Researchers working with Genentech Inc.'s HER-2 anti-cancermonoclonal antibody last week reported that two of 20 patientsshowed partial responses to the treatment during Phase Isafety trials.

The mouse MAb is targeted against the HER-2 protein, whichcauses a particularly virulent form of cancer that respondspoorly to conventional therapies. The protein plays a major rolein about 25 percent to 30 percent of all breast and ovariancancers.

Dr. Dennis J. Slamon of the UCLA School of Medicine led thesafety study of 10 ovarian and 10 breast cancer patients whosetumor cells all showed more than the usual number of copies ofthe HER-2 oncogene and who had failed standard therapies.A second Phase I trial of a human version of the MAb in 20ovarian and 20 breast cancer patients is scheduled to beginshortly. Slamon said that a larger multicenter efficacy trial willbegin late this year.

Shares of the South San Francisco, Calif., company(NASDAQ:GNE) closed off 63 cents at $27.75.

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