Neoprobe Corp. has completed a series of licensing agreementsfor three cancer-targeting agents.

The Columbus, Ohio, company said it intends to use the agentsin conjunction with its RIGS products for identifying thelocation and extent of tumors for diagnosis and excision.

In one agreement, Neoprobe and The Dow Chemical Companyhave completed a series of agreements to provide Neoprobe(NASDAQ:NEOP) exclusive rights to use a monoclonal antibody(MAb) designated CC49 in RIGS surgical products. Thisagreement is a sublicense of a commercial license agreementbetween Dow and the National Institutes of Health for CC49 usein RIGS applications.

Neoprobe is developing RIGScan CR49, which is the CC49 MAbradiolabeled with iodine-125. RIGScan CR49 has entered PhaseIII clinical trials for patients with primary and metastaticcolorectal cancer. Thirty-two hospitals are involved in the twostudies. Patient enrollment has begun on the primary study,and will begin in the next 30 days on the metastatic study.

In an agreement with Biomeasure Inc., Neoprobe will develop adrug, radioiodinated somatostatin octapeptide, as a targetingagent for surgical cancer detection and treatment products.

In early clinical studies in patients with neuroendocrine andendocrine tumors, this radiolabeled peptide allows patients toundergo surgery within 90 minutes of injection, unlike othertargeting agents that may take days to accumulate at thecancer site.

Neoprobe said it intends to file an investigative new drugapplication with the FDA to begin expanded clinical evaluationin surgical and diagnostic applications.

Finally, Neoprobe and NeoRx Corp. (NASDAQ:NERX) havecompleted an agreement for Neoprobe to evaluate an antibodydesignated NR-LU-10 as a RIGS surgical targeting agent forprostate and other solid-tumor cancers, including lung cancer.

The company plans to submit product license applicationswhen the final testing is complete, said David Bupp, Neoprobe'spresident. -- Nancy Garcia

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