Company* (Country; Symbol)

Product

Description

Indication

Status (Date)

CANCER

GPC Biotech AG* (Germany; FSE:GPC)

Satraplatin

Oral platinum compound

Hormone- refractory prostate cancer

GPC got approval to expand Phase III trial of drug in combination with prednisone into Europe (2/3)

Micromet AG* (Germany)

MT201

Fully human antibody targeting the EpAM antigen

Prostate cancer

Micromet began a Phase II trial in Europe to evaluate efficacy and safety in patients experiencing increased levels of PSA following removal of the prostate (2/11)

Procyon BioPharma Inc. (Canada; TSE:PBP)

PCK3145

Synthetic peptide analogue of prostate secretory protein

Prostate cancer

Additional data from Phase II trial in UK patients with hormone- refractory disease confirmed safety and showed reduction in metastases (2/16)

Progen Industries Ltd. (Australia; ASX:PGL)

PI-88

Anti-angiogenesis drug

Lung cancer

Progen started its third Phase II study of the drug, a 90-patient trial in Australia in combination with Taxotere (2/10)

CARDIOVASCULAR

GTC Biotherapeutics Inc. (GTCB)

ATryn

Recombinant human antithrombin

Hereditary antithrombin deficiency

European regulators accepted for review the market authorization application for ATryn (2/27)

Paion GmbH* (Germany)

Desmoteplase

Genetically engineered version of a blood clot-dissolving protein from the saliva of the vampire bat

Stroke

Phase II data from 102 patients in Europe, Asia and Australia demonstrated a dose-response curve and improved blood circulation in the damaged brain area (2/16)

Vasogen Inc. (Canada; VSGN)

Celacade

Immune modulation therapy

Chronic heart failure

Celacade gained CE Mark regu- latory approval in Europe; launch is expected after completion of Phase III ACCLAIM trial (2/2)

CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM

Faust Pharmaceuticals* (France)

FP0011

Drug designed to reduce the presynaptic release of glutamate

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Company started a Phase I trial in France (2/4**)

INFECTION

Basilea Pharmaceutica AG* (Switzerland)

BAL8557

Water-soluble azole

Fungal infections

Phase I program demonstrated BAL8557 was rapidly converted to the active drug moiety follow- ing oral or intravenous administration (2/24)

Millenia Hope Inc. (Canada; OTC BB:MLHP)

MMH Malarex

Antimalarial agent

Malaria

Company said tests on 31 patients in Central Africa produced positive clinical responses (2/25)

Targeted Genetics Corp. (TGEN)

tgAAC09

Gene therapy using AAV vector to elicit immune system responses

HIV

International partnership is spon- soring trial of 50 volunteers in Belgium and Germany to assess safety and immune responses (2/16)

Virax Holdings Ltd. (Australia; ASX:VHL)

VIR201

Vaccine designed to stimulate the immune system

HIV

Researchers presented Phase I/IIa trial results showing the drug was safe and reduced viral load compared to placebo (2/12)

MISCELLANEOUS

Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc. (ARNA)

APD356

Small-molecule that is a selective 5HT2C serotonin receptor agonist

Obesity

Arena began a Phase I trial in the UK to evaluate safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics in 54 overweight volunteers (2/24)

Arriva Pharmaceuticals Inc.* and Baxter Healthcare Corp.

rAAT

Recombinant human alpha-1-antitrypsin administered by nebulization

Antitrypsin deficiency

Companies completed Phase I trial in which all tested doses were well tolerated in patients with hereditary emphysema (2/27)

Dyax Corp. (DYAX) and Debiopharm SA* (Switzerland)

DX-890 (EPI-hNE4)

Recombinant inhibitor of human neutrophil elastase

Cystic fibrosis

Phase IIa study in pediatric patients in Europe confirmed tolerability and showed decreases in hNE activity in sputum in 20 of 27 patients (2/24)

Transkaryotic Therapies Inc. (TKTX)

Replagal

Fully human alpha- galactosidase A protein

Fabry's disease

Canadian officials approved the product there, while TKT will per- form post-marketing studies; Paladin Labs Inc. is TKT's partner in Canada (2/9)

Tularik Inc. (TLRK)

T71

Oral agent designed to reduce appetite and increase metabolic rate

Obesity

Company began Phase I trial in the UK to assess safety and pharmacokinetics, and to look at markers of activity (2/12)

Notes:

* Privately held.

** Denotes the date item ran in BioWorld International.

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