Baker Cummins Pharmaceuticals Inc., a subsidiary of IvaxCorp., has received an exclusive worldwide license for a smallmolecule drug to reduce toxicities associated withchemotherapy and radiation therapy.

Cummins plans to begin U.S. clinical trials this year, probably inPhase II, to study the chemoprotective effects in cancerpatients. The drug, IVX-Q101, is in Phase II trials in lungcancer patients in Israel.

The drug was licensed from professors Michael Albeck andBenjamin Sredni of Bar Ilan University in Ramat Gan, Israel.

IVX-Q101 is an immunomodulator. It is thought to exert itsradioprotective effects by stimulating interleukin 1, to preventloss of platelets by stimulating IL-3 and IL-6, and to preventloss of white blood cells by stimulating colony stimulatingfactors.

Ivax shares (AMEX:IVX) were down 13 cents to $38 on Friday.

Other companies developing chemo- and radioprotective drugsinclude U.S. Bioscience Inc. (AMEX:UBS) and MGI Pharma Inc.(NASDAQ:MOGN). A Food and Drug Administration advisorycommittee recently failed to recommend approval of U.S.Bioscience's Ethyol to protect healthy cells from chemotherapy.MGI Pharma's MGI 136 is in Phase III trials to reduce thetoxicity of cisplatin and to stimulate bone marrow.

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