8-K

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                              WASHINGTON, DC 20549



                                    FORM 8-K



                                 CURRENT REPORT
                     PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
                         SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934



        Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): MARCH 22, 1999



                            IGEN INTERNATIONAL, INC.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)



             DELAWARE                      0-23252              94-2852543
 (State or other jurisdiction of    (Commission File No.)     (IRS Employer
          incorporation)                                    Identification No.)



                             16020 INDUSTRIAL DRIVE
                             GAITHERSBURG, MD 20877
              (Address of principal executive offices and zip code)


       Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (301) 984-8000






ITEM 5. OTHER EVENTS

On March 22, 1999, IGEN International, Inc. sold $30 million of notes to John
Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Company. The notes have a term of seven years and
bear interest at the rate of 8.5% per annum. A copy of the press release
announcing the financing is filed herewith as an exhibit.



ITEM 7. EXHIBIT

EXHIBIT NO.           TITLE OF EXHIBIT
- -----------           ----------------


99.1                  Press release dated March 23, 1999










                                   SIGNATURES


Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereto duly authorized.


                                  IGEN International, Inc.



March  29, 1999                   /S/ George V. Migausky                     
                                  -------------------------------------------
                                  George V. Migausky
                                  Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
                                  (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)





                                INDEX TO EXHIBIT





EXHIBIT NO.             TITLE OF EXHIBIT                                   PAGE
                                                                     

99.1                    Press release dated March 23, 1999                   5

EX-99.1

                            IGEN INTERNATIONAL, INC.
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    BOX 6003, GAITHERSBURG, MD 20884 TEL: (301) 984-8000 FAX: (301) 208-3798



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
- ----------------------

CONTACT:
George Migausky                        Trout Group/ BMC Com.
Vice President and                     Jonathan Fassberg (investors)
Chief Financial Officer                Brad Miles (media)
(301) 984-8000                         (212) 477-9007


                    IGEN RAISES $30 MILLION IN DEBT FINANCING
                PROCEEDS FROM JOHN HANCOCK MUTUAL LIFE INSURANCE

GAITHERSBURG, MD - MARCH 23, 1999 - IGEN International, Inc. (Nasdaq: IGEN)
announced today it has raised $30 million in a debt financing with John Hancock
Mutual Life Insurance Company. This financing has a seven-year term with an
interest rate of 8.5%. The placement agent was ING Baring Furman Selz LLC.

"This financing provides the Company with resources to advance our product
programs and business and legal discussions without any dilution to investors,"
said Sam Wohlstadter, Chief Executive Officer. "We are pleased to have a
blue-chip institution such as John Hancock as our newest financial partner."

The Company intends to use the proceeds from this financing to support the
launch of its new M-SERIES-TM- High Throughput Screening System in the US and
Europe, to further advance the Company's food-testing and point of care programs
and for working capital and other general corporate programs.

IGEN this month announced the launch of its M-SERIES High Throughput 
Screening System, the first of its second-generation products based on the 
Company's patented ORIGEN-Registered Trademark- technology. ThE M-SERIes is 
being marketed to research laboratories for use in both the drug discovery 
and drug development sectors of the industry.

IGEN develops, manufactures and markets diagnostic systems utilizing its
patented ORIGEN technology, which is based on electrochemiluminescence. The
ORIGEN technology provides uniform assay formats for conducting a multitude of
diagnostic tests, including immunoassay, nucleic acid probe and clinical
chemistry tests. Products using the ORIGEN technology include systems marketed
by IGEN and its licensees, Roche Diagnostics, Organon Teknika and
Eisai.

                                     -more-



STATEMENTS IN THIS RELEASE, INCLUDING THOSE THAT RELATE TO PRODUCTS, NEW 
PRODUCT PLANS, PRODUCT PERFORMANCE, CUSTOMER ACCEPTANCE AND BUSINESS 
PROSPECTS ARE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS. ACTUAL RESULTS MIGHT DIFFER 
MATERIALLY FROM THESE STATEMENTS DUE TO RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES, INCLUDING 
THE IMPACT OF COMPETITIVE PRODUCTS AND PRICING, THE MARKET ACCEPTANCE OF NEW 
PRODUCTS AND MARKET CONDITIONS. A MORE DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THESE RISKS 
APPLICABLE TO IGEN APPEARS IN IGEN'S ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K FOR THE YEAR 
ENDED MARCH 31, 1998, FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION AND 
AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST FROM IGEN. IGEN DISCLAIMS ANY INTENT OR OBLIGATION TO 
UPDATE THESE FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS.

                                       ###

IGEN, ORIGEN and M-SERIES are registered trademarks of IGEN International, Inc.