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Biotech / Medical : Pharma News Only (pfe,mrk,wla, sgp, ahp, bmy, lly) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Henry Niman who wrote (984)	11/4/1998 12:40:00 PM
From: Anthony Wong	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1722

Monsanto Scales Back Heart Drug Trial, Cites Early Deaths Bloomberg News November 4, 1998, 12:07 p.m. ET Monsanto Scales Back Heart Drug Trial, Cites Early Deaths Washington, Nov. 4 (Bloomberg) -- Monsanto Co.'s Searle drug unit said it scaled back a study of its clot-preventing heart drug after seeing a greater than expected number of deaths. One of the two groups of patients getting the drug had an unexpectedly high rate of deaths within the first 30 days of taking the drug. The company said it won't enter any more patients into the study, though treatment will continue for those patients who already have gotten through that 30-day period. The drug, known as orbofiban, is an oral version of a class of drugs that have become well accepted among cardiologists. Centocor Inc., Cor Therapeutics Inc. and Merck & Co. sell the currently approved drugs in the class, which analysts say could have sales of $1 billion a year or more. Shares of St. Louis-based Monsanto fell 2 15/16 to 39 1/2 in recent trading. The company, one of the world's largest makers of herbicides and technology used to improve crops, is undergoing a transformation to focus on drugs and agricultural biotechnology. The company said it ended enrollment of new patients into the study as ''a precautionary measure.'' More than 8,000 patients already enrolled in the study will continue to be monitored, the company said. The independent monitoring board that oversees the study said factors other than the drug may have contributed to the higher-than-expected death rate. Another similar drug under study by the company, known as xemilofiban, isn't affected by this move, Monsanto said. --Kristin Jensen and Kristin Reed in the Washington newsroom