* Alpha 1 Biomedicals Inc., of Bethesda, Md., settled aclass action lawsuit related to statements concerning itsproduct, thymosin alpha 1. Alpha 1 will pay $100,000 incash and 500,000 shares of stock in exchange fordismissal.

* Biochem Pharma Inc., of Laval, Quebec, said follow-onresults from a European Phase II/III trial of its 3TC incombination with AZT for HIV showed positive effectson surrogate markers were sustained for two years in the26 patients for whom data are available.

* Cephalon Inc., of West Chester, Pa., acquired rights tomarket modafinil _ its narcolepsy drug _ in Japan inexchange for milestone payments and royalties toLaboratoire L. Lafon, of France.

* Cortecs International signed a collaborative agreementwith the National University of Singapore relating todiscoveries by the university about the Helicobacterpylori bacterium.

* Jenner Technologies, of Danville, Calif., started a PhaseI/II trial of a vaccine for prostate cancer. The vaccineconsists of recombinant prostate specific antigendelivered via liposomes.

* LifeCell Corp., of The Woodlands, Texas, said itinitiated sales of AlloDerm universal tissue graft for usein periodontal indications.

* Matritech Inc., of Cambridge, Mass., was awarded a$93,000 small business innovation research grant todevelop assays that screen for compounds to stop thegrowth of cancer cells. The nuclear matrix target that willbe used in screening is called nuclear mitotic apparatusprotein.

* Medarex Inc., of Annandale, N.J., and Merck KGaA, ofDarmstadt, Germany, started trials of a humanizedBispecific product, H-447, to treat cancers thatoverexpress the epidermal growth factor receptor.

* NeXstar Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Boulder, Colo., said itfiled regulatory dossiers in 11 European countries seekingapproval of DaunoXome as a primary treatment foradvanced HIV-associated Kaposi's sarcoma.

* North American Vaccine Inc., of Beltsville, Md., issubmitting a product license application to the FDAseeking approval of its combined diphtheria, tetanus andacellular pertussis vaccine.

* Parexel International Corp., a contract researchorganization based in Washington, filed for an initialpublic offering of 2.18 million shares expected to bepriced between $13 and $15 each. About 582,000 of theshares are being offered by shareholders.

* PharmaGenics Inc., of Allendale, N.J.; Xenova Groupplc, of Slough, England; and Memorial Sloan KetteringCancer Center, of New York, received a five-year grantof up to $2.3 million from the National Cancer Institutefor a joint discovery and development program focusedon modulation of the p53 tumor suppressor gene andrelated genes.

* Quintiles Transnational Corp., a Morrisville, N.C.,contract research organization, sold 1.75 million shares ofcommon stock at $59 per share. About 1 million of theshares were offered by the company.

* RGene Therapeutics Inc., of The Woodlands, Texas,said its gene therapeutic RGG0853 for advanced ovariancancer was granted orphan drug designation.

* Receptagen Ltd., of Edmonds, Wash., entered into anoption agreement to purchase an unnamed privately heldsupplier of drugs and specialty chemicals, oils andbotanicals. The option is exercisable until Jan. 22, 1996.

* SangStat Medical Corp., of Menlo Park, Calif., filed a510(k) submission with the FDA seeking approval ofCelsior to preserve the heart prior to transplantation andto promote graft function. Celsior is a solution containingantioxidants, nutrients and buffering agents.

* Texas Biotechnology Corp., of Houston, is extendingits agreement with South San Francisco-based GenentechInc. to June 1997. The extension relates to developmentof the Texas company's Novastan to treat heparin-induced thrombocytopenia conditions.

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