rhATIII dropped for primary indication

Genzyme Transgenics Corp has said that it does not expect to reacquirerights to recombinant human antithrombin III from its ATIII LLC joint venture with Genzyme General.

The announcement follows the news that ATIII LLC no longer expects to pursue development of the drug as a treatment for heparin resistance in patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass surgery, because the time and expense involved in generating new data required for approval by the US Food and Drug Administration "is not justified by the potential market size of the heparin indication."