CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- ImmunoGen Inc. hired a new presidentwith a background in developing marketing and salesstrategies. The company expects its first product to be on themarket by late 1994 or early 1995.

Donald J. McCarren joins the company as president and thenewly created position of chief operating officer. FormerPresident Mitchel Sayare will continue as chairman of theboard and chief executive officer.

Mark Ratner, ImmunoGen's director of externalcommunications, said the company's current stage ofdevelopment required someone for strategic planning.

"We're at a pivotal junction right now," he said. "Resourceallocation decisions will become more complicated." Ratner saidMcCarren was chosen because of his strong background in salesand marketing.

McCarren was president of Erbamont subsidiary AdriaLaboratories, which markets Adriamycin, one of the world'sleading cancer chemotherapeutics. Prior to working for Adria,McCarren oversaw Erbamont's worldwide oncology and non-oncology pharmaceutical business.

ImmunoGen's lead product, Oncolysin B, has completed Phase Iand II trials and has received FDA approval for its Phase IIIprotocol. "Our first (Phase III) patient should be dosed byAugust or September," Ratner said. ImmunoGen expects to filea product license application (PLA) by late 1993 or early 1994,he said. The drug is used for treatment of lymphomas andleukemias.

-- Steve Payne BioWorld Staff

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