Genta Inc. announced Tuesday a research, development andlicensing agreement with the Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratoriesdivision of American Home Products Corp. for an antisensetreatment of a human infectious disease under development byGenta.

Genta declined to specify financial details or the disease targetbut said this is its first collaboration with Wyeth-Ayerst.

Under terms of the agreement, Wyeth-Ayerst will receiveexclusive worldwide marketing rights to products arising fromthe collaboration and an option to license certain relatedtherapeutics, Genta said. In return, Genta will receive researchfunding and potential milestone payments, royalties on productsales and manufacturing rights to supply Wyeth-Ayerst'santisense bulk product requirements. Genta said it will retainthe right to promote the therapeutics directly todermatologists.

Genta in June filed its first investigational new drug applicationfor a topical acne treatment. The San Diego company said itexpects to file a total of five INDs this year.

But the company's primary focus is its antisense and triple-strand control technology, which the company collectively callsits Anticode technology. Genta said it expects to file an IND onan antisense compound for treating psoriasis by slowing theoverproduction of interleukin-1. Another drug has enteredPhase I trials as an ex vivo treatment of chronic myelogenousleukemia.

Last October, Genta entered into a joint research agreementwith Proctor & Gamble Co., and it is also collaborating withChugai Pharmaceuticals.

The price of Genta's stock (NASDAQ:GNTA) rose 63 cents onTuesday to close at $7.12.

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