* Immune Response Corp., of Carlsbad, Calif., said the FDA hasapproved its manufacturing process for the company's HIV-1immunogen, called Remune, clearing the way for continued clinicaltrials of the AIDS vaccine.

* NeXstar Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Boulder, Colo., said 10 additionalcountries of the European Union have approved DaunoXome, aliposomal form of daunorubicin, for AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma.The drug already was approved in Sweden and the U.K. DaunoXomehas received an approvable letter from the FDA and is awaitingmarket clearance.

* Perkin-Elmer Corp., of Norwalk, Conn., has introduced a fasterDNA sequencer, called the ABI Prism 7700 Sequence DetectionSystem. The company said the fully automated machine represents a100-fold increase in speed for DNA sequence analysis.

* Genzyme Corp., of Cambridge, Mass., said the FDA's General andPlastic Surgery Devices Panel, an advisory group, will review thecompany's premarket approval application for Seprafilm March 25,1996. The bioresorbable membrane is designed to prevent internaladhesions following abdominal and pelvic surgeries.

* Sparta Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Research Triangle Park, N.C.,agreed to issue 2.6 million shares to takeover Lexin PharmaceuticalCorp., of Horsham, Pa. Sparta will pay Lexin stockholders 2 millionshares when the deal closes and another 600,000 shares uponachievement of development milestones of Lexin's drug candidates.The acquisition is expected to close by the end of March 1996.Lexin's research focuses on proteins and small molecules that inhibitserine proteases, which are enzymes implicated in cardiovasculardisorders, inflammatory diseases and cancer. The two companiesannounced their intent to merge in January 1996. (See BioWorldToday, Jan. 22, 1996, p. 1.)

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