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InforMedix Holdings, Inc. (OTCBB: IFMX) Up 15.38% on Tuesday
Detailed quote: http://beaconequityresearch.com/IFMX
December 11, 2007 - InforMedix Partners with Consumer Health Information Corporation
InforMedix Holdings, Inc. (OTCBB: IFMX, http://www.informedix.com/), developer of the Med-ePhone(TM) System for medication and care plan adherence planned for release in early 2008, has partnered with Consumer Health Information Corporation (CHIC, http://www.consumer-health.com/), an award-winning patient education agency with expertise in the development and implementation of customized patient adherence strategies. InforMedix and CHIC will combine their expertise to develop customized programs targeted to increase patient medication and care plan adherence.
Patient non-adherence has become a major public health problem in the United States. Patients are suffering and even dying when they forget to take their doses on time, do not understand how to take their medications correctly, do not know how to recognize and manage side effects, and/or decide to drop out of therapy without the consent of their physician. It is estimated that this lack of patient adherence to their prescribed medications costs the U.S. economy over $300 billion per year. It is also estimated that this problem accounts for between $30 and $50 billion in lost revenues per year to the pharmaceutical industry.
It is expected that InforMedix and CHIC will work with pharmaceutical company brand teams to develop customized, comprehensive patient adherence programs. These unique, state-of-the-art programs will be tailored to support new drug launches, brand extension campaigns, comprehensive medication adherence programs, clinical trials, and prescription drug awareness programs for consumers.
"We are looking forward to working with InforMedix to add a novel medication adherence technology to our patient education programs," said Dr. Dorothy L. Smith, Founder and President of CHIC. "We know how to develop programs that patients will understand and we know how to motivate patients to stay in therapy. What we can't do -- and neither can health professionals -- is work with patients on a daily basis to remind them when to take each dose or help patients and their caregivers stay in better touch with their doctors and caregivers each time they have a problem taking a dose. The InforMedix technology will help patients handle the day-to-day problems they routinely encounter taking medications in the home environment. I also believe that the program will help children of elderly parents stay in better touch and give them peace of mind that their parents took their medication at the right times each day. "
"We are honored to work with CHIC, given their longstanding and award-winning commitment to medication safety and education," said Bruce A. Kehr, MD, CEO of InforMedix. "Dr. Smith is an internationally recognized author, patient advocate, and expert in patient education, patient adherence, and behavior modification programs. Her professional career has been devoted to developing successful programs for patients, employees, and consumers, on behalf of pharmaceutical and other Fortune 500 companies. We believe that CHIC's expertise will greatly enhance our product offering."
InforMedix will provide the technology component of the programs with its forthcoming Med-ePhone, which is being designed to deliver customized reminders to take medication doses via a landline or cell phone. This unique system will also provide patient confirmation that they have taken or are about to take their medication at a specific time, along with patient answers to health status questions. This will allow for immediate feedback to caregivers and/or the healthcare team if critical medications are missed or patient responses to health assessments indicates a declining health status. CHIC will work with InforMedix to customize the Med-ePhone patient messages for a pharmaceutical company's specific brand so that they reinforce the overall patient information being delivered in the print and website programs.
Pharmaceutical companies will have the potential to recapture the tremendous loss of sales because of patients not taking all their medications as prescribed and dropping out of therapy during the initial few months of a new medication being prescribed. An investment by pharmaceutical companies in a comprehensive medication adherence program has the potential to deliver an impressive Return on Investment (ROI) because the combination of patient information that the average patient can understand in conjunction with day-to-day reminders will help motivate patients to stay in therapy. The plan is that these customized programs will increase the ROI for the substantial budgets the pharmaceutical companies currently spend on capturing new prescriptions.
Improving patient medication adherence is a major strategic objective of pharmaceutical manufacturers. By combining their areas of expertise, InforMedix and CHIC believe that they will help pharmaceutical companies improve medication adherence resulting in improved patient outcomes and increased product revenues.
Synthetic Blood International, Inc. (OTCBB: SYBD) Up 14.29% on Tuesday
Detailed quote: http://beaconequityresearch.com/SYBD
December 11, 2007 - Synthetic Blood Announces Progress with Oxycyte Program in Traumatic Brain Injury
Synthetic Blood International, Inc. (OTCBB:SYBD) today announced its plan to finalize a Phase IIb clinical trial protocol with Oxycyte(TM) for the treatment of traumatic brain injury (TBI) at its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) meeting scheduled for Thursday, December 13, 2007. Oxycyte is Synthetic Blood's proprietary perfluorocarbon (PFC) therapeutic oxygen carrier and blood substitute.
The proposed double blind, placebo-controlled Phase IIb trial is designed to compare Oxycyte with present-day advanced therapies in TBI, and is expected to enroll 120 to 150 patients at six major neurosurgery centers. The trial protocol was prepared by M. Ross Bullock, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery. Dr. Bullock was a principal investigator on Synthetic Blood's Phase IIa pilot study with Oxycyte in TBI and currently serves on the Company's SAB.
Synthetic Blood also announced intentions to name additional members to its SAB at the December 13 meeting. Those candidates under review are primarily located at medical centers that may be involved with Oxycyte trials. Additionally, the SAB plans to develop a strategy for initiating supportive preclinical studies to explore the basic science of Oxycyte's oxygen delivery capabilities for the treatment of damaged brain tissue, and the effects of higher Oxycyte doses than have been used in previous studies, as well as the potential effects of administering second doses of Oxycyte.
"Our Phase IIb trial protocol design was developed to provide what we believe will be definitive results with Oxycyte as a therapeutic treatment for TBI," stated Dr. Bullock. "Positive data from the pilot study in TBI patients demonstrated that Oxycyte was more effective in increasing brain oxygen tension levels and impacting other brain chemistries that contribute to favorable clinical outcomes in TBI patients than breathing either 100 percent or 50 percent oxygen. If we see similar results in the larger patient population, we believe that it is likely that the government may deem Oxycyte immediately useful for battlefield settings."
"We are making headway in our development program with Oxycyte in TBI that will capitalize on the favorable results from our Phase IIa pilot study," said Robert Larsen, Interim President and CEO of Synthetic Blood. "Finalizing the protocol is an important step in the process to prepare for our Phase IIb trial protocol submission to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration."
Lumonall, Inc. (OTCBB: LUMN) Up 14.29% on Tuesday
Detailed quote: http://beaconequityresearch.com/LUMN
December 11, 2007 - Concord Adex Chooses Energy Savings and Safety with Lumonall
Lumonall, Inc. (OTCBB:LUMN), a global purveyor of photoluminescent (glow-in-the-dark) emergency signage and guidance systems, is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement with Concord Adex Development Corps. to supply all of the developer's future buildings with Lumonall photoluminescent Exit Signs. Concord Adex is the developer of Toronto's largest residential urban Master Planned community, Concord - CityPlace, in downtown Toronto, and their newest 40-acre Master Planned community, ParkPlace, located in North York.
Concord Adex's active projects consist of seven condominium buildings named the Luna, Panorama and Parade at Concord - CityPlace, and Discovery 1 and Discovery 2 in Concord - ParkPlace. Depending of the size of the buildings, each project will require 200 to 400 Lumonall Exit Signs per building. Under development since 2000, CityPlace is comprised of 20 condominium towers, home for over 10,000 residents, 11 of which are completed, and the balance of nine either under construction or in final stages of planning.
Acquired in late 2006, Concord Adex's newest Master Planned Community, Concord - ParkPlace, is comprised of 20 condominium buildings with over 6,000 residential units. Construction start is planned for Q3 2008 with an anticipated build out over the next 10 years.
"As developers of Master Planned Communities we are constantly looking to innovative building systems and technologies to 'Future Proof' our developments," said David McComb, Senior Vice-President for Concord Adex Developments. "Lumonall(TM) Exit Signs integrate well with our 'green initiatives program' by eliminating the ongoing burden to the end user of the cost of electricity and maintenance required by current and soon to be obsolete electrically lit exit signs, at no additional cost to the Developer. The systems adds another layer which is safety, whereby these photoluminescent signs can be wall-mounted at floor level where they are most effective when, in case of an emergency, an occupant is forced to exit a smoke-filled corridor. We are very pleased to be an industry leader and to add value to our communities by specifying Lumonall(TM) safety products."
"We are extremely excited to have the developer of Toronto's largest urban Master-Planned high-rise community specifying our photoluminescent signs," stated Mike Hetherman, President and COO of Lumonall, Inc. "Photoluminescent signage is the way to go in new building development. Not only is it a failsafe technology, it doesn1t require any of the internal wiring and energy infrastructure traditional, or even new LED signage does."
Lumonall products and solutions rely on a propriety formulation for photoluminescent material that absorbs ambient light, stores the energy and emits/glows for at least 90 minutes (as certified by the Underwriters Laboratory). The company focuses first and foremost on safety, concentrating on realities such as fire truck ladder limitations (they can only reach the sixth floor of any building), and work in line with the fact that the best way of evacuating a building in any emergency situation is via clearly marked and illuminated doors and passages.
Supplemental to that mission, there is also a significant green element to Lumonall products in that, unlike traditional emergency signage, they don't use any energy, allow for a reduction in a developers capitol cost by reducing the required sizing of a building's emergency generator, they don't require bulb replacement (incandescent or otherwise) or any other form of maintenance. Also, by installing Lumonall photoluminescent products in lieu of traditional emergency signage, LEED Building Projects can gain points in Innovation in Design credits, and may gain in the Energy and Atmosphere and Materials and Resources categories
InNexus Biotechnology Inc. (OTCBB: IXSBF) Up 13.30% on Tuesday
Detailed quote: http://beaconequityresearch.com/IXSBF
December 11, 2007 - Dr. Judith James Joins InNexus Biotechnology Scientific Advisory Board
InNexus Biotechnology Inc. (OTCBB:IXSBF) (TSX VENTURE:IXS), a drug development company commercializing the next generation of monoclonal antibodies based on its Dynamic Cross Linking (DXL(TM)) technology, today announced that Judith James, M.D., Ph.D., Lou Kerr Chair in Biomedical Research at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation and Professor of Medicine/Adjunct Professor of Pathology at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, has joined InNexus' Scientific Advisory Board. Dr. James joins Dr. J. Donald Capra, President Emeritus of the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation and InNexus Scientific Advisory Board Chairman, Dr. John D. Minna, Dr. Carlos L. Arteaga, Dr. Ellen Vitetta and Dr. Martin Weigert.
Welcoming Dr. James, Dr. J. Donald Capra, Chairman of the SAB, said, "Judith's experience as a clinician and researcher, along with her hands-on work in rheumatology, makes her a great addition to the InNexus team. Please join me in welcoming her."
Dr. James' research interests focus on understanding the etiology and pathogenesis of lupus and related disorders, the evolution and pathogenic mechanisms of antibodies in systemic rheumatic disease, and development of diagnostic assays for autoimmune disorders. Her work has made seminal contributions to understanding how autoimmune diseases start and the concept of humoral epitope spreading. She has published over 80 articles concerning these and related topics in journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine, Nature Medicine, Journal of Experimental Medicine, Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, Immunological Reviews and the Journal of Clinical Investigation to name a few. A sought-after speaker, Dr. James has conducted lectures for the American College of Rheumatology, International Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Meetings, and the International Vasculitis Meeting, among others. Dr. James has received several prestigious awards including the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists. She serves in national/international leadership positions with the American College of Rheumatology and the Lupus Foundation of America. She is a study section member with the National Institutes of Health (NIH). She has also served on several NIH advisory committees and provided testimony supporting the NIH at the Noel Laureates' Hearing.
Dr. James received her Medical Degree and Ph.D. in Immunology from the Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and is board certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology. She continues to practice adult rheumatology, focusing on the systemic rheumatic diseases, and her NIH grants include Principle Investigator (PI) of a newly funded Rheumatic Disease Research Cores Center, PI of a Center of Biomedical Research Center of Excellence in Mentoring Immunology, co-PI of a Specialized Center of Research in SLE, co-PI of an NIAID contract to understand influenza vaccination responses in immunosuppressed SLE patients and PI of a Native American Research Health Center project to understand rheumatic disease in American Indians.
BioForce Nanosciences Holdings Inc. (OTCBB: BFNH) Up 13.21% on Tuesday
Detailed quote: http://beaconequityresearch.com/BFNH
December 11, 2007 - BioForce Receives Notice of Allowance for Its 'Chip-On-A-Tip' Patent
BioForce Nanosciences Holdings Inc. (OTCBB:BFNH) announced today that it has received a Notice of Allowance from the United States Patent and Trademark Office for its Chip-On-A-Tip(tm) patent.
Chip-On-A-Tip(tm) (COAT(tm)) is a revolutionary method for performing diagnostic tests on extremely small tissue and liquid samples. It involves placement of an ultra-miniaturized diagnostic test at the end of a device, such as a surgical probe, as a means of collecting the tiny amounts of material necessary for the ultra-miniaturized tests to provide a diagnosis. The COAT method can be applied to the diagnosis of diseases, such as cancer, and for small sample analysis, as is the case with neonates and forensics specimens.
BioForce has utilized COAT to successfully perform cancer protein biomarker screening from as few as four cells, demonstrating the detection of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), which is commonly used for the diagnosis of prostate cancer.
Dr. Eric Henderson, BioForce's CEO, said, "COAT is one example of the NanoDiagnostic testing technologies under development at BioForce. The concept behind NanoDiagnostic tests is to address the many instances where it is highly desirable to be able to obtain a diagnosis using miniscule samples in order to minimize patient invasiveness or simply because larger samples are not readily available. This is particularly important when analyzing protein biomarkers, which are indicators of disease and, unlike DNA, cannot be amplified by any known process. In order to do this, the diagnostic test itself must be of a size scale consistent with the sample size, which can be as small as a single cell. Examples of when this is important include tests involving neonatal blood, forensic specimens, and cells aspirated from a tumor."
Henderson continued, "The Notice of Allowance on the COAT patent is the third significant development in our intellectual property portfolio during 2007. Earlier this year, we received confirmation of our Protein Nanoarray patent, covering protein arrays with feature sizes of less than one micron squared for creating ultra-miniaturized diagnostic tests and micro-environments for the study of cell biology. We also received a Notice of Allowance for our Sindex(tm) chip patent. Sindex chips are indexed silicon substrates that serve as the basis for a host of ultra-miniaturized tests."
Kerry Frey, BioForce's COO, added, "Our platform technology, the Nano eNabler(tm) molecular printing system, is instrumental for the construction of ultra-miniaturized diagnostic tests, such as the COAT device. We believe that COAT is just one of many paradigm-shifting technologies that will emerge from the Nano eNabler's capabilities. Our patented ViriChip(tm) virus detection technology is a second example of products resulting from BioForce's internal use of the Nano eNabler. Additionally, we now have a significant worldwide base of customers who have purchased Nano eNablers and are using them to create an ever-expanding arsenal of forward-looking inventions in areas including health care, tissue engineering, stem cells, neurobiology, cancer cell biology and biosensors."
Frey continued, "As our business grows, we are very cognizant of the importance of continued innovation, both internally and in collaboration with our customer-colleagues. Reaching out to our customers and embracing new ideas and opportunities is a cornerstone of our business philosophy."
