The Liposome Co. Inc. (TLC) announced Tuesday that it hasbegun distributing its anti-fungal drug ABLC on a named-patient basis in the Republic of South Africa. The drug is beinggiven to AIDS patients who have contracted cryptococcalmeningitis, an often lethal fungal infection.

TLC's drug ABLC consists of the anti-fungal drug amphotericinB in a lipid complex. TLC of Princeton, N.J., has already madeABLC available on a compassionate-use basis in the U.S. andEurope for patients with life-threatening systemic fungalinfections for whom currently marketed drugs are ineffectiveor too toxic. To date, about 250 patients have received the drugin TLC's (NASDAQ:LIPO) U.S. compassionate use program.

As well, several hundred more have been treated in controlledU.S. clinical trials, including a trial in AIDS patients who havecryptococcal meningitis.

TLC reacquired worldwide rights to ABLC from Bristol-MyersSquibb in November 1992 to accelerate the product's clinicaldevelopment and regulatory filing. (The original agreementbetween TLC and Bristol-Myers Squibb dates from 1986.) Infact, TLC is now in the process of preparing an application forapproval to market the product in Europe, and is planning largeU.S.-based Phase III trials in several types of life-threateningsystemic fungal infections.

-- Jennifer Van Brunt Senior Editor

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