* CombiChem Inc., of San Diego, entered a collaboration withPerkin-Elmer Sciex Instruments for development of automated toolsfor chemical synthesis and analysis of potential therapeuticcompounds. Financial terms were not disclosed. Perkin-Elmer Sciexis a joint venture between Perkin-Elmer Corp., of Norwalk, Conn.,and Sciex, of Concord, Ontario.

* Genzyme Corp., of Cambridge, Mass., changed the name of itsIntegrated Genetics division in Framingham, Mass., to GenzymeGenetics in conjunction with Genzyme's takeover of Gentrix Inc., ofPhoenix. (See BioWorld Today, Feb. 15, 1996, p. 1.)

* IDEC Pharmaceuticals Corp., of San Diego, said its partner,Genentech Inc., of South San Francisco, purchased $7.5 million inIDEC convertible preferred stock six months ahead of schedule. Thetwo companies are collaborating on development of IDEC-C2B8, amonoclonal antibody for treatment of non-Hodgkin's B celllymphoma. The drug is in Phase III trials and the equity investment,originally scheduled to coincide with presentation of clinical studyresults in December 1996, was part of a broader March 1995agreement worth a potential $57 million to IDEC. The preferredshares are convertible following either market approval of IDEC-C2B8 or Sept. 16, 1999, whichever occurs first. The stock purchasecompletes Genentech's equity investment commitment under thecollaboration. (See BioWorld Today, March 17, 1995 p. 1.)

* Immunex Corp., of Seattle, filed an application with the FDA toexpand use of its chemotherapeutic agent, Novantrone(mitoxanthrone), for hormone-refractory prostate cancer. The drug, asynthetic anthracenedinone, is approved in the U.S. for acutemyelogenous leukemia.

* Neurex Corp., of Menlo Park, Calif., sold an additional 450,000shares for $10.2 million in association with its May 1996 publicoffering after underwriters Montgomery Securities and SchroderWertheim & Co., both of New York, exercised options foroverallotments. The company sold a total of 3.45 million shares at$22.75 per share for gross proceeds of $78.5 million. Net proceedswere $73.8 million. (See BioWorld Today, April 11, 1996, p. 1.)

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