Block Drug Co. Inc. has licensed Affinity Biotech Inc.'s proprietaryformulation of an unspecified topical consumer product.

Affinity (NASDAQ:AFBI) announced on Friday that Block will fundAffinity's optimization process of the product's formulation andprovide Affinity with an upfront licensing fee, milestone payments,and royalties on sales of the product.

While not identifying the product it has formulated, Affinity said it is"part of a product category with aggregate annual U.S. sales in excessof $100 million." The company believes the Block product is"formulated to distinguish it favorably from its competitors." Block(NASDAQ:BLOCA) anticipates marketing the product as early as nextyear.

Affinity's system uses a water-in-oil emulsion. Weisman said watersoluble protein drugs are put into water droplets. When the water-in-oil formulation reaches the gastrointestinal tract, it inverts to an oil--in-water mixture and the protein drug within the water droplets isreleased.

Affinity of Boothwyn, Pa., is using microemulsion technology todevelop an oral delivery system. Earlier this week the companyreported that the concept of this delivery system was shown to workin a trial with a suppository formulation of calcitonin. The companyis also developing taste-masked and liquid formulations of drugs.

-- Brenda Sandburg News Editor

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