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Koz Raises on $4.6M; Adds new VP of Marketing


Koz Inc. has secured $4.6 million in venture capital financing to expand its online community products. Helping it in that goal will be Bruce Milligan, formerly of America Online. Investors in this round include The Bergen Record, a New Jersey newspaper; CMG @dventures, the venture arm of CMG, a New York-based Internet investment firm; Southeast Interactive Technology Funds; Guy Gannett Communications and the Daniels family of Raleigh. Koz plans to raise an additional $2 million to $3 million will be raised by year's end. Koz was a Venture '98 presenter.

BioStratum Reports AIDS Vaccine Results


Durham, NC-based BioStratum Inc. reports that its animal studies showed promising initial results for its AIDS vaccine.

According to BioStraum, the two viral vaccines tested by the privately held company on monkeys showed the vaccines protected the animals against exposure to a virus derived from HIV-1, the strain thought to cause AIDS.

The bioengineered virus, a hybrid of SIV (simian immunodeficiency virus) and HIV-1, causes AIDS in monkeys within six months of exposure.

BioStratum said it has formed a subsidiary, TheraVax, to handle development and commercialization of the vaccine candidate. The technology is on license to BioStratum from the University of Kansas Medical Center.

The company is focused primarily on the development of treatments for diabetes and cancer. Among its corporate partners is Shiseido Co., Ltd. of Japan, which is working with BioStratum and the Harvard Medical School on skin regeneration products.

Cardiovascular Diagnostics and Astra AB Sign Agreement


Raleigh-based Cardiovascular Diagnostics Inc. (CVDI) signed a development sales agreement on Thursday with Astra AB, a global pharmaceutical company based in Sweden.

Cardiovascular Disgnostics will develop new testing for heart disease and Astra will supply CVDI with development funds.