• Agilent Technologies Inc., of Montreal, expanded its mass spectrometry product line with five new products, including Agilent's first TOF mass spectrometer, improved quadrupole models, and a new high-throughput proteomics software package. The products improve the identification and quantification of chemicals and biological molecules in applications including environmental screening, drug discovery and development, and proteomics, Agilent said.

• Applied DNA Sciences Inc., of Los Angeles, repurchased 7.5 million shares of common stock and retired them to treasury. That reduces the number of outstanding shares to 15,652,662. The repurchase was made pursuant to the company partially exercising its option to purchase up to 8.5 million shares for $100,000 that was granted to the company contemporaneously with its reorganization agreement made in October with an affiliate of the predecessor corporation. The company issued a promissory note in the amount of $88,500 in exchange for 7.5 million shares. After the exercise of 7.5 million shares, the remaining 1 million shares would remain available to the company under the original option agreement.

• Arrow Therapeutics Ltd., of London, will work with Acambis plc, of Cambridge, UK, on vaccine discovery. The purpose of the collaboration is to discover attenuated or subunit vaccines and initially will involve an evaluation by Acambis of Arrow's target discovery technology, Transposon Mediated Differential Hybridization. The agreement includes an up-front payment, milestones and royalties, and covers the development of a vaccine for a single pathogen, leaving Arrow free to work on other pathogens with different partners.

• BioForce Nanosciences Inc., of Ames, Iowa, formed an agreement with the Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology in Shanghai, China, for the production of novel nanoarray devices. The institute is part of JiaoTong University. The agreement aims to develop microfabricated tools for controlled biomolecular deposition. BioForce will provide the design for the target devices; the institute will use fabrication production and techniques. BioForce will retain intellectual property ownership and full marketing rights.

• Biolog Inc., of Hayward, Calif., received a Small Business Innovation Research grant of $250,000 from the National Cancer Institute for a project applying its Phenotype MicroArray assay platform in toxicological cell-based assays. The company is developing the technology for use with human and mouse cell lines. The capability will be added to the uses of the PM technology for use with bacteria, yeast and filamentous fungi.

• Bioniche Life Sciences Inc., of Belleville, Ontario, completed a private sale of 1.2 million common shares at C$1.80 per share, for aggregate gross proceeds to Bioniche of C$2.2 million (US$1.6 million). The investors also were issued 306,250 three-year warrants to purchase common shares at C$2.11 per share. The proceeds will be used by Bioniche for general corporate purposes, it said.

• CalbaTech Inc., of Irvine, Calif., agreed on terms to acquire MolecularWare Inc., of Cambridge, Mass., a bioinformatics company focused on software-based solutions for researchers in the high-throughput screening setting. MolecularWare is a revenue-generating company, CalbaTech said. Terms and conditions were not yet disclosed.

• Columbia Laboratories Inc., of Livingston, N.J., and Mipharm SpA, of Milan, Italy, executed an agreement for marketing Columbia's Striant (testosterone buccal system) mucoadhesive in Italy. Mipharm will market, distribute and sell Striant in Italy. In exchange, Columbia will receive payments of $1.4 million, including the immediate reimbursement of $350,000 in development costs. Mipharm will provide additional performance payments upon achievement of certain sales levels in Italy, and Columbia will receive a percentage markup on the cost of goods for each unit sold.

• CuraGen Corp., of New Haven, Conn., said CR002, a preclinical fully human PDGF-D-specific neutralizing monoclonal antibody generated with Abgenix's XenoMouse technology, demonstrated activity in an animal model of nephritis, or kidney inflammation. Results of research conducted by CuraGen's scientists and their colleagues from Abgenix Inc., of Fremont, Calif., and the University of Aachen, Germany, were presented at the World Congress of Nephrology meeting in Berlin.

• Cytogen Corp., of Princeton, N.J., entered definitive agreements with certain institutional investors in connection with a private placement of common stock, raising gross proceeds of $5 million. Cytogen agreed to sell more than 1 million shares at $4.74 per share. The investors also will receive warrants to purchase 315,790 shares at an exercise price of $6.91. Proceeds are expected to be used for general corporate purposes, marketing and sales initiatives for Cytogen's oncology products and development of its prostate-specific membrane antigen technology.

• Deltagen Inc., of Redwood City, Calif., informed the providers of its $5 million bridge loan of the receipt of a letter from the landlord of its primary facility in Redwood City. The letter asserts the termination of the lease forbearance agreement entered in early April with the landlord in connection with the closing of the bridge loan and the announcement of a minimum commitment for $10 million equity capital in a private placement. The letter further asserts that because of the termination of the forbearance agreement Deltagen now owes all amounts under the lease that had been previously deferred or eliminated under the forbearance agreement. Deltagen said the $5 million bridge loan matures on July 1, unless an additional $1 million has been advanced, in which case it then matures Aug. 31. Deltagen said it does not anticipate having sufficient cash on hand to repay the bridge loan and accrued interest on July 1, if it matures on that date. However, Deltagen said the bridge loan lenders are not under any obligation to lend $1 million if a material event exists, and investors in the $10 million private placement also are not under any obligation to invest if a material event exists. Deltagen's stock (NASDAQ:DGEN) fell 60 cents Monday, or 48.4 percent, to close at 64 cents.

• Dynavax Technologies Corp., of Berkeley, Calif., reported the publication of an article describing the identification of a CpG class of immunoregulatory oligonucleotides. The family of molecules is described in a paper authored by Dynavax researchers and published in the June 2003 edition of the Journal of Leukocyte Biology. Prior to the report, two classes of CpG-containing oligonucleotides had been recognized, termed CpG-A and CpG-B.

• Enzo Biochem Inc., of Farmingdale, N.Y., initiated a Phase II trial of its treatment for Crohn's disease. The treatment is a complex of antigens administered orally and is based on Enzo's immune-regulation platform. The Phase II study is being conducted at the Gastroenterology and Liver Unit at Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem. About 30 individuals will be enrolled. Each subject will be treated for 15 weeks and followed for an additional 12 weeks after treatment is completed, Enzo said.

• Genaera Corp., of Plymouth Meeting, Pa., reported publication with collaborators at Genentech Inc., of South San Francisco, and the University of California-Davis of additional preclinical data demonstrating the potential benefit of using an anti-interleukin-9 antibody to prevent or treat asthma. The article was published in the June 2003 issue of the American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology, sponsored by the American Thoracic Society.

• Hawaii Biotech Inc., of Honolulu, Hawaii, raised $4.4 million in a Series A round of funding. The round was co-led by International Venture Fund, of Menlo Park, Calif., and HMS Hawaii, also of Honolulu. The funds will be used for proof-of-concept studies for Cardax, for acute and chronic cardiovascular indications, and Heptax, for liver damage in patients with hepatitis C infection. The company expects preclinical studies to complete late this year.

• Introgen Therapeutics Inc., of Austin, Texas, said adenoviral technology exclusively licensed by Introgen from VirRx Inc., of St. Louis, yielded an anticancer product. The company presented research at the annual meeting of the American Society of Gene Therapy in Washington. The product, INGN 007 (VRX-007), overexpresses a gene that allows the vector to saturate the tumor and eradicate cancer in animal models. Introgen said. Introgen's stock (NASDAQ:INGN) gained $1.04 Monday, or 13.2%, to close at $8.92.

• ISTA Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Irvine, Calif., presented findings from one of its Phase III trials of Vitrase (ovine hyaluronidase) for the treatment of vitreous hemorrhage, at the 14th Congress of the European Society of Ophthalmology in Madrid, Spain. The clinical data were previously submitted as part of the company's new drug application pursuant to the FDA and were reported last year. ISTA's Vitrase is a formulation of highly purified ovine hyaluronidase, administered by injection into the vitreous of the eye.

• MDS Sciex, a division of MDS Inc., of Toronto, and SC BioSciences Corp., of Tokyo, signed an exclusive distributorship agreement to deliver MDS Sciex's NanoLC Proteomics system in Japan. Financial details were not disclosed.

• MedMira Inc., of Halifax, Nova Scotia, completed arrangements for a C$625,000 (US$460,476) loan facility with an individual, Martin Giuffre. The company may repay all or part of the principal at any time during the two-year term and agreed to issue the lender common shares equivalent to 10 percent of the principal of the loan and common share warrants equivalent to 40 percent of the principal of the loan. The common share warrants will have a two-year term and are exercisable at C$1.70 per share. The company will issue 36,765 common shares and 147,059 warrants. MedMira focuses on diagnostic tests for the detection of antibodies to certain diseases.

• NaPro BioTherapeutics Inc., of Boulder, Colo., presented results from its technology used to treat Huntington's disease. The results, presented at the American Society of Gene Therapy meeting in Washington, highlighted the discovery that certain single-stranded oligonucleotides inhibit aggregation and extend the life of neuronal cells by at least 40 percent in a cell culture model system, NaPro said. NaPro's stock (NASDAQ:NPRO) rose $1.77 Monday, or 135.1 percent, to close at $3.08.

• Nastech Pharmaceuticals Co. Inc., of Bothell, Wash., announced research findings from its tight junction paracellular drug delivery technology program. The results were accepted for presentation at the 19th International Congress of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology in Toronto, but the conference was canceled due to the severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreak in that city. Research showed the technology allows nasal delivery of therapeutic large molecules by utilizing a proprietary combination of tight junction activators, protease inhibitors and absorption enhancers, the company said.

The National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md., said researchers identified a mechanism by which the eight-amino-acid peptide, NAP, protects against alcohol-induced embryo toxicity and growth retardation in mice. The study, which was funded by the NIH's National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the Medical Research Service, Department of Veterans Affairs, is published in the current issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

• Neurocrine Biosciences Inc., of San Diego, filed a $200 million shelf registration statement, saying it would use any proceeds for general corporate purposes, including clinical trials, research and development, general and administrative expenses, manufacturing expenses and potential acquisitions of companies and technologies that complement its business. Neurocrine has indiplon in Phase III insomnia studies.

• Newron Pharmaceuticals SpA, of Bresso, Italy, completed a series of Phase I studies of ralfinamide (NW-1029), in development for neuropathic pain. The studies show the compound was well tolerated, possessed oral bioavailability and displayed linear and proportional pharmacokinetics. Dosing studies are expected to begin in Europe by the end of the year.

• Oxigene Inc., of Watertown, Mass., said its lead vascular targeting agent, Combretastatin A4 Prodrug, will be combined with two standard-of-care chemotherapy drugs in a new clinical trial involving patients with advanced ovarian cancer. CA4P will be studied in combination with carboplatin and paclitaxel in a Phase I/II trial being launched at Mount Vernon Hospital in the UK. The Phase I arm of the study will involve about 30 patients, while the Phase II arm is expected to include between 20 and 30 patients and will focus on collecting additional safety data and evaluating antitumor activity. Oxigene's stock (NASDAQ: OXGN) rose $5.32 Monday, or 62.7 percent, to close at $13.80.

• Sangamo BioSciences Inc., of Richmond, Calif., reported the presentation of new preclinical animal data from its program to develop a treatment for ischemic cardiovascular and peripheral vascular diseases, at the annual meeting of the American Society of Gene Therapy in Washington. The results, obtained in the ischemic rabbit hind limb model, demonstrated that Sangamo's engineered zinc finger DNA binding protein transcription factors, designed to activate the endothelial growth factor gene, were capable of increasing the formation of new blood vessels in the ischemic limb by more than 50 percent over controls. Separately at the meeting, Sangamo reported the presentation of preliminary data from its new therapeutic initiative, the development of the zinc finger DNA binding protein technology for treating and potentially curing diseases caused by genetic defects.

• Sepracor Inc., of Marlborough, Mass., presented data from a pivotal six-week, placebo-controlled Phase III trial conducted with Estorra brand eszopiclone at the annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies in Chicago. It also presented data from a long-term, placebo-controlled study of eszopiclone in chronic insomnia. The new drug application for Estorra was submitted to the FDA on Jan. 31 and was accepted on April 1.

• Sheffield Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Rochester, N.Y. reported that its board authorized the company to immediately file for protection under Chapter 7 of the federal bankruptcy laws. The board made that decision when efforts to obtain debtor-in-possession financing from major creditors and shareholders were unsuccessful. The American Stock Exchange suspended trading of the company's stock June 2.

• SuperGen Inc., of Dublin, Calif., said data appearing in the June 1, 2003, issue of Blood and presented at the 39th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago suggest additional mechanisms for the anticancer properties of Dacogen. The primary mechanism of action for Dacogen in cancer is thought to be the correction of aberrant DNA methylation. Recent results from a study conducted at the Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Bioimmunotherapy Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico in Aviano, Italy, indicate that Dacogen also induces expression of cancer testis antigens (CTAs). Expression of CTAs on the surface of cancer cells might elicit an immune response to remove the cancer cells, SuperGen said. Dacogen is in a Phase III trial in advanced myelodysplastic syndrome. Enrollment is complete.

• Targeted Genetics Corp., of Seattle, presented preclinical safety data in support of its arthritis program at the annual meeting of the American Society of Gene Therapy in Washington. The studies were conducted as part of the development of tgAAV-TNFR:Fc for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. That lead candidate consists of a gene encoding the TNF-alpha antagonist TNFR:Fc, which is delivered using an adeno-associated virus vector directly to an arthritic joint. In preclinical studies, intra-articular administration resulted in localized expression of the therapeutic protein and a suppression of arthritis symptoms. The company said it plans to submit regulatory filings in the second half of 2003 to initiate a Phase I trial.

• Valentis Inc., of Burlingame, Calif., presented data from a Phase I trial of its Del-1 angiogenesis product for the treatment of peripheral arterial disease at the annual meeting of the American Society of Gene Therapy in Washington. There were no observed severe adverse events from the drug and Del-1 was well tolerated at all doses tested, the company said. Although the number of patients in each dose group was small, there appeared to be evidence of dose-related product activity, it said.

• VaxGen Inc., of Brisbane, Calif., raised $7 million through the sale of about 1.6 million newly issued shares of common stock to a single institutional investor. The transaction was priced at $4.40 per share - a 7 percent discount to the volume-weighted average price of VaxGen's stock during the five days of trading through June 5. VaxGen said it intends to use the net proceeds of $6.6 million to fund vaccine candidates for anthrax and smallpox and for general corporate purposes. Granite Financial Group Inc., of San Diego, acted as placement agent and Enable Capital LLC, of San Francisco, acted as adviser to VaxGen.

• Vicuron Pharmaceuticals Inc., of King of Prussia, Pa., filed a shelf registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission to offer and sell up to $70 million of its shares of common stock from time to time in one or more public offerings. Vicuron's lead product, anidulafungin, is an antifungal agent for which the company has filed a new drug application. It has an antibiotic, dalbavancin, in Phase III trials.

• Zyomyx Inc., of Hayward, Calif., appointed Robert Monaghan CEO and a board member. Monaghan will succeed Lawrence Cohen, who had served as president and CEO since 2001. Cohen was appointed vice chairman and will continue his full-time involvement with Zyomyx. Most recently, Monaghan served as president of Sigma Diagnostics and its subsidiaries.