Advanced Magnetics Inc., of Cambridge, Mass., said the FDAgranted marketing approval for Feridex I.V., a contrast agent for usewith magnetic resonance imaging for detecting liver lesions. With theproduct introduction, Advanced Magnetics will get a $5 millionmilestone payment from Berlex Laboratories Inc., of Wayne, N.J.,the company's U.S. marketing partner.

Biopool International Inc., of Ventura, Calif., received 510(k)clearance for the Spectrolyse Antithrombin-III Assay Kit, a testsystem to assess a patient's risk for developing blood clots. It is thecompany's seventh product to receive 510(k) approval this year.

Chiron Corp., of Emeryville, Calif., Ortho Diagnostic Systems Inc.,of Raritan, N.J., and Interna-tional Murex Technologies Corp., ofNorcross, Ga., reached a worldwide agreement to settle litigationinvolving tests for hepatitis C virus (HCV). Murex was granted alicense to sell HCV serotyping tests worldwide and other HCV testsin countries excluding North America, Europe and Japan. Chiron andOrtho were granted rights to the Murex Sample Addition Monitortechnology as well as an option to sell Murex's HCV serotyping test.Murex agreed to withdraw its opposition to Chiron's HCV patentsworldwide.

Imagyn Medical Inc., of Laguna Niguel, Calif., received 510(k)clearance from the FDA to market its single-use MicroSpanHysteroscope Sheath. The sheath enables physicians to perform avariety of diagnostic and operative procedures in the uterus.

NovaDx International Inc., of San Diego, sold an additional twomillion shares at 58 cents each that, combined with the first phase ofthe financing completed last month, resulted in gross proceeds of$4.5 million to the company. NovaDx is developing blood tests forarthritis and osteoporosis.

OncorMed Inc., of Gaithersburg, Md., signed a two-year agreementgranting Endocrine Sciences, of Calabasas Hills, Calif., distributionrights for the RET gene test for familial medullary thyroid carcinoma.Endocrine has the country's only field sales force focused exclusivelyon selling diagnostic testing services to endocrinologists.

* Scios Inc., of Mountain View, Calif., and Shionogi & Co. Ltd., ofOsaka, Japan, said Shionogi introduced a blood test in Japan for thediagnosis and monitoring of congestive heart failure. The test isbased on b-type natriuretic peptide, of BNP, a hormone whose levelsare elevated during heart dysfunction. Shionogi developed the testunder a license from Scios.

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