IMMUNEX'S PARTNER TO PURSUE YEAST GM-CSFImmunex Corp. said Tuesday that its European marketingpartner, Behringwerke AG, will pursue European registration ofyeast granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and discontinue development of E. coli GM-CSF. Immunexwill supply the yeast GM-CSF to Behringwerke.

Behringwerke plans to file for marketing approval of GM-CSFfor bone marrow transplant indications in the United Kingdomin the second half of this year.

Amgen Inc.'s rival product, Neupogen granulocyte CSF, isalready on the market in the United Kingdom, Sweden and theNetherlands.

Immunex stock (NASDAQ:IMNX) took a breather on Tuesday,closing up 50 cents at $41. The stock fell $5 on Monday inresponse to a negative report on its GM-CSF by ShearsonLehman Brothers analyst Teena Lerner.

BTGC BEGINS TRIALS OF BIOTROPIN

Bio-Technology General Corp. of New York on Tuesday said itwill begin Phase I clinical trials of its BioTropin recombinanthuman growth hormone in cancer patients. The company(NASDAQ:BTGC) hopes BioTropin will prevent or reversecachexia, a wasting syndrome that affects many cancerpatients. Up to two-thirds of such patients die.

APPLIED IMAGING DEBUTS IMAGING WORKSTATION

Applied Imaging Corp. of Santa Clara, Calif., has introduced itsLynx Molecular Biology Imaging system, an imagingworkstation designed for scientists analyzing visual molecularbiology reports. Lynx will be sold by Applied Imaging at anintroductory price of $29,500. The company also has a non-exclusive distribution agreement with Eppendorf NorthAmerica for certain Lynx configurations.

SEPRACOR FILES IND FOR PURE ISOMER

Sepracor Inc., a privately held company based in Marlborough,Mass., has filed an investigational new drug application withthe Food and Drug Administration for a Phase I clinical study ofS-Atenolol, a pure isomer form of a beta blocker commonlyprescribed to treat hypertension.

Isomers are chemically identical in composition, but are mirrorimages of each other in terms of structure. One isomer oftenhas more therapeutic value and fewer side effects than theother. Most drugs are 50-50 mixtures of R- and S-isomers.

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