Robert Nowinski is leaving Icos Corp., ending the reign of thecompany's stellar executive triumvirate and leaving GeorgeRathmann with all the top executive positions.

In a short announcement on Friday, the company said Nowinskiwas leaving Icos "to pursue other opportunities."

Rathmann will take over Nowinski's positions as president andchief executive officer. Rathmann, who will remain chairmanof Icos, held all these positions at Amgen Inc., which he alsohelped found.

Nowinski was a founder and chairman of Genetic Systems Corp.before engineering its sale to Bristol-Myers in 1986 for $294million.

The third member of the triumvirate, Chris Henney, remains asexecutive vice president and scientific director. Henney was afounder, scientific director and vice chairman of ImmunexCorp.

The executive all-stars, put together by investors David andIsaac Blech, carried names and track records that enabled thecompany to attract a record $33 million in first-roundfinancing last year, and launch an initial public offering inJune that grossed $36 million despite the fact that thecompany had no product close to the clinic.

ON Friday, Nowinski said that "as the company has increasedits development activities, all efforts are being made toprovide Dr. Rathmann with maximum authority."

Icos said that Nowinski would be retained as a consultant.Company officials were traveling and unavailable for furthercomment.

Stock of the Bothell, Wash., company (NASDAQ:ICOS), which isdeveloping drugs to treat chronic inflammatory diseases,closed up 50 cents on Friday at $15.

-- Karen Bernstein BioWorld Staff

(c) 1997 American Health Consultants. All rights reserved.