Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. exercised an option Monday to acquire aworldwide non-exclusive license to Enzon Inc.'s single-chain antigen-binding (SCA) protein technology.Enzon, of Piscataway, N.J., received $1.8 million in the deal, whichbroadens an earlier license agreement in which Bristol-Myers Squibbhad rights only to specific cancer therapies. The New York-basedcompany now can use the SCA technology in all areas of drugdevelopment.Eleven companies have licensing agreements related to SCA proteinswith Enzon, which got rights to the technology when it acquired GenexCorp. in November 1991, Judith Glova, a public relations specialist forEnzon, told BioWorld."SCA proteins are designed to have the binding specificity ofmonoclonal antibodies, but they are smaller and in more easilymodified form," Glova said. "We expect them to have a superiorimaging and therapeutic performance, and they may reduce side effectsresulting from the immune response." _ Jim Shrine

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