James E. Coutre, former president and chief executive officer ofPerSeptive Biosystems Inc. of Boston, who was fired on June 15by the company's board of directors, filed an amendedwrongful termination lawsuit Monday against Noubar B.Afeyan, the company's president and chief executive officer.

In the lawsuit, filed in Middlesex Superior Court, Coutre saysthat officials at the company violated his employment contractwhen they allegedly conspired in June to strip him of hisauthority. The suit also alleges that the company is denyingCoutre the chance to perform his fiduciary obligations as amember of the board of directors. His term as a member of theboard lasts three years from December 1990, when he washired by PerSeptive.

Afeyan told BioWorld on Monday that the company was alertedto a change in the complaint in June and that the statementwas the first announcement concerning any change in the suit.

"Not much has changed," Afeyan said. The company stillregards the complaint as "pretty baseless, self-servingallegations in which there are no merit."

He said he was unable to comment on the specifics of what wasalleged, but said that PerSeptive intends to defend its rightsand interests.

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