* AntexBiologics, of Gaithersburg, Md., said it received a $500,000 milestone payment fromPasteur Merieux Connaught, of Lyon, France, related to clinical development of aHaemophilus influenzaenontypeable otitis media vaccine. The vaccine consists of anH. influenzae protein, Hin47, discovered at Antex and licensed to Pasteur Merieux.

* Biosource Technologies Inc., of Vacaville, Calif., launched its Antigenics Division, which provides tools to increase the speed and productivity of vaccine research and development. The launch coincides with publication in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of a description of the production of a protein-based tumor-specific vaccine using a novel plant-based transient expression system.

* Caliper Technologies Corp., of Mountain View, Calif., said its Screening Technology Access Program now is available. Subscribers get access to successive generations of Caliper's LabChip nanoscale screening systems for biochemical and cellular targets. Hoffmann-La Roche Inc., of Nutley, N.J., which collaborated on LabChip development, became the first subscriber. The system consists of an instrument and software platform with assay-specific chips and reagents.