Genzyme made the rounds with some news today. Let’s take a look:

• Genzyme announced it has acquired three drugs from Bayer, including Campath (Alemtuzumab) which is used as a second-line agent in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients who have failed alkylating agents and fludarabine. Campath is also being studied for multiple sclerosis (MS). If approved for MS, Bayer could receive up to $1.25B from Genzyme. Genzyme also got rights to two other oncology products: Fludara and Leukine. The company will also get a new Leukine manufacturing facility for $75 to $100 million and hire the plant’s operating personnel following FDA plant approval, which is expected in 2010. [Forbes]

• Genzyme also made some headlines this weekend on news of a failed gene therapy trial. Xconomy reported that the study looked at 289 patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) who were injected with either a placebo, low, medium, or high dose of a HIF-1 alpha gene. The treatment failed to show that it could increase treadmill walking time before disabling pain or fatigue caused patients to stop (intermittent claudication). Patients were examined at six months and followed for two years. The study was presented this past weekend at the American College of Cardiology annual meeting. [Xconomy]

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