BioWorld

December 29, 1994

Vol. 5, No. 250

OTHER NEWS TO NOTE

* Rhone-Poulenc Rorer Inc., of Collegeville, Pa., has applied toFrench regulatory authorities to market CPT-11, the brand name foririnotecan, for advanced colorectal cancer in patients who have notresponded to the current available treatment for the disease. Thecompany also intends to file for approval in other Europeancountries. Rhone-Poulenc licensed European rights to the anti-cancerdrug from Yakult Housha Ltd. in Tokyo. Yakult already markets thedrug, a topoisomerase I inhibitor, in Japan. The UpJohn Co., ofKalamazoo, Mich., has rights to CPT-11 in the U.S.

* InSite Vision Inc., of Alameda, Calif., has begun a Phase II studyof ISV-120, or batimastat, for the prevention of post-surgicalrecurrence of pterygium, an abnormal vascular growth.

* Gensia Inc., of San Diego, initiated Phase I trials in the U.K. withthe intravenous form of GP-1-531, a second-generation adenosineregulating agent for use in acute cardiovascular disease.

* Liposome Technology Inc., of Menlo Park, Calif., said its DOX-SLproduct for Kaposi's sarcoma is scheduled for review at the Feb. 14meeting of the FDA's Oncology Drug Advisory Committee.

* A U.S. district court judge ruled invalid U.S. patent No. 4,229,360owned by The Liposome Co. Inc., of Princeton, N.J., covering theprocess of dehydrating liposomes, and found no infringement byVestar Inc., of San Dimas, Calif.

* Alamar Biosciences Inc., of Sacramento, Calif., said the judge inits trade-secret case against Difco Laboratories Inc., of Detroit,issued a stipulated order in which Difco agreed not to market or useproducts under dispute pending a February hearing on Alamar'smotion for preliminary injunction.

* Promega Corp., of Madison, Wis., filed a motion challenging thevalidity of U.S. patent No. 4,889,818 held by Hoffmann-La RocheInc., of Nutley, N.J., for Taq DNA Polymerase, an enzyme broadlyused by researchers.

* Serono Laboratories Inc., of Norwell, Mass., said the FDA granteda treatment investigational new drug program allowing the use of itsmammalian-cell derived recombinant human growth factor in HIV-associated catabolism, or wasting syndrome, in a controlled clinicaltrial setting.

-- Steve Sternberg

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