• Active Biotech AB, of Lund, Sweden, said it began a Phase I trial of its optimized candidate drug TTS CD3. The FDA approved the investigational new drug application in January. The goal of the study, which is expected to involve 30 patients, is to determine the maximum tolerable dose and to define possible side effects.

• Affymetrix Inc., of Santa Clara, Calif., said its wholly owned subsidiary, Affymetrix Japan K.K., signed agreements with four companies authorizing them as service providers for Affymetrix's Japanese customers. The companies will offer a range of services including scanning and data analysis of Affymetrix GeneChip brand microarrays, as well as service and support for GeneChip instrumentation.

• AM-Pharma Holding BV, of Bunnik, the Netherlands, completed clinical studies of alkaline phosphatase. The compound or placebo was given to 32 volunteers in the Phase I study, while in a Phase IIa study, 10 subjects received a small dose of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) with either alkaline phosphatase or placebo. The compound is believed to detoxify LPS, AM-Pharma said, and is being developed for sepsis.

• Australian Cancer Technology Pty Ltd., of West Perth, Australia, advanced plans for Phase II trials of Pentrix, its cancer vaccine. BresaGen Ltd., of Adelaide, Australia, is expected to manufacture a purified version of the p53 molecule, the target of Pentrix. The antibody fragments in the Pentrix vaccine should generate cellular immunity that targets the p53 molecule on the surface of tumors, Australian Cancer said.

• Carrington Laboratories Inc., of Irving, Texas, said results of an initial study sponsored by its subsidiary, DelSite Biotechnologies Inc., evaluated the effect of GelVac, a new nasal vaccine delivery platform, on antigen nasal residence time and immune response in a mouse model. Antigens delivered using the GelVac delivery system demonstrated significant elevations in both mucosal and systemic immune responses. The results were presented at the 6th annual Conference of Vaccine Research in Arlington, Va.

• The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia said its researchers led a multicenter study that produced data published in the current issue of the American Journal of Gastroenterology related to infliximab (Remicade, from Centocor Inc.), a monoclonal antibody that has shown promising results in treating children with Crohn's disease. Findings demonstrated that all patients experienced about a 50 percent improvement by the second week as measured by a disease index that includes pain, growth rates and other measurements. Every patient achieved a clinical response, while 10 of the 21 achieved clinical remission, and experienced decreased pain and number of daily liquid bowel movements. There were no reactions at the infusion sites on the patients' arms.

• Dendreon Corp., of Seattle, said it expects to present results at the American Association of Immunologists 90th anniversary meeting in Denver this weekend from preclinical studies demonstrating that its alternative reading frame technology targeted at telomerase is capable of inducing tumor rejection in vivo. The company also has demonstrated the ARF technology's applicability to Her-2-positive tumors, it said.

• DNAPrint genomics Inc., of Sarasota, Fla., launched two new human identity tests aimed at the forensics market. Human identity testing relies on standard, methods of producing bar code-like sequences from DNA that serve as identifiers for matching crime scene samples with individuals, or for paternity/maternity analysis.

• Emisphere Technologies Inc., of Tarrytown, N.Y., said it is initiating testing of an oral insulin formulation in Type II diabetic patients in the U.S. under an IND filed with the FDA. The formulation uses Emisphere's eligen oral drug delivery technology to deliver the insulin in a capsule. The single-blind, open-label, crossover, 12-patient trial is designed to assess the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of Emisphere's formulation with an Emisphere delivery agent.

• Genentech Inc., of South San Francisco, agreed with Accelerate Brain Cancer Cure (ABC2), of Burlingame, Calif., to use the ABC2 Clinical Network in a Phase II trial of Tarceva in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). The ABC2 network provides guidance and counsel to ABC2 and sponsors of therapeutics in the design and execution of early stage trials of adult GBM. ABC2 is a nonprofit organization.

• Hemispherx Biopharma Inc., of Philadelphia, presented data, funded by the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md., which evaluated the company's experimental agent Ampligen against West Nile virus in two animal models. The data showed that Ampligen, a double-stranded RNA drug, potentially acting as an immunomodulator and antiviral, was effective in reducing morbidity and mortality. The results were presented at the 16th International Conference on Antiviral Research in Savannah, Ga.

• InforSense Ltd., of London, said it donated its discovery informatics platform, together with a range of life science applications, to the Shanghai government for use in its bioinformatics initiative to discover a vaccine against SARS. InforSense provided its Kensington Discovery Edition enterprise discovery platform, deployment tools and domain application.

• Inimex Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Vancouver, British Columbia, and Genicon Sciences Corp., of San Diego, formed a collaboration to discover diagnostics and therapeutics for infectious diseases. Genicon will provide reagents, instrumentation and software products based on its RLS Technology to support Inimex research. Inimex will establish gene expression analysis facilities at its laboratories in British Columbia and at the laboratories of the Vaccine and Infectious Diseases Organization. Inimex also will provide Genicon with an option to obtain certain rights to discoveries related to host-pathogen gene expression data. Genicon will use the data in the development of gene expression-based research tools and diagnostics.

• Karo Bio AB, of Huddinge, Sweden, and its collaborative partner, Merck & Co. Inc., of Whitehouse Station, N.J., said a preclinical milestone was reached. The milestone triggered an undisclosed payment from Merck to Karo Bio. The collaboration was initiated in November 1997 with the objective of developing new treatments in the field of estrogen receptors. Based on the discovery of estrogen receptor beta, the partnership offers the potential for the development of selective drugs that can target either the alpha-receptor or the beta-receptor, Karo Bio said.

• NeoPharm Inc., of Lake Forest, Ill., received FDA permission to proceed with Phase I trials of LEP-ETU, its NeoLipid liposomal formulation of the cancer-fighting compound paclitaxel. The trial, scheduled to begin by August, will be conducted at three cancer research centers. The trial is designed to determine the maximum tolerated dose of LEP-ETU in patients with advanced cancer.

• Novogen Ltd., of Stamford, Conn., is beginning a Phase II trial of Glucoprime, a skin ulcer-repair compound. The trial will be conducted at three sites in Australia. Glucoprime is a carbohydrate-based drug designed to stimulate wound healing in skin ulcers in which the normal healing process is delayed.

• Oculex Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Sunnyvale, Calif., presented results from a Phase II trial involving more than 300 patients of its lead product, Posurdex. Preliminary findings suggest that Posurdex improves vision in patients with persistent macular edema. The data were presented at the 2003 meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Posurdex is a biodegradable sustained-release implant that delivers dexamethasone to the targeted disease site at the back of the eye.

• Resverlogix Corp., of Calgary, Alberta, said it raised C$3 million (US$2.15 million) in a private financing through a reverse-takeover share exchange with Apsley Management Group Inc. Publicly traded Resverlogix, which is developing cholesterol reduction and therapeutic cancer research products, said it also plans to raise up to C$5.1 million by selling 3 million units at C$1.70 apiece. Each unit will consist of one common share and a purchase warrant for half of a share. Resverlogix said it would use the proceeds to expand its Apo A1 research and further investigate its cancer therapeutic work.

• Sangart Inc., of San Diego, began a Phase Ib/II trial of Hemospan (MP4) in Sweden to include 30 patients undergoing elective orthopedic surgeries. The company also said the April 2003 issue of Transfusion published data pointing to Hemospan's promise for hemoglobin-based red blood cell substitutes because of its efficiency of production and it is not hypertensive when infused into animals. Sangart said it would report results from the trial, expected to last through August, by the end of the year.

• Spectrum Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Irvine, Calif., said it raised $4.4 million through the sale of newly issued shares of Series D 8 percent cumulative convertible preferred stock to selected institutional investors, including SCO Capital Partners, SDS Merchant Fund, Xmark Funds and ProMed Partners LP. It will use the funds to advance the development of EOquin for bladder cancer and elsamitrucin for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, as well as for its generic business and for general expenses.

• ThromboGenics Ltd., of Dublin, Ireland, presented results evaluating the potential of microplasmin for the induction of posterior vitreous detachment. The study, in which microplasmin was injected into the vitreous, demonstrated that microplasmin did achieve its primary endpoint. Based on those results, ThromboGenics will proceed with intravitreal toxicology assessments, as well as additional pharmacology experiments. Pending study results, ThromboGenics plans to proceed with trials in patients with vitreoretinal disease within the next nine to 12 months. The results were presented at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology conference in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

• ZLB Bioplasma Inc., of Glendale, Calif., said its Carimune product, which uses nanofiltration and other particles larger than 50 nanometers without using heat or chemicals such as solvents, detergents and caprylate, is effective in preventing contamination of its plasma-derived products by vaccinia. ZLB said its process is of note given the U.S. government's national smallpox vaccination program, an inoculation plan with a vaccine that uses live vaccinia.