HOFFMAN-LA ROCHE, LILLY <LLY> IN LICENSE PACT
Hoffmann-La Roche Inc, the licensee
of a Hormone Research Foundation patent of a synthetic version
of human growth hormone, said it entered into a license
agreement with Eli Lilly and Co involving Lilly's Humatrope
hormone used to treat dwarfism in children.
    Details of the license agreement were not disclosed and
company officials were unavailable for comment.
    A statement from the companies said, "Lilly and Roche have
entered into the license agreement as an alternative to
litigation."
    South San Francisco-based Genetech Inc <GENE> also markets
a genetically engineered human growth hormone called Protropin.
Lilly received approval from the Food and Drug Administration
to market is human growth hormone earlier this year.
    A Lilly spokesperson said the company has in effect
licensed the patent for the hormone through Hoffman-LaRoche.
She refused to comment on the terms of the license agreement.
    Last September, Hoffman-LaRoche and the Foundation sued
Genetech in a Federal court in California alleging its product
infringed on Hoffman's patent for the synthetic hormone.
 Reuter
