* Agouron Pharmaceuticals Inc., of La Jolla, Calif., said its scientistssolved the 3-dimensional atomic structure of the protease enzymeencoded by the human cytomegalovirus. The solution of the structureby X-ray diffraction techniques at a resolution of 2.5 Angstroms wasreported in the journal Cell.

* Amrad, of Victoria, Australia, signed a non-exclusive agreement toallow Progenitor Inc., of Columbus, Ohio, to express leukemiainhibitory factor in its proprietary yolk sac stem cell culture systems.Amrad will get a signing fee, annual payments and potentialmilestone payments.

* BioTransplant Inc., of Boston, entered an agreement with ActivatedCell Therapy, of Mountain View, Calif., to use its bone marrow stemcell purification device with BioTransplant's technology for organtransplantation. BioTransplant is developing methods for preventingtransplant rejection using both human and pig organs. Financial termswere not disclosed.

* Cangene Inc., of Toronto, has received Canadian approval to beginPhase II trials of VZIG for treatment of post-herpetic neuralgia,which is pain associated with shingles. The drug is an antibodyagainst varicella zoster, a virus associated with shingles. Cangene ispart of the Apotex Group, of Toronto.

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