G. D. Searle & Co., a subsidiary of St. Louis-based Monsanto Co.,contracted with Parexel International Corp. to conduct clinicaldevelopment of a broad range of drug candidates worldwide.

Neither Searle, of Skokie, Ill., nor Parexel, of Waltham, Mass., woulddisclose financial terms of the agreement.

Searle spokeswoman Pam Rasmussen said Parexel, an internationalcontract research organization, will conduct clinical trials of drugs forinflammatory and cardiovascular diseases. Among the specificproduct candidates to be developed are those targeting rheumatoidarthritis, ischemic stroke and septic shock. In addition, Parexel willperform continuing studies of drugs after they reach the market.

Rasmussen said Searle still will conduct some clinical trials on itsown. But the agreement with Parexel represents a consolidation ofmost of the clinical development work Searle had contracted out to avariety of research management firms. _ Charles Craig

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