SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. -- Less than a week beforeresults of a new study of clot-busting drugs are to be madepublic, Genentech Inc. has filed suit against one of itscompetitors.

Genentech accused SmithKline Beecham Corp. of Philadelphia offalse and misleading advertising regarding the ISIS-3 study ofheart attack drugs. Results of the two-year, 50,000-patientISIS-3 study are due to be reported Saturday at the AmericanCollege of Cardiology Convention in Atlanta.

In its complaint, Genentech said that SKB's advertising falselystates that the ISIS-3 study compares Activase and Eminase.Genentech has asked the U.S. District Court in San Francisco toenjoin SKB from stating or implying that the results of ISIS-3provide a comparison of the two drugs.

Judge Lowell Jensen scheduled a hearing for Thursdaymorning. Officials at SKB were unavailable for comment.

ISIS-3 compares three clot-busting drugs: SKB's Eminase,Hoechst-Roussel Pharmaceuticals' streptokinase and anunapproved form of tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA)developed by Genetics Institute and Burroughs Wellcome Co.

Genentech has discounted the results of several previousstudies on the grounds that none involved early administrationof heparin, an anti-coagulant used in combination with t-PA.

Such a study of streptokinase and t-PA began in December.Another study comparing streptokinase, Eminase and Activaseis being considered.

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