¿ AntiCancer Inc., of San Diego, reported the development of a bone metastasis mouse model of human prostate cancer. The model was made possible by the company¿s technology, called surgical orthotopic implantation. The development is reported in the current issue of Cancer Research. ¿ Chiron Corp., of Emeryville, Calif., said its board authorized the repurchase of up to 2.5 million shares of common stock over the next 12 months. The repurchase is intended to offset the dilutive effect of stock-based employee compensation plans. They will be bought on the open market. ¿ Corvas International Inc., of San Diego, reported Phase I results of recombinant nematode anticoagulant protein c2 (rNAPc2) that showed it produced a dose-dependent anticoagulant effect over the five-day treatment period and was safe and well tolerated. RNAPc2 is currently in Phase II testing for the prevention and treatment of clinical disorders resulting from abnormal blood clot formulation or thrombosis. The data were presented at the 48th annual Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology in New Orleans. ¿ LifeCell Corp., of The Woodlands, Texas, and Boston Scientific Corp., of Natick, Mass., signed an agreement for the worldwide marketing and distribution by Boston Scientific of urology and gynecology applications of LifeCell¿s cellular tissue matrix. Boston Scientific will distribute LifeCell¿s acellular tissue matrix to urologists and gynecologists worldwide and will be paid a distribution fee based on a percentage of net sales. Boston Scientific will make an undisclosed equity payment. ¿ Neuromedica Inc., of Conshohocken, Pa., filed an investigational new drug application to start trials of taxoprexin DHA-paclitaxel for the treatment of cancer. Taxoprexin is a covalent conjugate of paclitaxel and the fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) that is designed to improve drug disposition for taxane chemotherapy. ¿ Protein Design Labs Inc., of Fremont, Calif., reported that Zenapax (daclizumab) showed efficacy in patients with acute graft versus host disease in a Phase II trial. There were no serious side effects. Zenapax is a humanized antibody created by PDL and marketed by F. Hoffmann-LaRoche Inc., of Basel, Switzerland. ¿ Trega Biosciences Inc., of San Diego, said Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Carlsbad, Calif., will purchase combinatorial libraries from Trega through its Chem.Folio program. Under the terms of the deal, Trega will give Isis non-exclusive access to its small-molecule combinatorial libraries, in exchange for an up-front payment on each compound delivered. Specific financial terms were not disclosed. ¿ Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Cambridge, Mass., started a Phase I trial with VX-745, an orally administered drug targeting p38 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase, a human enzyme involved in the regulation of inflammatory responses. VX-745 has the potential to treat inflammatory and neurological diseases. Vertex will develop VX-745 in the U.S. and Europe, while Kissei Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., of Matsumoto-City, Japan, will develop it in Japan and certain Asian countries.
