Cantab happy for FTC hand-me-down

Cantab Pharmaceuticals plc may get a freebie courtesy of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, which is looking at the merger of Glaxo Wellcome plc with SmithKline Beecham plc. According to Cantab (LSE:CTB; CNTBY, Cambridge, U.K.), the FTC is considering asking Glaxo to return global rights to CTB's DISC-HSV herpes vaccine for prophylactic use because SmithKline (LSE:SB; SBH, London, U.K.) is already working in the herpes vaccine area.

Under the deal with Glaxo (LSE:GLXO; GLX, London, U.K.), CTB was to get milestones and royalties on the development of the vaccine for both therapeutic and prophylactic use (see BioCentury March 24, 1997). DISC-HSV is in Phase II trials for therapeutic use. Phase I studies showed that the vaccine also may have prophylactic benefits, according to CFO Nick Hart...