Tithing to Genentech

Genentech Inc. has no fusion proteins in clinical development, but its technology for producing such proteins began to bear fruit last week, yielding GNE a piece of Immunex Corp.'s revenues from its Enbrel p75TNFR:Fc fusion protein in rheumatoid arthritis. GNE plans to license the patent co-exclusively for specific fusion proteins, reserving the right to develop any antibody-receptor fusion protein it chooses.

GNE's U.S. Patents include Nos. 5,116,964; 5,428,130; 5,455,165 and 5,514,582, and patent applications are pending in other countries. The patents claim immunoadhesins, engineered fusion proteins that combine antibodies and cell surface receptors. "We believe it is a fundamental technology," said Nick Simon, vice president of business and corporate development. "You replace the antibody binding domains with the receptor. The combination out-competes the receptor for ligand binding."...