Enzon Inc., maker of Oncaspar for treatment of a rare form ofleukemia, has licensed rights to market the drug in Canada to Rhone-Poulenc Rorer Inc.Bob Pearson, Rhone-Poulenc's product communications director, saidthe agreement is similar to the arrangement the two companies have forselling Oncaspar in the U.S. The drug received FDA approval inFebruary for acute lymphoblastic leukemia and sales were launchedMarch 14.Details and financial terms of the licensing agreements between Enzonand Rhone-Poulenc were not disclosed.Rhone-Poulenc, of Collegeville, Pa., will be responsible for seekingregulatory approval in Canada. Enzon, of Piscataway, N.J., willmanufacture the drug and receive royalties on sales. Pearson saidRhone-Poulenc expects to apply for market approval next year with theCanadian Health Protection Branch.Enzon also markets the drug in Russia, where it is registered for use ina broad range of cancers. And last year the company filed for approvalin Germany for treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia.Oncaspar, the brand name for pegaspargase, is native L-asparaginasethat has been modified with Enzon's drug delivery system, Pegnology.The drug is used to treat chemotherapy patients who require L-asparaginase, but develop hypersensitivity to the enzyme. Acutelymphoblastic leukemia is a leading form of cancer in children._Charles Craig

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