* Ligand Pharmaceuticals Inc., of San Diego, completed itsacquisition of Glycomed Inc., of Alameda, Calif. Glycomedstockholder can get .5301 shares of Ligand for every Glycomed sharethey own. About 6.9 million Ligand shares will be issued in themerger, giving Glycomed shareholders about 25 percent ownershipon a fully diluted basis. (See BioWorld Today, Feb. 8, 1995, p 1.)* CytRx Corp., of Atlanta, completed the formation of ProceuticsInc., a wholly owned subsidiary that will offer preclinicaldevelopment and analysis services to the pharmaceutical andbiotechnology industries.* Ciba Seeds, a Greensboro, N.C.-based division of Ciba-GeigyCorp., was granted deregulation by the USDA for corn hybridsgenetically engineered to protect against the corn-damaging insect,European corn borer.* Interneuron Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Lexington, Mass., said a PhaseI trial of dihydrexidine in Parkinson's disease patients was begun.The company also completed a Phase I study of pagoclone to treatanxiety.* Biomune Systems Inc., of Salt Lake City, said in vivo studies of itsdrug may retard the growth of prostate cancer tumors.* Cytogen Corp., of Princeton, N.J., started trials using OncoScintCR/OV, a monoclonal-based imaging agent, for preoperative stagingof breast cancer.* Telios Pharmaceuticals Inc., of San Diego, said the U.S.Bankruptcy Court approved the company's proposed disclosurestatement for dissemination to shareholders.* Digene Diagnostics Inc., of Silver Spring, Md., received FDAapproval for the Hybrid Capture System HPV DNA assay to helpidentify women at risk for developing high-grade cervical disease andcancer.* DNA Plant Technology Corp., of Oakland, Calif., and Du Pont, ofWilmington, Del., finalized an agreement in which they willexchange rights to various technologies. Also, Du Pont agreed not tosell any DNAP stock it holds before March 1996. DNAP alsounveiled its second-generation version of a genetically modifiedtomato produced by selectable marker gene and promoter technology.* Rhone-Poulenc Rorer Inc., of Collegeville, Pa., got regulatoryapproval in France for Campto, a topoisomerase 1 inhibitor, fortreatment of advanced colorectal cancer.* Genetic Therapy Inc., of Gaithersburg, Md., started a Phase I/IItrial of a gene therapy treatment for Gaucher disease, in which anormal glucocerebrosidase gene will be incorporated into precursorblood cells removed from the patient.* Aprogenex Inc., of Houston, said its first genetic testing product,the AproProbe research-use assay, is available for sale in Europe.* Procept Inc., of Cambridge, Mass., completed a Phase I trial of inthe U.K. of its HIV drug candidate, PRO 2000. Initial data shows thedrug was well tolerated.

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