Subject: TeleConcepts Says Its Proposed Partner Got Exclusive Rights
Date: Published: 6/19/92 (38 lines)
Source: Wall Street Journal. Copyright Dow Jones & Co. Inc.

    TeleConcepts Says
    Its Proposed Partner
    Got Exclusive Rights

    HOUSTON -- TeleConcepts Corp. said its proposed merger
 partner, Thermascan Inc., received exclusive distribution
 rights to all-human monoclonal antibody reagents for the AIDS
 virus.
    In contrast to animal derived antibodies, the human
 monoclonal antibodies are very specific against certain parts
 of the HIV-1.  The antibodies are used to "tag parts of the
 virus, isolate these parts, then try to destroy these
 portions of the acquired immune deficiency syndrome virus," a
 TeleConcepts spokesman said.
    Other monoclonal antibodies to the AIDS virus on the
 market are made from mouse material, said TeleConcepts.  Their
 application to the virus is consequently more general and
 less stable.
    The spokesman said sales of the monoclonal antibodies are
 estimated to be about $10 million over the next 18 months.
    Although the company said the monoclones will be marketed
 almost exclusively for research, some of them have direct
 application to the development of a treatment for AIDS.  Four
 of the monoclonal antibodies are neutralizing antibodies.
    The previously announced merger between TeleConcepts and
 Thermascan is expected to be approved by both companies'
 shareholders next month.  In the most recent quarter,
 TeleConcepts had a loss of $379,000 on $1.3 million of
 revenue.

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