U.S. District Court Judge Robert H. Schnacke on Friday denied amotion by Centocor Inc. to set aside the jury verdict favoringXoma Corp. in their patent infringement trial.

Xoma shares (NASDAQ:XOMA) gained 75 cents to $24.25 on thenews; Centocor (NASDAQ:CNTO) fell $2 to $50.

In October, the San Francisco jury found that Centocor'sCentoxin infringes Xoma's U.S. patent No. 4,918,163, whichcovers the use of certain anti-endotoxin monoclonal antibodiesto treat humans with gram-negative sepsis.

In a ruling from the bench, the judge indicated that the issuesraised by Malvern, Pa.-based Centocor had been coveredduring the trial, and he saw no reason to set aside the verdict,said Xoma spokeswoman Carol DeGuzman.

The next step will be for the judge to set the terms ofCentocor's compensation to the Berkeley, Calif., company. Oncethat has been decided, the District Court case will be completeand Centocor will file an appeal at the Court of Appeals for theFederal Circuit in Washington, said Centocor spokesman RichardKoenig. -- Karen Bernstein

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