RiboGene Inc. completed an $8.5 million round of venture financing,the privately held Hayward, Calif., company announced Wednesday.The company focuses on drugs that interfere with translation, andtarget viral and fungal diseases, as well as cancer. It has raised $20million since its founding in 1990."We raised this $8.5 million without an investment banking firmunderwriting the financing," Charles Casamento, RiboGene'schairman, president and CEO, told BioWorld. "We did it ourselves. SoI think in this market that's a very significant achievement."Proceeds will be used to further development of products in preclinicaland clinical stages, two of which _ Emitasol and Migrastat _ itacquired when it bought out Darby Pharmaceuticals Inc. in January for$4.4 million and 1 million to 1.5 million warrants to purchase shares ofRiboGene stock, Casamento said.Emitasol is an intranasal form of metoclopramide for treating nauseaand vomiting associated with chemotherapy or radiation therapy. It isin Phase III trials. RiboGene expects to file a new drug application forthe product in the next 12 months, Casamento said. Migrastat, anintranasal propanolol for treatment of migraine headaches, hascompleted Phase II trials. _ Jim Shrine

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