Aurora Biosciences Corp., of San Diego, expanded and extended the screening assay development portion of its agreement with Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., of New York. The agreement was extended two years, and a team from Aurora will develop assays for use by Bristol-Myers' screen-development operations.

BioChem Pharma Inc., of Laval, Quebec, received approval from the European Commission to market Zeffix (lamivudine), a treatment for hepatitis B, in all 15 European Union countries. The drug already is approved in the U.S., Canada, South Korea and awaiting launch elsewhere, including China.

Chiron Corp., of Emeryville, Calif., said the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California ruled Roche Molecular Systems Inc., of Pleasanton, Calif., and Roche Diagnostics Systems Inc., of Indianapolis, do not have rights to HCV technology owned by Chiron.

CytoTherapeutics Inc., of Lincoln, R.I., said it demonstrated, for the first time, that normal human neural stem/progenitor cell lines expand exponentially in response to a proprietary serum-free media formulation containing a combination of growth factors. Even after one year the cells retained the capacity to differentiate into the major components of the central nervous system. The study was published in the August issue of Experimental Neurology.

Guilford Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Baltimore, received a $2.5 million milestone payment from Rhone-Poulenc Rorer Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Collegeville, Pa., for regulatory developments in France of the Gliadel Wafer. The product has been approved for use in France as an adjunct to surgery in patients with recurrent glioblastoma multiforme.

NeoPharm Inc., of Bannockburn, Ill., said Pharmacia & Upjohn, of Bridgewater, N.J., made an $8 million equity investment, consisting of 452,861 shares at $17.67 per share. The payment was triggered by the transfer of investigational new drug applications for NeoPharm's two liposomal anticancer agents, LEP and LED, to the pharmaceutical company per terms of their February agreement. (See BioWorld Today, Feb. 23, 1999, p. 1.)