* EnzyMed Inc., of Iowa City, Iowa, received a $100,000 SmallBusiness Innovation Research grant from the National Institutes ofHealth to develop organic compounds that alleviate the addictivecraving for cocaine without inducing psychoactive side effects.

* GalaGen Inc., of Arden Hills, Minn., began a Phase II/III study ofits bovine-derived polyclonal antibody for treatment ofCryptosporidium parvum infections, which can cause life-threateningdiarrhea in AIDS patients. The drug, bovine immunoglobulinconcentrate-C. parvum, is taken from the milk of cows followingbirth of a calf. The antibodies are generated in response toimmunization against the infection.

* Lexicon Genetics Inc., of Houston, acquired a license from theMassachusetts Institute of Technology, in Cambridge, Mass., forexclusive rights to U.S. patent No. 5,364,783, titled "retroviruspromotor-trap vectors." The technology involves use of molecularbiological reagents for such projects as gene isolation, drug assay,gene expression and mutant mouse experimentation. Financial termswere not disclosed.

* MediChem Research Inc., of Lemont, Ill., received a $100,000Small Business Innovation Research grant from the NationalInstitutes of Health to develop AIDS drugs from synthesis of non-chiral analogues of the natural product, michellamine B.

* NeoPharm Inc., of Lake Forest, Ill., said it will file by the end ofthis year two new drug applications for Broxuridine for treatment ofbrain cancer and detection of breast cancer. Broxuridine is aradiosensitizer designed to enhance the effectiveness of radiationtherapy.

* Sequus Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Menlo Park, Calif., said the FDAapproved an increase of shelf life time for Doxil, or liposomaldoxorubicin, from 14 to 20 months. The product is approved fortreatment of Kaposi's sarcoma.

* Celgene Corp., of Warren, N.J., said research it did with scientistsat Rockefeller University showed novel derivatives of thalidomideappear to be effective in controlling a potentially destructive immuneresponse. The research appears in the July issue of MolecularMedicine.

* MediChem Research Inc., of Lemont, Ill., was awarded a $100,000Small Business Innovation Research grant to synthesize non-chiralanalogues of the natural product michellamine B as novel anti-HIV-1and HIV-2 agents. The synthetic analogues will be evaluated for theircytoprotective capacity and their cytotoxicity in the cell lines toestablish indices for the compounds.

* MGI Pharma Inc., of Minnetonka, Minn., said the National CancerInstitute voted in favor of funding and conducting human trials ofMGI 114, the lead analogue from MGI's acylfulvene family of anti-cancer compounds. The deal is pending execution of a clinical trialsagreement.

* Scios Inc., of Mountain View, Calif., said partner KakenPharmaceutical Co. Ltd., of Tokyo, submitted a new drug applicationin Japan for Fiblast (basic fibroblast growth factor) for treatment ofrecalcitrant dermal ulcers. The filing is the first for a Scios-discovered product.

* Sibia Neurosciences Inc., of La Jolla, Calif., signed an agreementwith Cognetix Inc., of Salt Lake City, to conduct research onconopeptides, which are derived from the Conus species of marinesnails. They will try to identify selective compounds for receptorsand ion channels found on nerve cells, specifically recombinanthuman nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subtypes. The agreementprovides Sibia consideration of an exclusive, worldwide license tointellectual property and specific molecules from the work.

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