• Genesoft Pharmaceuticals Inc., of South San Francisco, reported findings at the Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy in Chicago, detailing in vitro and in vivo preclinical data on two classes of antibiotics - peptide deformylase inhibitors and DNA nanobinders. Genesoft showed that selective inhibition of peptide deformylase resulted in antibacterial compounds with activity against drug-resistant organisms. Among preclinical data on two DNA nanobinder agents, GSQ-7302 exhibits oral bioavailability in animals and activity against bacteria, protozoa and viruses.

• Nabi Biopharmaceuticals Inc., of Boca Raton, Fla., said researchers from the Duke University Medical Center and Duke Clinical Research Institute in Durham, N.C., reported data detailing high treatment costs and illness suffered by end-stage kidney disease patients who develop Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infections. Nabi, which said that such trouble could be avoided with its StaphVAX product, a Staphylococcus aureus polysaccharide conjugate vaccine, plans to begin next quarter a U.S.-based confirmatory Phase III trial of the product in about 3,000 end-stage kidney disease patients.

• Pharmasset Inc., of Atlanta, reported data highlighting the discovery of two nontoxic L-nucleoside analogues with activity against hepatitis B viruses. More than 1,500 nucleoside analogues were evaluated in cell culture against wild-type and mutant HBV strains, including known antiviral agents such as Lamivudine (Epivir, 3TC) and Emtricitabine (Emtriva, [-]-FTC). They were active against wild-type virus, but none showed any marked reduction in viral DNA synthesis in the mutant cell line. A 3'-substituted cytidine (L-3'-FD4C) and a 5-fluorocytidine analogue were found to be inhibitors of wild-type and mutant viruses with EC90 values less than 3 micromolar. The nucleosides were essentially nontoxic to cells (including mitochondria) up to 100 micromolar, and mice. Initial pharmacokinetic studies in rhesus monkeys indicate favorable results after intravenous and oral dosing with L-3'-FD4C.

• ViroLogic Inc., of South San Francisco, said researchers from the University of California at Los Angeles reported data demonstrating the utility of HIV co-receptor tropism and replication capacity as predictors of clinical progression to AIDS. Researchers outlined the statistical analysis of data generated by ViroLogic, using the company's co-receptor tropism and replication capacity assays, showing that the emergence of CXCR4 virus variants independently predicts immune system deterioration and HIV disease progression. The retrospective study was performed on a cohort of untreated or minimally treated subjects enrolled in 1989 and 1990 and monitored for AIDS defining clinical endpoints through 1997.