SHERMAN OAKS, Calif. -- HemaCare Corp. plans to proceed fullspeed ahead with Phase I/II clinical trials of its PassiveHyperimmune Therapy (PHT) despite the resignations of twooutside directors, said Hal Lieberman, president of HemaCare.

The outside directors wanted the project to proceed moreslowly until HemaCare could line up outside funding, saidLieberman. But the work involved in setting up clinical trialsmade that impossible, he said.

Joseph Ashley, chief executive officer of ProCyte Corp., andGlenn Bartlett, manager of business development at BeckmanInstruments Inc., were elected new directors.

PHT involves removing plasma from people infected with theAIDS virus, but who exhibit no symptoms. HemaCare last yearreceived an exclusive license to use the technology in Californiafrom Medicorp Inc. of Montreal, which holds the rights to a U.S.patent granted in 1989.

The license disrupted plans by another company, Immutech ofSan Diego, to conduct its own trials. Immutech still plans toproceed. Further complicating matters is a patent disputebetween Dimension Laboratories of Salt Lake City, whichacquired Immutech last year, and Medicorp.

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