• Abgenix Inc., of Fremont, Calif., said it will receive a milestone payment from Pfizer Inc., of New York, triggered by Pfizer's recent filing of an investigational new drug application with the FDA. The IND filing is for the third antibody product candidate to enter clinical trials from the companies' ongoing antibody research collaboration. Abgenix and its partners now have entered seven full human antibodies into clinical trials. Abgenix's alliance with Pfizer began in December 1997.

• Acambis plc, of Cambridge, UK, is laying off about 40 employees as a result of a decision to restructure its research operations. The company, which will have about 280 remaining employees, also plans to consolidate its research activities to its facility in Cambridge, Mass., closing research operations in the UK, though the site will retain clinical and regulatory functions, as well as various head-office functions, including sales, marketing and business development. As part of the overall restructuring, Acambis is no longer investing resources in vaccines for travelers' diarrhea, typhoid and H. pylori. The company still plans to continue development of vaccines for smallpox, West Nile virus, C. difficile and other travel/endemic problems.

• Aegera Therapeutics Inc., of Montreal, Quebec, and Hybridon Inc., of Cambridge, Mass., presented preclinical data from human cancer xenograft studies using AEG35156/GEM640, an XIAP antisense therapeutic being developed through a collaboration between Aegera and Hybridon. AEG35156/GEM640 is being developed to block the cellular synthesis of XIAP, the X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein, using Hybridon's second-generation antisense technology, which is licensed to Aegera. It is being designed to work alone or with cytotoxic drugs to overcome resistance of cancer cells to cell death.

• Aphton Corp., of Miami, appointed Patrick Mooney president, CEO and director. He was formerly Aphton's chief medical officer. Aphton's lead product is G17DT, being developed in partnership with Aventis Pasteur, the vaccines business of Aventis SA, of Strasbourg, France, for treating gastrointestinal system and other cancers.

• Argenta Discovery Ltd., of Royston, UK, and TTP LabTech, of Cambridge, UK, entered an agreement to expand Argenta's biology and eADMET capabilities through the incorporation of TTP LabTech's Acumen Explorer screening platform. Argenta and TTP LabTech also will work together to develop screening assays within the drug discovery process. The Acumen Explorer is a laser-scanning fluorescence microplate cytometer that enables the development and execution of cell-based, high-content screens.

• Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., said researchers at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University in New York published findings in Cancer Cell describing their discovery that a protein called neutral endopeptidase (NEP) interacts with a tumor-suppression gene called PTEN. More specifically, NEP stabilizes PTEN and allows it to localize in certain areas of a cell, making it a more aggressive tumor suppressor. A result of NEP loss is that PTEN's function is hampered.

• Generex Biotechnology Corp., of Toronto, said a U.S. Department of Defense Concept Award for $525,000 was awarded to its Antigen Express Inc. immunomedicines subsidiary for development of a vaccine technology. Antigen Express has patented methods to enhance antigen-specific immune responses.

• ISTA Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Irvine, Calif., reported integrated data from two Phase III trials of Vitrase (ovine hyaluronidase) for vitreous hemorrhage in diabetic patients at the Royal Hawaiian Eye Meeting, showing that more than twice the number of Vitrase-treated patients had a reduction in hemorrhage density compared to the control group as early as one month following a single intravitreous injection. The results, previously submitted to the FDA as part of ISTA's new drug application, were reported publicly last year.

• Meridian Bioscience Inc., of Cincinnati, closed its offer to exchange 5 percent convertible subordinated debentures due 2013 for its outstanding 7 percent convertible subordinated debentures due 2006. LaSalle Bank National Association, the offer's exchange agent, said about $4 million in principal amount of the outstanding debt was tendered. The offer expired Jan. 28.

• Northfield Laboratories Inc., of Evanston, Ill., completed its $15 million direct offering of about 2.6 million shares. Investors have the option to purchase up to an additional $3.75 million of common stock within 90 days. S.G. Cowen Securities Corp. served as placement agent. (See BioWorld Today, Jan. 27, 2004.)

• Paradigm Genetics Inc., of Research Triangle Park, N.C., agreed to acquire Pittsburgh-based, privately held TissueInformatics Inc. TissueInformatics specializes in the development and application of automated pathology software for the quantitative analysis of tissue changes in drug discovery, disease assessment, toxicology and tissue engineering. The acquisition consists of an all-stock transaction of 3.4 million Paradigm shares to be issued immediately, and about 2.7 million shares to be issued upon the achievement of performance milestones. Paradigm Genetics will gain quantitative tissue feature information for use in its biomarker and target discovery efforts. It also will get a portfolio of drug targets and diagnostics in diabetes, obesity and aging. Based on Paradigm's closing stock price on Thursday of $1.28, the deal is worth about $4.4 million, not including milestones. Paradigm's stock (NASDAQ:PDGM) rose 17 cents Friday, or 13.3 percent, to close at $1.45.

• PharmaStem Therapeutics Inc., of Wayne, Pa., entered an agreement to provide a license to its patent portfolio to an umbilical cord blood bank, Newborn Blood Banking Inc., of Tampa, Fla. Financial terms were not disclosed.

• Schering AG, of Berlin, stopped enrollment in its Phase IIb/III studies of Ad5FGF-4 (Generx), an investigational, non-surgical angiogenic gene therapy product for patients with stable exertional angina due to coronary artery disease, after interim data led the company to conclude that the studies' current design would not provide sufficient evidence of efficacy. No evidence of safety concerns was found, and patients who already have been treated will continue to be evaluated. Schering said it would continue to evaluate and explore the potential of the technology, which it acquired as part of a $140 million stock purchase of Collateral Therapeutics Inc., of San Diego. (See BioWorld Today, March 21, 2002.)

• Sequenom Inc., of San Diego, filed a shelf registration with the SEC to offer up to $50 million in common stock and warrants to purchase common stock from time to time. The company said it intends to use proceeds for general corporate purposes, including research and development, capital expenditures, working capital, preclinical development and general and administrative expenses. It also might use proceeds to acquire or invest in businesses, products and technologies.

• Stratus Research Labs Inc., of Houston, said it soon would begin human trials in Latin America of A-221-HIV on HIV-infected patients. The privately held company said the product does not seek to destroy the HIV virus directly, but rather targets only the HIV infected cells and places them into a non-dividing state. Stratus noted that the A-221 inhibitor has proved effective in vitro against HIV-infected H9 cells and every type of tumor cell line tested, including malignant melanoma, primary breast tumor, lung carcinoma, osteosarcoma, as well as acute myelocytic and acute lymphocytic leukemias.

• Tripos Inc., of St. Louis, amended its collaboration with New York-based Pfizer Inc. for the design, synthesis and purification of drug-like compounds. Tripos will reduce file enrichment activities with Pfizer, but also will engage in new work in the areas of hit follow-up and large library production. Terms include a reduction in the remaining work to be done under the four-year, $100 million collaboration, resulting in a 10 percent decrease in the contract's value. Most of the reduction will occur in 2005. The original deal was signed in January 2002. (See BioWorld Today, Jan. 8, 2002.)

• V.I. Technologies Inc., of Watertown, Mass., raised about $3.4 million in gross proceeds after entering agreements to sell about 3 million common shares to institutional investors at $1.15 apiece, expanding a previously reported $6.6 million private placement to $10 million. The investors also will receive a five-month option to purchase 739,130 additional shares at $1.15 apiece and four-year warrants to purchase about 1.2 million shares, exercisable for cash only, at $1.75 apiece. SG Cowen Securities Corp. acted as the company's exclusive placement agent for the transaction.

• Xtrana Inc., of Broomfield, Colo., entered a definitive agreement to sell all of its intellectual property for $4 million. The assets include all IP assets, except for Xtrana's trademarks and trade names. Shareholders will vote in March whether to approve the sale. The company's board decided the sale was in the best interest of the company and its shareholders, with the proceeds potentially attracting other businesses. Company officials will explore opportunities, including a merger, to create stockholder value. If no opportunities present themselves, the company most likely will liquidate. Xtrana develops, manufactures and markets nucleic acid extraction kits and detection systems.