Roche/Corange divesting Retavase to Centocor; biotech firm to co-promote ReoPro with Lilly.

CENTOCOR TO PROMOTE RETAVASE, REOPRO WITH 200-PERSON SALES FORCE following the proposed acquisition of Retavase (reteplase, r-PA) from Roche/Boehringer Mannheim. Under the agreement announced Feb. 12, Centocor will pay $335 mil. in cash to acquire U.S. and Canadian rights to Boehringer Mannheim's Retavase and will offer "to employ, upon closing of the transaction, many U.S.-based sales and marketing personnel who currently commercialize the product," the Malvern, Pa.-based firm said.