¿ Biacore International AB, of Uppsala, Sweden, appointed Ulf Jvnsson, the company¿s president, as CEO effective Jan. 1, 2002. Jvnsson will assume the position from Lars-Gvran Andrin. This move is a result of Andrin¿s need, for health reasons, to play a less active role in Biacore¿s development on a day-to-day basis.

¿ Bioject Medical Technologies Inc., of Portland, Ore., said its shareholders approved the issuance and sale of up to 2 million shares of common stock, including shares that may be subject to warrants, in one or more private placement transactions to fund the redemption of all of the shares of Series A convertible preferred stock held by Elan Pharmaceutical Investments Ltd.

¿ Cellomics Inc., of Pittsburgh, said that through its existing contract with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the company has developed a benchtop system that utilizes living cells for the detection, classification and identification of chemical and biological warfare threat agents such as anthrax and botulinum neurotoxin. Cellomics is collaborating with researchers at military test sites, where they perform the testing of the systems with authentic threat agents.

¿ DiaDexus Inc., of South San Francisco, and Quest Diagnostics Inc., of Teterboro, N.J., said diaDexus licensed its novel Cathepsin K genomics-based diagnostic blood test to Quest for the detection and monitoring of osteoporosis. Quest exercised its option under a previous agreement and has obtained exclusive rights to develop and commercialize the Cathepsin K test in its laboratory facilities in the United States and certain international territories. DiaDexus will receive an up-front licensing fee and royalties on future sales, and retain rights to develop a test for certain markets in the future.

¿ Genaera Corp., of Plymouth Meeting, Pa., filed a universal shelf registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission for the sale, from time to time, of up to an aggregate of $50 million of the company¿s common stock, preferred stock or warrants to purchase common stock or preferred stock. Genaera intends to use the net proceeds from the sale of any securities to fund the ongoing development of the company¿s four therapeutic programs. A registration statement relating to the securities has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission but has not yet become effective. If the registration statement becomes effective, the shares will be available for sale by the company only when it believes that market conditions are favorable and financing opportunities arise.

¿ Immuno-Designed Molecules SA, said IDM-activated macrophage cells have significantly reduced tumor recurrence in a Phase I/II clinical trial in superficial bladder cancer. Results of a two-year follow-up report were presented during the ¿European Perspectives on Bladder Cancer¿ meeting in Monte Carlo. Preliminary data indicate that MAK therapy is well tolerated and safe. Also, MAK therapy appears to have reduced the frequency of disease recurrence the first year after treatment. The IDM-2 study included 17 patients with superficial bladder cancer with a high probability of relapse within a year. Patients received six weekly intravesical infusions of IDM-2 based on MAK obtained from autologous mononuclear cells. Five patients received maintenance therapy at three-month intervals.

¿ Ophidian Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Charlottesville, Va., raised $2 million in a private placement financing. The offering consisted of debentures convertible into shares of Ophidian common stock at 50 cents a share. The company said the financing will enable it to continue development of its Hemoxygenation technology for increasing tissue oxygenation.

¿ Orchid Biosciences Inc., of Princeton, N.J., is the subject of a class action lawsuit filed Nov. 20 on behalf of the purchasers of the common stock of the company between May 4, 2000, and Dec. 6, 2000. The action is pending in the U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, against Orchid¿s officers and underwriters.

¿ SuperGen Inc., of Dublin, Calif., received approval from the FDA to market daunorubicin as a treatment for a variety of acute leukemias. SuperGen¿s direct oncology sales force will be responsible for marketing daunorubicin to physicians in the United States.