¿ Genomica Corp., of Boulder, Colo., presented the latest edition of its Discovery Manager product version 2.2.1, a suite of software tools for the integration, management and analysis of complex data in genetic studies, at the Genome Tri-Conference: Human Genome Project exhibit in San Francisco. Discovery Manager provides tools to transform raw data into drug discovery knowledge, the company said.

¿ Incyte Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Palo Alto, Calif., and Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Cambridge, Mass., formed an agreement under which Vertex will gain commercial access to Incyte¿s LifeSeq Gold database for use in small-molecule drug discovery. Vertex plans to use the genomics information as part of its chemogenomics discovery effort. Incyte could receive future milestone payments and royalties on sales of Vertex products developed with Incyte technology and database information. Financial terms were not disclosed. Vertex¿s stock (NASDAQ:VRTX) gained $10.625 Tuesday, or 17 percent, to close at $72.625.

¿ InKine Pharmaceutical Co. Inc., of Blue Bell, Pa., said it has become a sustaining partner with the Colon Cancer Alliance, a group that works with legislators, researchers, regulators, prevention specialists, the media, and the business and medical communities.

¿ Ixion Biotechnology, of Alachua, Fla., said a study that shows the feasibility of using stem cells to produce new pancreatic tissue to treat diabetes will be featured in the March issue of Nature Medicine.

¿ Myogen Inc., of Denver, formed a key alliance with the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, comprising of a patent and technology license agreement. The alliance establishes collaborative research programs targeting the development of therapeutics for heart failure. With the agreement, Myogen receives exclusive rights to a collection of discoveries, patents and future inventions related to heart muscle disease.

¿ Pharmacyclics Inc., of Sunnyvale, Calif., started a Phase I trial of photoangioplasty with Antrin (motexafin lutetium) Injection to treat coronary artery disease. In the study, Antrin is administered intravenously 18 to 24 hours before patients receive standard balloon angioplasty.