Company* (Country) |
Product |
Description |
Indication |
Type Action (Date) |
I. CANCER
AltaRex Corp. |
OvaRex MAb |
Anti-idiotype induction therapy-based vaccine;consists of modified murine monoclonal antibody that binds to CA125 cancer antigen |
Ovarian cancer |
Company reported that 12 of 14 patients have been enrolled in Canadian Phase II trial (4/1) |
U.S. Bioscience and Schering-Plough Corp. (NYSE:SGP) |
Ethyol (FDA-approved) |
Amifostine; selective cyto-protective agent GABA-A receptor subtype |
Prevention of acute and late xerostomia in head-and-neck cancer |
Cleared for marketing in Europe (4/29) |
II. CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
NeurocrineBiosciences Inc. |
NBI-34060 |
GABA-A receptor subtype agonist; next-generation non-benzodiazepine sedative hypnotic with receptor subtype selectivity |
Insomnia |
Completed Phase Ib trial in Germany (4/8) |
II. INFECTION
Atrix Laboratories Inc. |
Atridox (FDA-approved) |
Biodegradable polymer incorporating 10% doxycy-cline |
Periodontal disease |
Approved for marketing in the U.K. (4/28) |
BioChem Pharma Inc. (Canada) and Glaxo Wellcome plc (NYSE:GLX; U.K.) |
Zeffix (lamivudine; FDA-approved) |
Nucleoside analogue (oral dosage) |
Chronic hepatitis B |
European Union's Committee for Proprietary Medicinal Products recommended approval (4/26) |
Corixa Corp. |
LeIF (Leishmaniaelongation Initiation factor) |
Recombinant version of Leishmania protein with significant T cell stimulatory activity |
Drug-resistant mucosal leishmaniasis |
Presented interim results from Brazilian trial at the World Health Organization's “Novel Adjuvants Currently in Clinical Testing“ meeting in Annecy, France (4/6) |
Digene Corp. |
Hybrid Capture II test for chlamydia and gonorrhea Hybrid Capture II test for human papillomavirus |
Assay that detects genetic material from Chlamydia trachomatis andNeisseria gonorrhea Assay that detects DNA from 18 different human papillomavirus types |
Detection of chlamydia and/or gonorrhea infection Detection of human papillomavirus infection |
Cleared for marketing in Brazil and Argentina (4/29) Cleared for marketing in Brazil and Argentina (4/29) |
D-Pharm Ltd.* (Israel) |
DP-VPA |
Derivative of valproic acid |
Epilepsy |
Cleared to initiate Phase I study in the U.K. (4/19) |
Genzyme General (division of Genzyme Corp.) |
Seprafilm Bioresorbable Membrane |
Bioresorbable membrane that prevents fibrin, unleashed as the result of surgical insult, from building scaffolding needed for adhesions |
Prevention of postoperative adhesions Diseases of the Colon |
Data from Genzyme-sponsored retrospective study published in and Rectum (4/30) |
OXO Chemie Inc. (subsidiary of OXO Chemie AG; Switzerland) |
WF10 |
Chemically stabilized chlorite matrix called tetrachloro-decaoxygen |
Late-stage HIV/AIDS |
Canada's Health Protection Branch approved addition of Canadian sites to U.S. Phase III trial (4/8) |
Pathogenesis Corp. |
TOBI (FDA-approved) |
Tobramycin for inhalation |
Treatment of cystic fibrosis patients infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection |
Initiated enrollment in open-label randomized trial in Ireland and the U.K. (4/15) |
II. MISCELLANEOUS
Phytopharm plc (U.K.) |
P54 |
Extract of two plants that down-regulates cyclo-oxygenase 2 (COX-2); nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agent |
Osteoarthritis |
Product failed to beat placebo in Phase IIa trial in the U.K. (4/20) |
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Protein Design Labs Inc. |
SMART Anti-CD3 (humanized antibody) |
Humanized antibody that binds to the CD3 antigen on T lymphocytes |
Psoriasis |
Initiated Phase I/II trial (4/28) |
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Sheffield Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Zambon Group SpA (Italy) |
- |
Albuterol sulfate delivered via Metered Solution inhaler |
Asthma |
Zambon initiated human testing in Europe (4/19) |
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* Privately held company. | ||||||
** Unless otherwise noted, the stock symbols for public companies are listed on pp.10-11. |