Company (Symbol)*

Product

Description

Indication

Action/Date**

CANCER

Inex Pharmaceuticals Corp. (Canada; TSE: IEX)

Onco TCS

Vincristine encapsulated in Transmembrane Carrier Systems drug delivery technology

Second-relapsed aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

Received approval to commence Phase II/III trial (11/1)

LorusTherapeutics Inc. (Canada; TSE:LORFF)

GTI 2040

Antisense anticancer therapeutic

Various cancers

Filed investigational new drug (IND) application (11/16)

Xenova Group plc (UK; LSE:XEN)

XR9576

P-glycoprotein pump inhibitor that restores the sensitivity of multi-drug resistant cancer cells to specific cytotoxic drugs

Various cancers

Received IND approval (11/24)

CARDIOVASCULAR

AVI BioPharma

Resten-NG

Gene-targeted therapeutic drug

Restenosis following angioplasty

Filed IND (11/16)

Endovasc Ltd. Inc.

Liprostin (OTC BB:ENDVE)

Liposomal encapsulation of prostaglandin E-1 (PGE-1)

Peripheral arterial occlusive disease

FDA granted approval to begin Phase III studies contingent on the company expanding its trials to include additional placebo arms (11/4)

CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM

Gliatech Inc. (GLIA)

Perceptin

Selective histamine H3 receptor antagonis

Various central nervous system disorders

Received IND approval to initiate Phase II trials (11/22)

INFECTION

Agouron Pharmaceuticals Inc. (a subsidiary of Warner-Lambert Co.; NYSE:WLA)

Viracept

Synthetic small molecule designed to inhibit HIV protease

HIV infection

FDA approved twice-daily dosing regimen (11/29)

Gilead Sciences (GILD)

Adefovir dipivoxil 60 mg; reverse transcriptase inhibitor

HIV infection

Presented safety and efficadata to the FDA's antiviral drugs advisory committee, which recommended that the FDA not approve the drug (11/1)

Immunomedics Inc. (IMMU)

LeukoScan

Sulesomab; monoclonal antibody fragment labeled with technetium-99 that binds to white blood cells

Various infectious diseases

FDA informed the company of deficiencies in its product filing (11/29)

Palatin Technologies Inc. (PLTN)

LeuTech

Antibody-based infection imaging agent

Diagnosis of equivocal appendicitis

Submitted biologics license application (BLA) (11/23)

MISCELLANEOUS

Advanced Polymer Systems Inc. (APOS)

Microsponge-entrapped 5-fluorouracil

Actinic keratoses

Submitted new drug application (NDA) (11/1)

Amgen Inc. (AMGN)

Epogen

Recombinant human erythropoeitin

Anemia in children with chronic renal failure who are undergoing kidney dialysis

Approved for the treatment of children (11/3)

Avanir Pharmaceuticals (OTC BB:AVNR)

Docosanol 10% cream

Oral-facial herpes

FDA provided preliminary results of the company's appeal regarding its NDA (11/1)

Boston Life Sciences Inc. (BLSI)

Altropane

Radioimaging probe for dopamine neurons

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Submitted proposed Phase II study (11/23)

Centocor Inc. (a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson.; NYSE:JNJ)

Remicade

Infliximab; chimeric monoclonal antibody to tumor necrosis factor alpha

Rheumatoid arthritis

Received marketing approval

Ciba Vision (a subsidiary of Novartis AG) and QLT PhotoTherapeutics Inc. (QLTI)

Visudyne

Verteporfin; light-activated drug for photodynamic therapy

Wet age-related macular degeneration

FDA advisory panel recommended approval (11/17)

Genelabs Technologies Inc. (GNLB)

GL701

Dehydroepiandosterone; (naturally occurring hormone produced by the adrenal glands)

Systemic lupus erythematosus

FDA deemed the company's NDA adequate for submission (11/22)

InKine Pharmaceutical Co. Inc. (INKP)

Diacol

Sodium phosphate tablets

Adult patients under-evaluation going colonoscopic

Submitted NDA (11/23)

Ortec International Inc. (ORTC)

Composite Cultured Skin

Tissue-engineered dressing

Epidermolysis Bullosa, consisting of two layers of human-derived skin cells (dermal and epidermal) supported with a porous collagen matrix

Filed for marketing approval Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis, Erythema Multiforme

OrthoLogic Corp. (OLGC)

Chrysalin

Synthetically manufactured peptide that mimics attributes of the thrombin molecule by interacting with specific receptors on cells involve in tissue repair

Acceleration of fracture healing

FDA granted permission to proceed with Phase I/II trials (11/9)

Xoma Ltd. (XOMA)

Neuprex

Recombinant bactericidal/permeability increasing protein

Severe pediatric meningococcemia

Submitted analysis of data from Phase III trial (11/11)

Notes:

* Indicates a privately held company.

** The dates listed indicate the issue dates of press releases, and are not necessarily the dates on which stated events took place.

Unless otherwise noted, the stock symbols listed for public companies are on the Nasdaq market.

AMEX = American Stock Exchange; LSE = London Stock Exchange; NYSE = New York Stock Exchange; OTC BB = Over the Counter Bulletin Board; TSE = Toronto Stock Exchange

ND = Not Disclosed