¿ Abgenix Inc., of Fremont, Calif., initiated a Phase IIa multicenter trial of ABX-IL8 in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. A Phase IIa trial of the compound in patients with moderate to severe psoriasis is under way, and results are expected early next year. The double-blind, placebo-controlled study is designed to evaluate the compound's safety and efficacy.

¿ Applied Biosystems Group, of Foster City, Calif., said a United States district court upheld an Amersham Pharmacia Biotech Inc., of Piscataway, N.J., motion for summary judgment that ABG products infringe on Amersham's U.S. Patent No. 5,688,648, which covers energy-transfer fluorescent labeling technology. The court, however, denied a similar motion for summary judgement that the claims of that patent are enabled, and the case is expected to proceed to trial in late January to determine the validity and enforceability of the patent's claims. The court further granted two ABG motions for summary judgements, rejecting claims of infringement upon Amersham DNA sequencing instrumentation patents by ABG. That litigation likewise moves forward.

¿ Genzyme Corp., of Cambridge, Mass., said its unit, Genzyme Biosurgery Division, began trading in options on the Nasdaq National Market under the symbol "GZBX."

¿ Introgen Therapeutics Inc., of Austin, Texas, received a $208,000 Small Business Technology Transfer grant from the National Cancer Institute to fund collaborative research with the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology. The grant will fund research aimed to advance the preclinical development of a vector that sensitizes tumor cells to radiotherapy. The grant will fund the study of AV1Y28, a modified adenoviral vector that carries a gene encoding a single-chain antibody fragment directed against Ras proteins.

¿ Transgenomic Inc., of Omaha, Neb., said an anonymous benefactor contributed profits from the sale of a South American and African art collection to fund the Oncology Division of Geneva Hospital's purchase of a Transgenomic-manufactured WAVE Nucleic Acid Fragment Analysis System. The system will be used in the hospital's ongoing research into the molecular basis of cancer.