Nov 9 (Reuters) - Dendreon Corp reported a wider-than-expected quarterly loss, hurt by a rise in operating expenses.
For the third quarter, the company posted a net loss of $45.6 million, or 40 cents a share, compared with a net loss of $26.8 million, or 29 cents a share, a year earlier.
Revenue declined 4 percent to $25,000.
Analysts on average expected the company to post a loss of 19 cents a share, before items, on revenue of $110,000, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
Operating expenses rose 49 percent to $25.8 million as research and development costs amounted to about $16.5 million.
The company said the rise in R&D was primarily due to increased wages as it added personnel to prepare for the potential U.S. Food and Drug Administration licensure of its main product, Provenge.

The company is developing its experimental prostate cancer vaccine, Provenge, which would be the first "therapeutic" cancer vaccine, if approved. While conventional vaccines prevent disease, Provenge treats the condition.
Shares of Dendreon were trading up 72 cents at $29.33 Monday afternoon on Nasdaq.

(Reporting by Anuradha Ramanathan in Bangalore; Editing by Anne Pallivathuckal) Keywords: DENDREON/ (anuradha.ramanathan@thomsonreuters.com; within U.S. +1 646 223 8780; outside U.S. +91 80 4135 5800: Reuters Messaging: anuradha.ramanathan.reuters.com@reuters.net)

COPYRIGHT

Copyright Thomson Reuters 2009. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.