¿ Cell Genesys Inc., of Foster City, Calif., and Rigel Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Sunnyvale, Calif., entered into a collaboration under which Rigel will use its functional genomics technology to identify novel therapeutic genes for cancer. Cell Genesys will gain exclusive worldwide rights to the genes for gene therapy, while Rigel will get access to certain Cell Genesys patents and technology in the area of retroviral gene delivery technology for use in functional genomics. Terms were not disclosed.

¿ Cetek Corp., of Marlborough, Mass., and Pharmacia & Upjohn, of Bridgewater, N.J., signed a multi-year screening agreement using Cetek's technology in screening genomic targets. Cetek will develop assays for P&U targets and screen against P7U compound libraries.

¿ EntreMed Inc., of Rockville, Md., said it began the patient enrollment process for a Phase I trial of the Endostatin protein, an angiogenesis inhibitor.

¿ Magainin Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Plymouth Meeting, Pa., registered for the direct placement, principally to select institutional investors, of 5 million common shares. Specifics of the financing were not disclosed. Magainin's stock (NASDAQ:MAGN) closed Tuesday at $1.03, down 3 cents.

¿ Maxygen Inc., of Redwood City, Calif., received a $6.7 million three-year grant from the Defense Advanced Research Agency to use its Molecular Breeding directed evolution technology, of DNA Shuffling, to develop aerosol-based vaccines to protect against a broad spectrum of pathogens. It is the third significant grant Maxygen has received from the agency.

¿ NeoTherapeutics Inc., of Irvine, Calif., initiated a Phase IIb U.S. trial of Neotrofin (AIT-082) in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease. The double-blind, placebo-controlled study is designed to study efficacy over 90 days of treatment and include more than 400 patients. A 400-patient Phase IIb study of the same drug and indication started in February in South Africa, Canada and Australia.

¿ SuperGen Inc., of San Ramon, Calif., said it acquired worldwide rights to the chemotherapeutic agent decitabine from Pharmachemie, a subsidiary of Jerusalem-based Teva Pharmceuticals. The drug is in clinical testing for acute leukemias. The acquisition entailed an undisclosed number of SuperGen shares.