• Actelion Ltd., of Basel, Switzerland, and Discovery Partners International Inc., of San Diego, began a three-year collaboration under which Actelion will procure drug discovery capabilities from Discovery Partners. Actelion, which was founded in 1997, is in the process of adding new, early stage projects to its portfolio, which features three advanced projects in the areas of renin inhibition, beta-secretase inhibition and orexin antagonism. Financial details of the agreement were not disclosed.

• Amsterdam Molecular Therapeutics BV, of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, said its candidate gene therapy treatment for lipoprotein lipase (LPL) deficiency demonstrated efficacy in a murine model of the disease. An adeno-associated virus vector expressing a variant of the LPL gene, AAV1-LPLS447X, reduced triglyceride levels by more than 90 percent. The effect was apparent one week following intramuscular injection of the construct and persisted for one year. The company said it is working toward human trials of the therapy. There is currently no specific therapy for the condition, which leads to chronic pancreatitis and, ultimately, diabetes mellitus.

• Celltech Group plc, of Slough, UK, said last week it has valid acceptances from shareholders giving it control of approximately 90 percent of the issued share capital of Oxford GlycoSciences plc, of Abingdon, UK, and has commenced the procedure for the compulsory acquisition of the remaining OGS shares. A day earlier, OGS announced the resignation of CEO David Ebsworth and the rest of the main board, with effect from May 30.

• Gyros AB, of Uppsala, Sweden, introduced a CD-based microlaboratory offering, Gyrolab MALDI IMAC, which is designed to detect phosphorylated peptides by MALDI mass spectrometry. Duplicate protein digests are prepared, and then one of the samples is exposed to an additional dephosphorylation step before concentration, purification and crystallization on the CD platform. MALDI mass spectrometry data for each sample are then compared. Differences in mass indicate the presence of phosphate groups in the original peptides.

• Ingenium Pharmaceuticals AG, of Munich, Germany, will use its Ingenotyping technology to develop animal models with defined gene alterations for Oxagen Ltd., of Abingdon, UK. The companies will focus on genes related to metabolic diseases, which Oxagen has located with its target identification technology. Oxagen is building a drug pipeline based on validated targets and concentrated on inflammatory and metabolic diseases. In addition to its commercialized target discovery technology, Ingenium is working on drug targets in the area of inflammatory bowel disease, neurodegeneration and metabolic disorders. The companies declined to reveal financial details of their collaboration.

• Jerini AG, of Berlin, appointed Bernd Rosenkranz vice president of clinical development and Rainer Kramer vice president of business development. Rosenkranz has held senior functions in clinical pharmacology with Hoechst Marion Roussel (Aventis) in Germany, France and the United States. He also has served as chief scientific officer for 3ClinicalResearch AG. Kramer most recently worked for MorphoSys AG as senior director in the company's business development group. Jerini is a drug discovery and development company that specializes in the systemic transformation of peptides into drug candidates.

• LION bioscience AG, of Heidelberg, Germany, began a multiyear development and marketing collaboration with Silicon Genetics, of Redwood City, Calif. The companies will integrate their software, aiming for seamless data transfer and improved cross-functional activities. Users of Silicon Genetics' software initially will be able to use LION data; later versions of LION's software will include Silicon Genetics' main product. Financial details of the agreement were not disclosed.

• METabolic EXplorer, of Paris, appointed Philippe Soucaille as scientific director. Soucaille holds a professorship at the National Institute of Applied Science in Toulouse and previously was scientific director and project manager of Genencor International Inc.

• NeuroSearch A/S, of Ballerup, Denmark, said it received its first milestone payment from its alliance with Abbott Laboratories, of Abbott Park, Ill., to discover and develop ion channel modulators for central and peripheral nervous system diseases. The amount was not disclosed, but is in line with company expectations for 2003, it said. That follows ABT-202, a candidate pain treatment, entering a Phase I trial.

• Newron Pharmaceuticals SpA, of Bresso, Italy, said its candidate neuropathic pain therapy ralfinamide (NW-1029) was well tolerated and demonstrated bioavailability in multiple Phase I trials in human volunteers. The compound, a sodium channel blocker, also demonstrated linear and proportional pharmacokinetics. The company said it expects to commence dose-finding studies in Europe before the year's end. It also said it appointed Stefano Rossetti as vice president, clinical development. Rossetti previously was at the Schering-Plough Pharmaceuticals International subsidiary of Schering-Plough Corp., of Kenilworth, N.J.

• Peplin Biotech Ltd., of Brisbane, Australia, raised A$3.5 million (US$2.2 million) to accelerate development of the company's portfolio of drug candidates. The funds were raised by placing shares with major institutional investors. Peplin specializes in the area of protein kinase C activation and immunomodulation.

• Tepnel Life Sciences plc, of Manchester, UK, agreed to a collaboration with the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology for the development of novel ribosome-based antimicrobial screening technologies, for use in drug discovery. Tepnel will own all intellectual property arising from the development.

• Transgene SA, of Strasbourg, France, announced the results of a Phase I trial of its gene therapy for muscular dystrophy at the annual congress of the American Society of Gene Therapy. The therapy entails the transfer of a plasmid containing the entire gene of human dystrophin. In the trial the protein was found to be expressed locally in six out of nine patients - albeit in low quantities of 1 percent to 10 percent - with excellent tolerance and no immune reaction, Transgene said. Transgene said it will continue development of the therapy with a view to increasing the degree of expression of the protein and extending the area of the muscle targeted.

• Vernalis Group plc, of Wokingham, UK, said F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., of Basel, Switzerland, terminated its option on Vernalis' A2A antagonist program. Vernalis now will seek new partners to take the work forward. The most advanced compound, VR 2006 for the treatment of Parkinson's disease, has completed preclinical development, and is due to enter Phase I later this year, if a partner can be found. A clinical candidate for the treatment of depression also will be selected before the end of the year. The company said the move by Roche cleared the way for it to talk to other partners, and that it has already received interest in the program. Last month Vernalis raised £16 million (US$25.6 million) in a placing and open offer.

• Xenova Group plc, of Slough, UK, agreed to a two-year deal with Pharmexa A/S, of Horsholm, Denmark, to carry out the manufacture of clinical supplies of a vaccine targeting the HER-2 protein in the treatment of breast cancer. Pharmexa recently received FDA approval for a Phase I trial of the vaccine and expects to start a Phase II trial in 2004.