Genelabs Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:GNLB) of Redwood City,Calif., has formed a joint venture with Korea Green Cross Corp.to market and distribute diagnostic and vaccine products forinfectious diseases in Korea.

The new company, Korea Genelabs Green Cross Corp., willmarket and distribute Genelabs' diagnostic and vaccineproducts in Korea, immediately launching a hepatitis Ediagnostic test in the Korean market.

Hepatitis E, an acute liver infection caused by a water-bornevirus, is epidemic in the Asia Pacific region and can be fatal,particularly in pregnant women. In the U.S., more than 2percent of the population (about 4.8 million people) have beenexposed to hepatitis E. Genelabs Asia (Pte) Ltd. is the firstcompany to launch a hepatitis E diagnostic test anywhere in theworld.

Korea Green Cross Corp., established in 1967, works on suchproducts as a hepatitis B vaccine, an HIV test kit and a vaccineagainst Japanese encephalitis virus. Its 1991 worldwide salesexceeded $138 million. The company has partnerships aroundthe world working on diagnostic vaccines and therapeuticproducts.

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