* Transcell Technologies Inc., of Princeton, N.J., a subsidiary ofLexington, Mass.-based Interneuron Pharmaceuticals Inc., hasentered into a collaboration with U.K.-based Biocure Ltd. fordevelopment of oligosaccharides to treat cancer. The agreementinitially will focus on Biocure's lead drug, MT2, a smallcarbohydrate derivative.

* ZymoGenetics Inc., of Seattle, said preclinical studies show thatthe protein, thrombopoietin (TPO), whose discovery was announcedin June, may be effective in boosting production of blood clottingcells in people whose platelet levels were reduced by cancertreatments. The studies showed that, after mice were subjected to acombination of chemotherapy and radiation, their platelet levelswere restored within two weeks of receiving TPO. ZymoGenetics, asubsidiary of Denmark-based Novo Nordisk A/S, presented thefindings at the 36th annual meeting of the American Society ofHematology in Nashville.

* Eli Lilly and Co., of Indianapolis, has decided to terminate anagreement with Telios Pharmaceuticals Inc., of San Diego, fordevelopment of drugs to treat osteoporosis. The collaboration beganin January 1993 and Telios had received about $3 million in researchfunding from Lily.

* Xenova Group plc, of Slough, England, reported that itsplasminogen activator inhibitor-1 compounds were effective incontrolling formation of blood clots in preclinical studies. The datawere presented at the 36th annual meeting of the American Societyof Hematology in Nashville, Tenn.

* Arcturus Pharmaceutical Corp., of Woburn, Mass., has initiated aPhase II study of buspirone hydrochloride as a potential treatment foratopic dermatitis. The clinical trial will involve 60 patients at threeU.S. medical centers.

* Dura Pharmaceuticals Inc., of San Diego, has initiated a U.S.clinical trial to test its dry powder pulmonary drug delivery system,Dryhaler, for use with albuterol to treat asthma. The study willinvolve 24 patients receiving two different dosage levels and shouldbe complete by mid-1995.

* Bioclones Ltd., of Johannesburg, South Africa, a division of TheSouth African Breweries Ltd., has signed an agreement with HEMPharmaceuticals Corp., of Philadelphia, to manufacture and marketthe latter's anti-viral nucleic acid drugs, including HEM's leadproduct, Ampligen. The collaboration gives Bioclones rights to thetherapeutics in the U.K., Ireland, Africa, Latin America andAustralia. Among the diseases targeted by Ampligen are hepatitis Band cancer.

* Athena Neurosciences Inc., of South San Francisco, has acquiredExemplar Corp., of Waltham, Mass., for $100,000 in cash and420,000 shares of Athena common stock. Exemplar is involved inresearch and development of transgenic models for testing drugs fora variety of diseases, including AIDS, cancer and Alzheimer'sdisease.

* Alta Genetics Inc., of Calgary, Canada, and Landmark GeneticsInc., of Hudson, Calif., said they are merging their livestock geneticsbusinesses. The agreement calls for Landmark Genetics to receive anundisclosed amount of cash and Alta shares of common stock.

* biosys Inc., of Palo Alto, Calif., is acquiring Crop GeneticsInternational, of Columbia, Md., for 3.5 million biosys stock sharesin a merger of biopesticide companies. Under the agreement, biosyswill trade one share of its stock for 5.25 shares of Crop Geneticscommon stock and an additional one share of biosys for 1.49 sharesof Crop Genetics preferred stock.

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