Centocor Inc. announced late Thursday that it has initiatedPhase III clinical trials on its anti-thrombotic, CentoRx, fortreating angina.This is the second clinical indication for CentoRx, which is amonoclonal antibody designed to bind to surface receptors onblood platelets (the GPIIb/IIIa receptors), thus preventing theaggregation and clotting that can lead to blood vessel closure.

Centocor (NASDAQ:CNTO) of Malvern, Pa., reported the initialresults of its Phase III clinicals on CentoRx for treating patientswith coronary artery disease at high risk for complicationsfollowing angioplasty at the American College of CardiologyMeeting in March. The analysis demonstrated that CentoRx canreduce by nearly 40 percent the occurrence of heart attack andthe need for emergency repeat angioplasty in this patientgroup.Those results were encouraging enough that the companyannounced its intention to file a product license application(PLA) for this indication with the FDA this year.Centocor's stock (NASDAQ:CNTO) was up $1.50 a share onThursday, closing at $8.25.

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