A Phase II clinical trial showed that a colorectal cancer imagingagent developed by Immunomedics Inc. was able to correctlyidentify colorectal cancer sites.

The results were published in the January 1993 issue of TheJournal of Nuclear Medicine, the Morris Plains, N.J., company(NASDAQ:IMMU) announced Thursday.

The prospective study of 62 patients with colorectal cancershowed that 91 percent of positive readings with the iodine-123 labeled MAb-based product correctly identified colorectalcancer sites.

"Imaging with our cancer detection agent complementedfindings with computerized tomography (CT) scans, disclosingcancers at least 1 centimeter in size and identifying a numberof lesions missed by CT scans," said Carl Pinsky,Immunomedics' vice president of medical affairs.

It was during these trials, which relied on the imaging isotopeiodine-123, that Immunomedics developed a method fordirectly labeling antibodies with technitium-99m, a less costly,easier-to-use radioisotope. And "that's the product we wanted,"said Amy Factor, Immunomedics' vice president of finance."This (four-prong) Phase II study told us the proper dose (1mg.) and form (FAb') of the antibody."

The Fab' fragment of the antibody used in this trial is the sameas the one incorporated into ImmuRAID-CEA, Immunomedics'colorectal cancer imaging agent, which the firm submitted toFDA for marketing approval in April 1991.

Immunomedics' stock was up 13 cents a share on Thursday to$10.

-- Jennifer Van Brunt Senior Editor

(c) 1997 American Health Consultants. All rights reserved.