The European Patent Office has issued to Immunomedics Inc.patent EP 0131627 covering the use of highly specificcarcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) targeting antibodies andantibody fragments, the company announced Wednesday.

The stock (NASDAQ:IMMU) gained 63 cents to $7.63. It wastrading at $9.75 on May 6 when the European Patent Officereversed a more general Immunomedics patent covering theuse of monoclonal antibodies for cancer imaging.

The latest patent covers several of the Warren, N.J., company'scancer imaging and therapy products that use the highlyspecific CEA targeting antibodies, said spokesman JosephSchepers. These include the company's ImmuRAID-CEAcolorectal imaging agent, now under review for marketapproval in the U.S. and Europe, and certain Immunomedics'cancer therapeutics, such as ImmuRAIT-CEA and ImmuRAIT-Rhenium.

ImmuRAID-CEA is in Phase I/II trials for breast and lungcancer detection, ImmuRAIT-CEA is in Phase I/II trials forcolorectal cancer, and ImmuRAIT-Rhenium is in pre-clinicaltesting for colorectal cancer.

-- Kris Herbst BioWorld Washington Bureau

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