BioChem Therapeutic Inc., a subsidiary of Canada-based BioChemPharma Inc., has agreed to pay up to $5.4 million to InflazymePharmaceuticals Ltd., of Vancouver, Canada, for rights to developthe latter's anti-cancer drug, Phosphonate. Inflazyme has received$30,000 and will get another $350,000 when the agreement becomesfinal in September. Inflazyme could receive another $5 million inmilestone payments and would be paid royalties on the marketedproduct.

CellPro Inc., of Seattle, and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer ResearchCenter, also in Seattle, began a pilot study of CellPro's Ceprate SCstem cell concentration system to treat chronic lymphocytic leukemia.The Ceprate system selects CD34 antigen-expressing cells fromperipheral blood of patients prior to receiving high dosechemotherapy. The isolated CD34 cells are then transplanted back inthe patients after chemotherapy to help restore their bone marrow.

Alamar Biosciences Inc., of Sacramento, Calif., raised $1.65 millionthrough private offerings of 2.65 million shares of common stock.Net proceeds to the company totaled $1.34 million.

Oxigene Inc., of New York, said animal studies of Neu-Sensamide,designed for use with radiation and chemotherapy treatments,demonstrated the drug may have the ability to control vomiting. Thecompany said Neu-Sensamide showed results similar to two otherantiemetic agents, metoclopramide and Odansetron.

Sepracor Inc., of Marlborough, Mass., has agreed to acquire NewEngland Pharmaceuticals Inc., of North Easton, Mass., for an as yetunannounced amount of stock. New England Pharmaceuticalsdevelops drug delivery technology, such as breath-actuated inhalationsystems, which will be used with Sepracor's asthma treatments.Sepracor said it will release terms of the purchase at a later date.

Genetic Therapy Inc., of Gaithersburg, Md., moved to the secondstage of its Phase I/II study using retroviral vectors to transfer theherpes simplex-thymidine kinase gene to

patients' operable brain tumor cells, which are then treated withganciclovir in an effort to destroy them. The gene therapy trialinvolves 30 patients. The company said that before proceeding to thesecond group of 15, the treatment had to demonstrate an anti-tumorresponse in "one or more" of the 15 patients in the first group.

ESCAgenetics Corp., of San Carlos, Calif., said it completed alicensing agreement with Sun Hill Glucose Co. Ltd., a subsidiary ofKorea-based Sam Yang Group, on production of the anti-cancerdrug, paclitaxel. The license, which triggers milestone payments,gives Sun Hill rights to tissue cultural technology developed byESCAgenetics' subsidiary, PHYTOpharmaceuticals Inc. Sun Hill andPHYTOpharmaceuticals entered their collaboration in 1994.

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