¿ Allelix Biopharmaceuticals Inc., of Toronto, moved its gastrointestinal drug, ALX-0600, into a pilot Phase II trial for short bowel syndrome. Patient enrollment in the multi-center, open-label study will start next month, pending institutional review board approval. The trial should be finished by year's end. AKX-0600, a peptide, enhances the growth of the lining of the small intestine.

¿ Matrix Pharmaceutical Inc., of Fremont, Calif., completed the planned enrollment in its Phase II trial of IntraDose Injectable Gel in primary liver cancer. The study originally had 37 patients but total enrollment now is projected at 45 to 55 patients. IntraDose (cisplatin/ epinephrine) delivers cisplatin, a common anticancer drug, directly into the tumor.

¿ National Cancer Institute (NCI) researchers reported they discovered 10,435 possible new variations in human genes by using a special software package designed to find hidden information stored in gene databases. The gene variations must be validated, but the institute said they almost certainly are single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). The NCI has made information on all of the SNP candidates available to researchers free of charge on the Cancer Genome Anatomy Project web page.

¿ Pharmacia & Upjohn, of Bridgewater, N.J., reported that the Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee recommended to the FDA that its anti-cancer agent, Ellence (epirubicin hydrochloride injection), be approved as a component of adjuvant therapy in patients with evidence that the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes following resection of primary breast cancer.

¿ SRI International, of Menlo Park, Calif., and Taiho Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., of Tokyo, signed a series of agreements under which Taiho licensed from SRI worldwide rights for the development and marketing of SR 16234 (TAS-108) in the oncology field. SRI will receive undisclosed up-front and milestone payments as well as research and development funding and royalties on any approved products.

¿ Cytogen Inc., of Princeton, N.J., reacquired rights to ProstaScint and OncoScint in Canada from Faulding (Canada) Inc., of Montreal. The company also said it reached agreement with Berlex Laboratories, of Wayne, N.J., for marketing rights to Quadramet in Canada. No costs were incurred in getting any of those rights.

¿ ID Biomedical Corp., of Seattle, said it received FDA approval to start a Phase I trial of its group A streptococcus vaccine. The Phase I trial of the subunit vaccine is expected to enroll 30 healthy volunteers.

¿ Osiris Therapeutics Inc., of Baltimore, began a safety study of Allogen in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for the treatment of high-risk hematological malignancies. Allogen is an infused, donor-derived adult mesenchymal stem cell product that supported engraftment in preclinical studies.

¿ Pangaea Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Cambridge, Mass., changed its name to Zycos Inc. Zycos is derived from Greek words meaning "life" or "pertaining to life."