Igen

Gaithersburg-based IGEN International Inc. said yesterday that it has launched field studies of a test it has developed that can detect the presence of E. coli bacteria in meat and other food.The bacteria have been implicated as the cause of numerous outbreaks of gastrointestinal and renal diseases, including last summer's stomach illnesses from tainted meat processed at a Hudson Foods plant.IGEN, maker of a medical diagnostic device, said the U.S. Department of Agriculture and an unidentified food producer would participate in the study aimed at evaluating how sensitive the test is to the bacteria.

Gaithersburg-based Igen International Inc. said yesterday that Amgen Inc. has agreed to purchase the company's screening system, which can detect drug activity against a wide range of diseases at the same time.Biotechnology giant Amgen, based in Thousand Oaks, Calif., is the third major client for the system.In March, drug giant Pfizer Inc. was the first company to sign on for Igen's Origen screening system, followed by Agouron, a La Jolla, Calif.-based biotechnology company.Analysts say the interest from major biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies is not unexpected because Igen's palm-size diagnostic system allows screening in small laboratory settings rather than in large, centralized laboratories.

Talk about a high-flying stock. Igen International Inc., a relatively unknown Gaithersburg biotechnology firm, has seen its share price zoom an astonishing 742 percent since April.Yesterday, shares jumped $4.5625 to an all-time high of $40 -- more than eight times its 52-week low of $4.75 of April 24. The fastest run-up in the company's stock price has occurred since Christmas, when shares traded at $12.75.Propelling the ascent is a recently signed deal with pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc. and a thumbs-up from two investment funds tied to investment guru George Soros.

Igen International Inc. said yesterday that it has filed suit in Montgomery County Circuit Court against Boehringer Mannheim GmbH of Germany, claiming that the drug and medical devices company breached a $50 million technology licensing agreement signed in 1992.The lawsuit contends that Boehringer Mannheim failed to make proper royalty payments to Igen on diagnostic tests sold to hospitals and reference laboratories. Those testing devices, the suit says, are based on Igen's technology.Boehringer Mannheim GmbH declined to comment.

IGEN Inc. .............. Ticker ................ Yesterday's.............................. Symbol ................ Cls. .... Chg............................... IGEN .................. 7 3/8 ... - 1/2Period endedJune 30 ............... 1st qtr. ............. Year ago ....... Chg.Revenue ............... $4,981 ............... $3,543 ......... +40.6%Net Income ............ $(1,524) ............. $(1,841) ....... --CPrimary EPS ........... $(0.10) .............. $(0.12) ........ --Figures in thousands (except per share data)

Essex Corp.Ticker .. .. .. Yesterday'sSymbol .. .. .. Cls. .. Chg.ESEX . .. .. .. 3 3/8 . .. + 1/4Period endedMarch 31 .. .. .. 1st qtr. .. .. Year ago .. .. Chg.Revenue ... .. ... $4,245 ... .. . $3,027 .. . +40.2%Net Income ... ... $1,071 * . .. . $(318) .. .. .. --Primary EPS .. .. . $0.28 ... ... $(0.15) .. .. .. --Figures in thousands (except per share data)* Includes a gain of approximately $1,722,000, or 48 cents a share, from settlement of a lawsuit. Results from operations would have produced a net loss of $651,000 or 18 cents a share.

IGEN Inc.GaithersburgTicker .. ... ... ... Yesterday's Symbol ... ... ... ...Cls. .... ..Chg.IGEN ... .... ..... ..5 ... ... ..+Period ended3/31 .. .. .. .. 4th qtr. .. ... Year ago ... ... Chg.Revenue .. ... ..$4,437 ... ... .$3,264 .. ... .+35.9%Net Income ... ..$(1,415) .. .. .$(388) .. ... .. ..--Primary EPS $(0.10) $(0.03) --.. ... ... .. .. 12 mos. ... ....Year ago ... ... .Chg.Revenue ... ... .$14,834 ... ... $23,377 .. ... .-36.5%Net Income .. ...$(5,929) .. ... $(2,977) ... .... ..--Primary EPS .. ..$(0.

IGEN Inc.RockvilleTicker .. ...Yesterday's Symbol .. .. Cls. ..Chg.IGEN .. .. ..6 3/4 .. .. +Period ended9/30 .. .. ..2nd qtr. .. ... Year ago .. .. ..Chg.Revenue .. ..$3,410 .. ... ..$3,056 .. ... .+11.6%Net Income ..$(536) .. .. .. $(8,693)* ... ... .--Primary EPS .$(0.04) .. ... .$(0.66)* .. ... .. --.. ... ... ..6 mos. .. ... ..Year ago ..... ..Chg.Revenue .. ..$7,004 .. ... ..$16,966 .. .. .-58.7%Net Income ..$(125) .. ... ..$(2,363)** .. ... .--Primary EPS .$(0.01) .. ... .$(0.18)** .. ... ..--* Includes loss of $9.48 million, or 72 cents a share, from discontinued operations.

A Columbia company that holds the patent for a natural pigment that gives farm-raised salmon the glow of their pink, wild cousins expects to sign a licensing agreement with the nation's largest yeast maker.Igene Biotechnology Inc. signed a letter of intent yesterday with Burns Philp Food Inc. of San Francisco. Igene, whose astaxanthin can be added to the food of farm-raised salmon, will receive royalties from Burns Philp, but the exact amount was not disclosed.In exchange, Burns Philp, maker of Fleischmann's yeast, receives the exclusive manufacturing rights.