French antisense company Genset and France's National Centerfor Scientific Research (CNRS) have signed a researchagreement with the Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry inToulouse, France, for the study of design and synthesis ofcompounds targeted against HIV.

This is the second agreement between the groups, and it willanalyze the activity of oligonucleotide-metalloporphyrinconjugates, which may target nuclease activity. BernardMeunier of the CNRS will lead eight scientists in the two-year-long project.

Under terms of the agreement, Genset retains exclusiveindustrial rights to all results of the program. Genset is alsogranted exclusive rights to license CNRS's issued and pendingpatents in Europe, the U.S. and Japan on metalloporphyrinderivatives for the applications of oligonucleotide targeting.

Other Genset collaborators in France are Bernard Lebleu of theCNRS in Montpellier, who is working on in-vivo studies, andLee Leserman of INSERM in Marseilles, who studies liposomedelivery.

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