Miles Inc. and Rhone-Poulenc Rorer announced Thursday thatthey have settled a patent dispute concerning recombinantFactor VIII, which is used to prevent and control bleeding inpeople with Factor VIII deficiency, also known as hemophiliaA.

About 20,000 people in the U.S. suffer from hemophilia A.

Terms of the settlement were not disclosed. Miles spokesmanDon Hyman told BioWorld that Miles licensed the Factor VIIIgene from Genentech Inc. of South San Francisco, Calif. Miles ismanufacturing the Factor VIII product as Kogenate, which is inthe final stages of review before the FDA, Hyman said.

Rhone-Poulenc Rorer spokesman Bob Pearson said the disputebegan with the filing of a patent infringement proceeding in1987 concerning a patent held by Rhone-Poulenc Rorer'slicenser, The Scripps Research Institute. Scripps holds a patentcovering the purification of natural Factor VIII.

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