Syntro Corp. said it signed an agreement with Hoechst AG unitsto collaborate on development of two livestock vaccinesutilizing Syntro's viral vector technology.

Syntro (NASDAQ:SYNT) of Kansas City, Mo., expects to receiveabout $6 million in product development costs under themultiyear development contract from Agri-Vet Co. andHoechst Veterinar GmbH.

Syntro and its subsidiary, SyntroVet Inc., will manage productdevelopment and handle manufacturing of vaccines for cattleand horses. The Hoechst companies are to receive worldwidemarketing rights to any products developed by thecollaboration, while Syntro is to receive an undisclosed royaltyon product sales.

The cattle vaccine collaboration targets respiratory andreproductive diseases, and the horse vaccine will target equineinfluenza and equine herpes virus.

In a separate announcement, Syntro said that Bayer AG willdistribute Syntro's PRV/Marker Gold vaccine in Europe for thetreatment of pseudorabies, an infectious disease of swinecaused by a herpes virus.

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