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ImmunoGen, Inc. Announces that sanofi-aventis Has Extended the Term of its Research Collaboration with the Company; ImmunoGen Also Gains More Flexibility to Expand Product Pipeline.


CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- ImmunoGen, Inc. (Nasdaq: IMGN) today announced that sanofi-aventis U.S. LLC (Logical Link Control) See "LANs" under data link protocol.

LLC - Logical Link Control
 has exercised its right to extend the term of its research collaboration with the Company. ImmunoGen now will receive committed research support funding from sanofi-aventis through August 31, 2008. The Company also announced that, effective September 1, 2006, ImmunoGen will no longer be obligated ob·li·gate  
tr.v. ob·li·gat·ed, ob·li·gat·ing, ob·li·gates
1. To bind, compel, or constrain by a social, legal, or moral tie. See Synonyms at force.

2. To cause to be grateful or indebted; oblige.
 to present new targets for antibody-based anticancer therapeutics to sanofi-aventis, enabling the Company to be able to use such targets in the development of its own proprietary products.

"We're pleased that our relationship with sanofi-aventis will move to its next stage in an orderly and logical fashion and with the opportunity for significant return that this collaboration provides for ImmunoGen going forward," commented Mitchel Sayare, ImmunoGen Chairman and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. . "ImmunoGen will receive research support funding from sanofi-aventis through August 2008 and - starting tomorrow - we're also free to use new targets that we identify for our own product programs. We continue to be entitled to receive milestone payments, manufacturing payments and royalties for each compound in the collaboration and to have certain co-promotion rights. After August 2008, we'll also have the potential for compensation from sanofi-aventis for each license they take to use our technology with antibodies to targets that weren't part of our research collaboration."

In July 2003, ImmunoGen and Aventis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (sanofi-aventis U.S. LLC's predecessor in interest in connection herewith here·with  
adv.
1. Along with this.

2. By this means; hereby.


herewith
Adverb

Formal together with this:
) established a collaboration to discover, develop, and commercialize novel antibody-based anticancer products. The collaboration includes:

--Joint research - The two companies agreed to collaborate in the development of novel antibody-based anticancer compounds, with sanofi-aventis providing committed research funding Research funding is a term generally covering any funding for scientific research, in the areas of both "hard" science and technology and social science. The term often connotes funding obtained through a competitive process, in which potential research projects are evaluated and  to ImmunoGen. On August 31, 2005, sanofi-aventis exercised the first of its two options to extend the research part of the collaboration for an additional one-year period, and committed to provide ImmunoGen a minimum of $18.2 million over the 12-month period beginning September 1, 2006. Sanofi-aventis now has exercised the second of its two options, and committed to provide ImmunoGen with a minimum of $10.4 million in research support funding during the final, transition year of the collaboration - the 12-month period beginning September 1, 2007.

--Collaboration Products - For each product developed under the research collaboration with sanofi-aventis, ImmunoGen is entitled to receive significant milestone payments plus royalties on sales. The Company also receives manufacturing payments for compounds produced on behalf of sanofi-aventis and has certain co-promotion rights on a product-by-product basis.

After August 2008, sanofi-aventis will need to license the right to use ImmunoGen's maytansinoid TAP technology with antibodies to targets that were not part of the research collaboration between ImmunoGen and sanofi-aventis. Sanofi-aventis and ImmunoGen have agreed to negotiate a multi-target agreement to provide sanofi-aventis with access to ImmunoGen's maytansinoid TAP technology for antibody targets that were not part of the research collaboration between ImmunoGen and sanofi-aventis.

About ImmunoGen, Inc.

ImmunoGen, Inc. develops targeted anticancer biopharmaceuticals. The Company's proprietary TAP technology uses tumor-targeting antibodies to deliver a potent cell-killing agent specifically to cancer cells cells once believed to be peculiar to cancers, but now know to be epithelial cells differing in no respect from those found elsewhere in the body, and distinguished only by peculiarity of location and grouping.

See also: Cancer
. Four TAP compounds are in clinical testing - huN901-DM1 and huC242-DM4, which are wholly owned by ImmunoGen, and AVE9633 and trastuzumab-DM1, which are in development by sanofi-aventis and Genentech, respectively. Amgen (formerly Abgenix), Biogen Idec Biogen Idec, Inc. (NASDAQ: BIIB) is a biotechnology company specializing in drugs for neurological disorders, autoimmune disorders and cancer. The company was formed in 2003 by the merger of Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Biogen and San Diego, California-based Idec , Biotest AG, Boehringer Ingelheim, Centocor, Genentech, Millennium Pharmaceuticals Millennium Pharmaceuticals NASDAQ: MLNM is a biotechnology company based in the Cambridge, Massachusetts area of the United States of America. Founded in 1993, the company conducts research in various scientific areas, currently focusing on inflammation and oncology. , Inc., and sanofi-aventis have licensed the right to develop and/or test TAP compounds to specific targets; ImmunoGen also has a broader collaboration with sanofi-aventis.

This press release includes forward-looking statements. For these statements, ImmunoGen claims the protection of the safe harbor Safe Harbor

1. A legal provision to reduce or eliminate liability as long as good faith is demonstrated.

2. A form of shark repellent implemented by a target company acquiring a business that is so poorly regulated that the target itself is less attractive.
 for forward-looking statements provided by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (PSLRA) implemented several significant substantive changes affecting certain cases brought under the federal securities laws, including changes related to pleading, discovery, liability, class representation and awards fees and  of 1995. It should be noted that there are risks and uncertainties related to the development of collaboration products See collaborative software. , as well as the Company's development of its own products. A review of these risks can be found in ImmunoGen's Annual Report on Form 10-K Form 10-K

A report required by the SEC from exchange-listed companies that provides for annual disclosure of certain financial information.


Form 10-K

See 10-K.
 for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2006 and other reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
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Publication:Business Wire
Geographic Code:1USA
Date:Aug 31, 2006
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