Mallinckrodt to sell Immunomedics agent

Mallinckrodt Medical has acquired U.S. marketing and distributionrights to CEA-Scan, a monoclonal antibody-based imaging agentdeveloped by Immunomedics of Morris Plains, NJ. Mallinckrodt willsell CEA-Scan on a consignment basis for colorectal cancer imagingin the U.S., while Immunomedics will retain manufacturing rights.

Immunomedics has been searching for a partner for CEA-Scansince its North American sales and marketing agreement with AdriaLaboratories of Dublin, OH, was terminated in 1995 after Adriawas acquired by Pharmacia (SCAN 8/16/95). St. Louis-based MallinckrodtMedical makes a nice fit, as its Dutch affiliate MallinckrodtMedical BV has licensing rights to CEA-Scan in Europe.

In other CEA-Scan news, Immunomedics reported last month thatclinical studies of the agent indicate that the product couldbe useful for detecting breast cancer. In a phase II clinicalstudy of 27 patients at the University of Miami Cancer Center,researchers found that CEA-Scan had an accuracy of 81% and a sensitivityof 89% in detecting breast lesions, as compared with surgicalbiopsy.

Immunomedics is planning to begin phase III studies of CEA-Scanfor breast cancer detection later this year. The company is awaitingfinal word from the Food and Drug Administration on its productlicense application for the use of CEA-Scan in detecting colorectalcancer (SCAN 2/28/96).