* Amgen Inc., of Thousand Oaks, Calif., is stopping a trial of Epogenin dialysis patients with symptomatic heart disease. The intent was todetermine whether raising the hematocrit to normal would provideadditional patient benefit. The study evaluated more than 1,200hemodialysis patients with significant cardiac disease. In the 631-patient control group 181 patients died; 221 of 634 patients in theintervention group died. Amgen and investigators decided to stop thestudy and examine the data further.

* Enzon Inc., of Piscataway, N.J., began a multi-dose, multi-centertrial of its hemoglobin-based oxygen carrier, PEG-hemoglobin, incancer patients receiving radiation therapy. While tumor responseswill be observed, the primary purpose of the study is to assess safety.

* Gensia Inc., of San Diego, received an equity investment of $5million from Pfizer Inc., of New York, and other payments related toa collaboration using Gensia's adenosine regulating agenttechnology. (See BioWorld Today, May 7, 1996, p. 2.)

* Lidak Pharmaceuticals, of La Jolla, Calif., reported in a paperpresentation at a workshop the discovery of four peptides that inhibitthe complement cascade. They were identified using a discoverymethod based on gene sequence analysis.

* Neurobiological Technologies Inc., of Rich-mond, Calif., reporteddata from an open-label Phase I/II trial of corticotropin-releasingfactor in patients with peritumoral brain edema. Six of seven patientswho received the longest duration treatment experienced clinicalimprovement in neurological symptoms, with an averageimprovement of 42 percent on an exam score compared to baseline.

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