN's SigNature program consists of creating and encapsulating a specific encrypted DNA segment, applying it to a product, and detecting the presence or absence of the specific agent. The presence of any SigNature DNA markers can be detected in an instant spot test. The molecular beacons technology will provide an alternative on-site authentication test.

• Diosynth Biotechnology, of Research Triangle Park, N.C., extended its exclusive agreement with Fremont, Calif.-based PDL BioPharma Inc. for the commercial manufacture of Retavase (reteplase), a fibrinolytic agent that has been marketed in North America since 1996 for the management of acute myocardial infarction in adults. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

• DSM Biologics, a business unit of Parsippany, N.J.-based DSM Pharmaceuticals, and Crucell NV, of Leiden, the Netherlands, intensified their PER.C6(r) collaboration by executing an agreement to expand the commercial relationship to include new classes of proteins, including biosimilar protein products. As part of the agreement, DSM paid Crucell an undisclosed amount in exchange for additional license rights and a higher share of future licensing income. Since December 2002, DSM Biologics and Crucell have been jointly outlicensing PER.C6(r) human cell line to third parties as a production platform for monoclonal antibodies and recombinant proteins.

• ImmuneRegen BioSciences Inc., of Scottsdale, Ariz., said preclinical data demonstrated Viprovex's potential for treating potentially resurgent Spanish flu (H1N1), avian flu (H5N1) and other infectious diseases based upon animal models showing protection from infection by Bacillis anthracis and influenza A viruses. Studies looking at potential mechanisms have examined cellular components of the host immune system and have found that in both animals and in cultured cells, Viprovex causes differential activation of components of the innate immune system, supporting the whole animal findings and suggesting that Viprovex may be capable of thwarting the immune system overstimulation, which might underlie the lethality of H1N1 and H5N1.

• Med BioGene Inc., of Vancouver, British Columbia, has received a C$307,000 grant from the National Research Council Canada Industrial Research Assistant Program to develop genetic biomarkers for cardiovascular disease. MBI is focused on developing and validating biomarkers in respect of lymphoma, leukemia and cardiovascular disease through its Gene Expression Profiling System.

• MedImmune Inc., of Gaithersburg, Md., saw its shares rise slightly in spite of news that its fourth-quarter revenues came in lower than expected at $529 million. Analysts had been expecting $555 million. Revenue was driven by sales of its respiratory virus drug Synagis (palivizumab), which totaled $457 million in the fourth quarter, a slight increase above the $439 million reported for the same quarter a year ago. But for the full year, worldwide Synagis sales came in at about $1.1 billion, the same as for 2005. MedImmune reported fourth-quarter FluMist sales of $18 million, a 128 percent increase over the previous year, and said sales of Ethyol totaled $20 million. The company reported net earnings of $155 million, or 64 cents per share for the fourth quarter. As of Dec. 31, it had cash and marketable securities of $1.5 billion. MedImmune's stock (NASDAQ:MEDI) gained 36 cents Wednesday to close at $31.40.

• Millennium Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Cambridge, Mass., reported $220.5 million in net U.S. sales of the cancer drug Velcade (bortezomib) for the fiscal year ended Dec. 31, a 15 percent increase over the preceding 12-month period. That total included $55.1 million in quarterly sales in the most recent three months. Going forward, the company indicated that the drug's coming full-year net U.S. sales would range between $240 million and $260 million.

• Pluristem Life Systems Inc., of New York, said the FDA accepted its proposed pre-investigational new drug application for PLX-I, an adjuvant cell therapy product in preclinical studies for hematological malignancies. PLX-I, which is based on placenta-expanded mesenchymal cells, is expected to be used to improve the engraftment of umbilical cord blood when treating blood cancer and blood disorders. Initial clinical work could begin later this year.

• Sinovac Biotech Ltd., of Beijing, filed for Chinese approval of the hepatitis B vaccine Euvax-B. The company is the product's exclusive distributor, pursuant to a distribution agreement with LG Life Sciences Ltd., of Seoul, South Korea.

• SRI International, of Menlo Park, Calif., and Telik Inc., of Palo Alto, Calif., signed an exclusive license for SRI to conduct preclinical studies of a Telik drug candidate for multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. The agreement relates to studies of C243, which is designed to help prevent leukocyte infiltration. SRI will fund and conduct preclinical and toxicology studies in support of an investigational new drug application filing for C243 and develop GMP-compliant sources for C243 manufacturing. Telik has an option to re-acquire C243 rights in the future. In North and South America, Telik has exclusive commercialization rights to C243. Sanwa Kagaku Kenkyusho Co., of Nagoya, Japan, and Telik share commercialization rights to the compound in Europe, and Sanwa has exclusive commercialization rights in Asia. The license agreement covers territories where Telik has exclusive rights

• Uluru Inc., of Addison, Texas, signed a strategic partnership for BioProgress plc, of Cambridge, UK, to market OraDisc B in the European Union, the Commonwealth of Independent States and Middle Eastern markets. The product, developed from Uluru's adhesive film technology, incorporates 15 mg of benzocaine for treating oral pain. Terms of the deal call for BioProgress to make an undisclosed up-front and future milestone payments, and will buy OraDisc B from Uluru.

• Vasogen Inc., of Toronto, received approval to transfer the listing of its common shares (NASDAQ:VSGN) to Nasdaq's capital market, and common shares will be transferred there from the global market at the opening of business today.