* Alliance Pharmaceutical Corp., of San Diego, completed itsacquisition of MDV Technologies Inc., whose lead productcandidate, FloGel, is an anti-adhesion treatment for use inconjunction with pelvic and abdominal surgeries.

* Aquila Biopharmaceuticals Inc., of Worcester, Mass., said the unitsin its rights offering were priced at $9.49. Each unit consists of anAquila share and a warrant to buy another at 150 percent of the unitprice. The rights offering was part of Cambridge Biotech Corp.'sfederal bankruptcy reorganization plan, from which Aquila emerged.The rights were distributed to Cambridge Biotech creditors,employees, shareholders and participants in a settlement of ashareholders class action lawsuit. Aquila has 5 million sharesoutstanding.

* Calgene Inc., of Davis, Calif., said it has signed royalty-bearingcross-licensing agreements with Kirin Brewery Co. Ltd., of Tokyo,involving Calgene's Flavr Savr tomato gene and Kirin's carotenoidbiosynthesis genes. Modification of the Flavr Savr gene preventstomatoes from spoiling. Carotenoid biosynthesis genes are used toimprove nutritional properties of human food and animal feed.

* Cephalon Inc., of West Chester, Pa., entered a two-yearcollaboration with Leo Pharmaceutical Products Ltd., of Ballerup,Denmark, to develop neurological disease drugs. Financial termswere not disclosed. But the companies said each would beresponsible for its own development costs. In the alliance, Cephalonwill use its neurotrophic enhancing molecule technology with Leo'svitamin D analogues to induce gene expression aimed at protectingneurons.

* Elan Corp., of Athlone, Ireland, said the FDA's Peripheral andCentral Nervous System Drugs Advisory Committee recommendedapproval of Diastat (diazepam rectal gel) for treatment of acuterepetitive seizures in epilepsy patients. The Diastat new drugapplication was submitted by Athena Neurosciences Inc., of SouthSan Francisco, which is a subsidiary of Elan.

* Integra LifeSciences Corp., of Plainsboro, N.J., said it receivedpermission from the French Ministry of Health, in Paris, to shipIntegra Artificial Skin to a military hospital near Paris for treatmentof a patient burned over 90 percent of his body. The company saidthe approval for the Integra shipments reflects favorably on itsapplication for market clearance in France. Integra Artificial Skin isapproved in 11 countries, including the U.S.

* Neoprobe Corp., of Dublin, Ohio, raised $15 million through theexercise of more than 2.3 million warrants issued as part of thecompany's 1992 initial public offering. The warrants, priced at $6.50,were scheduled to expire in November. The proceeds boostNeoprobe's total cash to $56.6 million.

* Therion Biologics Corp., of Cambridge, Mass., said two Phase Itrials of Prostvac, the company's therapeutic vaccine against prostatecancer, are being conducted by the National Institutes of Health(NIH), of Bethesda, Md., and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, ofBoston. Both studies are sponsored by the NIH's National CancerInstitute. Therion's live recombinant viral vector vaccine expresses aprostate-specific antigen to stimulate the immune system.

* Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Cambridge, Mass., said rat studydata showed nerve recovery was accelerated with the company'sorally administered compound that mimics the nerve repair activity ofan immunosuppressive drug, called FK506, without affecting theimmune system. FK506, which blocks activation of T cells, is madeby Fujisawa Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., of Osaka.

(c) 1997 American Health Consultants. All rights reserved.