• Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Cambridge, Mass., obtained rights to RNAi delivery technology developed in the laboratory of Judy Lieberman from the CBR Institute for Biomedical Research, a Harvard Medical School affiliate. The technology may enable small interfering RNAs to be targeted with an engineered monoclonal antibody to tumors and other cell types, thereby broadening the scope of Alnylam's delivery technologies for RNAi therapeutics. In addition, Alnylam recently entered two relationships providing access to technologies for the systemic delivery of RNAi therapeutics, one with Inex Pharmaceuticals Corp., of Vancouver, British Columbia, and the other with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

• Amgen Inc., of Thousand Oaks, Calif., said the International Trade Commission in Washington decided to institute an investigation of Basel, Switzerland-based F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd.'s importation of pegylated recombinant human erythropoietin (peg-EPO) into the U.S. The decision came in response to Amgen's April 11 filing asking the ITC to issue a permanent exclusion order that would prohibit peg-EPO importation into the U.S., citing a violation of Amgen's patents relating to Epogen (epoetin alfa) and Aranesp (darbepoetin alfa.)

• Angiotech Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Vancouver, British Columbia, and Genzyme Corp., of Cambridge, Mass., entered a collaboration designed to identify, develop and commercialize therapies for cancer patients undergoing surgical removal of tumors. The companies will create localized treatments that target the prevention of tumor regrowth after surgery through the direct application of a combined biomaterial/anticancer therapeutic at the site of tumor excision. Under the terms, Genzyme will have the primary responsibility for clinical development, manufacturing and worldwide commercialization, and Angiotech will participate in the development of products and will have a co-marketing option. Collaboration costs and profits would be shared equally.

• Chelsea Therapeutics International Ltd., of Charlotte, N.C., and Active Biotech AB, of Lund, Sweden, agreed to co-develop and commercialize Active Biotech's I-3D portfolio of orally active, dihydroorotate dehydrogenase inhibiting compounds in autoimmune diseases and transplant rejection. Under the terms, the companies jointly will conduct and fund the clinical development of the I-3D portfolio via a joint development committee with equal representation from both firms. Chelsea will have exclusive North American and South American commercial rights to all drugs within the portfolio, and Active Biotech will retain rights for the remaining global markets. Each company will pay the other royalties on sales in their respective markets. Specific terms were not disclosed. In separate news, Chelsea signed a letter of intent to acquire rights to L-Three DOPS (L-DOPS, or Droxidopa), a synthetic amino acid approved in Japan to treat neurogenic orthostatic hypotension, from Synergia Pharma Inc., of South San Francisco. No terms were disclosed. Chelsea said it intends to accelerate the development of Droxidopa and will seek orphan drug status from U.S. and European regulatory agencies.

• Curis Inc., of Cambridge, Mass., said South San Francisco-based Genentech Inc. extended research funding to Curis through December, with an option to further extend funding through June 11, 2007. It is expected that Curis personnel would support the two companies' ongoing research in the systemic Hedgehog antagonist program and development of xenograft models for use in other Genentech programs. Under the terms of the extended agreement, those researchers also could support efforts on other collaborative programs.

• Maxygen Inc., of Redwood City, Calif., achieved a $5 million preclinical milestone in its alliance with F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., of Basel, Switzerland, to co-develop next-generation factor VIIa therapeutics for multiple indications of severe bleeding, including trauma and intracerebral hemorrhage. The company met the milestone for developing a manufacturing process for its factor VIIa product candidates. The two companies established the agreement in December 2005. (See BioWorld Today, Dec. 16, 2005.)

• Molecular Pharmacology (USA) Ltd., of Los Angeles, acquired all of the issued and outstanding share capital of Molecular Pharmacology Ltd., an Australian corporation. The transaction originally was disclosed last November and has since been approved by stockholders. PharmaNet Group Ltd., of Perth, Western Australia, the former parent company, now controls about 66.9 percent of the corporation's issued and outstanding share capital. Molecular Pharmacology is focused on discovering and developing analgesic and anti-inflammatory products based on its MPL-TL compound.

• Pharmacyclics Inc., of Sunnyvale, Calif., said it plans to submit a new drug application to the FDA by the end of this year to market Xcytrin (motexafin gadolinium) injection to treat non-small-cell lung cancer patients with brain metastases. The company plans to present a new analyses and additional data from its Phase III SMART trial showing that Xcytrin with whole-brain radiation therapy prolongs time to neurologic progression in NSCLC patients with brain metastases at the upcoming Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Atlanta. The SMART trial was conducted at 94 centers in North America, Europe and Australia and enrolled 554 patients. An original data analyses showed it missed its primary endpoint, sending Pharmacyclics' stock down by more than 64 percent in December. (See BioWorld Today, Dec. 20, 2005.)

• Targeted Genetics Corp., of Seattle, said its shareholders authorized the board to effect a reverse stock split of its common stock at a ratio of 1-for-10. The company expects the split to take effect after the close of trading Wednesday. The company believes a higher stock price may help to generate greater interest in the company, particularly since it has upcoming data from its inflammatory arthritis program. After the reverse split, the company will have about 9.9 million shares outstanding.

• Viragen Inc., of Plantation, Fla., entered a research collaboration agreement with AFG BioSolutions Inc., a Germantown, Md.-based biodefense consultant to the U.S. government, to conduct in vivo research studies using Multiferon (natural, human alpha interferon) to test its use as a broad-acting antiviral agent against biological threats, such as smallpox and other biowarfare viral agents. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.