• Aeres Biomedical Ltd., of London, completed an agreement to generate two recombinant cell lines expressing human antibodies using its Supervector expression system, on behalf of Acorda Therapeutics Inc., of New York. The two human antibodies are being developed by Acorda to promote regrowth and repair of the myelin sheath surrounding axons to restore neurological function in people with nervous system disorders. Financial terms were not disclosed.

• Affymetrix Inc., of Santa Clara, Calif., launched three GeneChip-brand CustomExpress arrays in 520-, 3,600- and 8,400-gene formats. The formats are additions to Affymetrix's custom expression array products, all of which are consolidated into its CustomExpress Array Program, it said.

• Ambit Biosciences Corp., of San Diego, formed a technology evaluation agreement with GlaxoSmithKline plc, of London, to characterize small-molecule kinase inhibitors using Ambit's ProteomeScan platform. The work began in January and focuses on Ambit's ability to assess compound specificity by identifying protein interactions and determining binding affinities. Financial terms were not disclosed.

• Arriva Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Alameda, Calif., and partner Baxter Healthcare Corp., of Deerfield, Ill., began a Phase I trial in patients suffering from alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, also known as hereditary emphysema. The study will evaluate the safety, immunogenicity and tolerability of the jointly developed alpha 1-antitrypsin therapy. The companies called their recombinant AAT the first such product in clinical trials that is produced without the addition of human- or animal-derived raw materials in the fermentation process, purification or final formulation.

• BioTransplant Inc., of Medford, Mass., received a Nasdaq staff determination letter indicating that the company's securities will be delisted from the Nasdaq National Market at the opening of business on March 11. The action is due to the company's filing of a voluntary petition for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code on Feb. 27. The company decided not to appeal Nasdaq's decision but will consider an application for listing on the OTC Bulletin Board when appropriate. As a result of its Chapter 11 petition, effective with the opening of trading on March 4, its stock began trading under the symbol "BTRNQ." (See BioWorld Today, March 3, 2003.)

• ChemNavigator Inc., of San Diego, signed an agreement with Chiron Corp., of Emeryville, Calif., to work together in the area of virtual screening against Chiron's 3-D model of a hepatitis C drug target. The collaboration is designed to identify biologically active compounds to be developed for hepatitis C. ChemNavigator will apply its database docking technology, 3-DPL Map, to Chiron's 3-D protein model to identify likely binding compounds from within the millions of commercially accessible drug-like chemical samples tracked within ChemNavigator's iResearch Library. Specific financial terms were not disclosed but include success fees for the identification of biologically active compounds as well as potential milestone payments.

• CuraGen Corp., of New Haven, Conn., said the FDA approved its investigational new drug application to begin clinical trials of CG53135, a protein therapeutic being investigated for oral mucositis. CuraGen said it plans to proceed with a multicenter Phase I trial to evaluate safety and pharmacokinetics in cancer patients who are at risk for mucositis following chemotherapy. The compound is the first from CuraGen's functional genomics technologies to move into the clinic.

• Diversa Corp., of San Diego, and Danisco Animal Nutrition, a division of Danisco A/S, of Copenhagen, Denmark, said the FDA granted authorization to market their phytase feed enzyme, Phyzyme XP, to the U.S. animal feed industry. Phyzyme XP was developed by Danisco Animal Nutrition and Diversa. Diversa is responsible for manufacturing and Danisco holds worldwide marketing rights. Phytase is used to increase absorption of organic phosphorus from feed and reduce output of phosphorus to the environment.

• GenSci Regeneration Sciences Inc., of Irvine, Calif., entered a supply and distribution agreement for allograft materials belonging to AlloSource, of Centennial, Colo., a nonprofit tissue bank cooperative. In addition to the supply agreement, GenSci OrthoBiologics Inc. will manufacture AllowFuse DBM Putty and Gel for distribution by AlloSource to its customers.

• The National Cancer Institute, a unit of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md., said research from its molecular targets discovery program was published in Antiviral Research highlighting the discovery that a bacterial protein known to reduce HIV's ability to infect cells also inhibits infection by the Ebola virus. The antiviral protein, cyanovirin-N (CV-N), was found to extend the survival time of Ebola-infected mice. CV-N comes from a type of bacterium known as cyanobacterium, or blue-green algae.

• PanaMed Corp., of Indianapolis, reported initial results from the first stage of a six-month treatment program for its HIV/AIDS immunomodulating drug, Viro-net. Results from the African study, consisting of 22 patients who ranged from 4 to 43 years old, demonstrated that all HIV patients tolerated and responded well to the treatment. Overall, the general health of a statistically significant number of patients improved: lesions and rashes subsided; blood pressures returned to normal levels; appetites increased; and subsequent weight gain was notable, the company said. Blood test results indicated a statistically significant reduction in viral load measurements in 93 percent of patients that began the program with a CD4 count of 400 or less.

• Repligen Corp., of Waltham, Mass., said its board adopted a shareholders rights plan under which all shareholders as of March 17 will receive rights to purchase shares of a new series of preferred stock. The plan is intended to guard against coercive takeover tactics and is not in response to any particular proposal, it said. Repligen focuses on pediatric developmental disorders, including autism and immune and metabolic disorders.

• Sarawak MediChem Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Woodridge, Ill., completed a 48-subject clinical trial of Calanolide A in combination therapy for HIV. Results showed the therapy increased blood levels of Calanolide in human volunteers. The company will next initiate a trial in HIV-infected individuals. Calanolide A is a non-nucleoside reverse transpcriptase inhibitor.

• Silicon Genetics Inc., of Redwood City, Calif., said the most recent versions of GeneSpring (5.1) and GeNet (3.1) have been updated to facilitate automation and increase efficiency of high-throughput data analysis in genomics research.

• SurroMed Inc., of Mountain View, Calif., and InterMune Inc., of Brisbane, Calif., entered an agreement for the discovery of biomarkers for use in InterMune's research efforts. InterMune will supply clinical samples for analysis in SurroMed's BioMarker Discovery Laboratory. SurroMed will analyze the samples using its mass spectrometry-based technologies. Financial terms were not disclosed.

• Syn X Pharma Inc., of Toronto, said that after achieving the first in a series of milestones, it received a significant payment from Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics Inc., a unit of Johnson & Johnson, of New Brunswick, N.J. The compensation stems from an exclusive worldwide licensing and development agreement reached in October for Syn X's Alzheimer's disease technology for human in vitro diagnostic applications. Syn X said its technology measures, in whole blood, a biochemical marker called glutamine synthetase that is released by brain cells in the Alzheimer's disease process.

• Synaptic Pharmaceutical Corp., of Paramus, N.J., said the Mexican Antitrust Commission authorized the merger between itself and H. Lundbeck A/S, of Copenhagen, Denmark. Synaptic said it expects the merger to close March 6. When the deal was announced in November, it was valued at about $121 million. In the merger, outstanding shares of Synaptic common stock would be converted into the right to receive $6.50 in cash, without interest; outstanding shares of Synaptic Series B convertible preferred stock would be converted into the right to receive $1,499.15 in cash, without interest; and outstanding shares of Synaptic Series C convertible preferred stock would be converted into the right to receive $1,088.54 in cash, without interest.

• Transform Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Lexington, Mass., reported in the March 2003 edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that it identified new crystal forms of the HIV protease inhibitor ritonavir (from Abbott Laboratories). Transform said it identified several new forms of the drug substance, one of which was a previously unknown polymorph, along with identifying reproducible methods of preparing both the known and novel forms. A summary of the work was presented at the American Chemical Society ProSpectives meeting in February in Tampa, Fla. Results also will be presented later this month in a poster at the American Chemical Society's national meeting in New Orleans.