* Amgen Inc., of Thousand Oaks, Calif., said the U.S. Court ofAppeals for the Federal Circuit upheld a 1995 U.S. District Courtruling that Genetics Institute Inc., of Cambridge, Mass., could notassert new patent claims to erythropoietin (EPO), a red blood cellproducing protein. Amgen sells the drug as Epogen in the U.S.Genetics Institute was barred from marketing EPO in 1991 followinga court ruling in favor of Amgen's patent position.

* Aquila Biopharmaceuticals Inc., of Worcester, began trading onNASDAQ under the symbol AQLA. The company also initiated arights offering of $9.49 units consisting of one Aquila share and athree-year warrant to purchase another share at $14.235 to holders ofCambridge Biotech Corp. stock. Aquila was formed as part ofCambridge Biotech's federal bankruptcy reorganization plan.

* Avitech Diagnostics Inc., of Malvern, Pa., entered a researchagreement with Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia fordevelopment of genetic tests for cancer.

* Bio-Technology General Corp., of Iselin, N.J., said the FDA hasaccepted for review the company's application to expand the use ofOxandrin for growth deficiencies and Turner's syndrome. The drug isan orally active testosterone analogue and is sold in the U.S. forpromotion of weight gain.

* Carrington Laboratories Inc., of Irving, Texas, raised $6.6 millionthrough a private placement of convertible preferred stock to supportthe company's clinical development programs.

* Rhone-Poulenc Rorer Inc., of Collegeville, Pa., said Taxotere hasbeen cleared for marketing in Japan for breast and non-small celllung cancers. The anticancer drug is approved in 35 countries.

* Sepracor Inc., of Marlborough, Mass., began a pediatric clinicaltrial of R-albuterol, a single-isomer form of albuterol. The study isdesigned to evaluate R-albuterol as an alternative to racemicalbuterol, a standard therapy, for treatment of asthma. The pediatrictrial also will attempt to confirm findings of a Phase II adult study inwhich R-albuterol demonstrated it was as effective as racemicalbuterol in improving lung function without the standard therapy'sside effects.

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