Tuesday January 25, 9:30 am Eastern Time
Company Press Release
SOURCE: Photogen Technologies, Inc.
Photogen Announces Product Distribution Agreement
With Coherent Laser Group; PulseView to Be
Introduced at Photonics West January 22-28
KNOXVILLE, Tenn., Jan. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Photogen Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: PHGN - news), developers of
non-invasive and minimally invasive therapeutic and diagnostic technologies, today announced the signing of an exclusive
distribution agreement with Coherent Laser Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: COHR - news), in which Coherent will market and sell
Photogen's PulseView(TM) software package and computer interface.
The two-year agreement is a turning point for Photogen Technologies, which previously was involved only with
developmental-stage endeavors. PulseView is the initial product from Photogen to reach commercial distribution. Coherent will
begin selling PulseView at Photonics West (Jan. 22-28), in San Jose, Calif.
Also at the show, on Jan. 26, Photogen senior scientist, Eric Wachter, Ph.D., will present the latest information about
Photogen's melanoma research.
The PulseView package provides a simple, rapid means for characterization and validation of the performance of ultrafast,
pulsed lasers. These advanced lasers are primarily used for scientific research in spectroscopy, medical, and materials
processing applications. Photogen currently is developing novel uses for such lasers for multi-photon excitation (MPE), a
process which shows promise for a number of medical applications, including treatment of melanomas and other cancers using
photodynamic therapy.
John Smolik, president and CEO of Photogen, stated, ''We created PulseView to facilitate development of our core medical
technologies based on MPE. We view this contract as a small but significant milestone in our strategy to bring advanced
photodynamic therapy products to the marketplace.
''We are very pleased that Coherent's laser group has chosen to market this powerful software tool to their sizeable customer
base, and look forward to the possibility of implementing this and other proprietary systems technologies for a number of
applications in the research, materials processing, and medical laser markets.''
Michael Armas of Coherent Laser Group, stated, ''This marketing agreement resulted from a long-term working relationship
we have had with the scientists at Photogen, and we look forward to the opportunity to offer this useful product to our
customers. It marks an important step for Coherent as we continue to offer innovations that advance the state-of-the-art in
automation, reliability, ease-of-use of our products and the systems that they are integrated into.''
About Photogen
Photogen Technologies, Inc. is a development-stage company focused on creating therapeutic and diagnostic products based
on its proprietary multi- photon and other related technologies. The company has discovered new methods for using energy
from lasers, x-rays or other sources to activate photoactive agents within tissue sufficient to produce a range of beneficial
therapeutic and diagnostic outcomes. These technologies involve methods, materials and devices that may be used to produce
light or other energy and photoactive agents and to destroy diseased cells, remove tissue or identify and diagnose disease.
Photogen has U.S. patents and additional pending applications in the U.S. and worldwide for certain of its proprietary
technology.
Statements in this release that are not strictly historical are ''forward- looking'' statements that are made pursuant to the safe
harbor provision of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve known and
unknown risks, which may cause the company's actual results in the future to differ materially from expected results. These risks
and uncertainties include: the ability of the company to develop a product and obtain regulatory approval for its use; the ability
of the company to successfully market and sell any products and equipment; the company's ability to manufacture products in
sufficient quantities; the company's ability to maintain intellectual property protection for its proprietary products, to defend its
existing intellectual property rights from challenges by third parties, and to avoid infringing intellectual property rights of third
parties; unforeseen operating risks; the company's ability to secure collaborative agreements with third parties for various
research, development, manufacturing, marketing and other functions; competition; risks associated with the dependence on
manufacturers of the company's proposed products; the availability of capital to finance planned activities; and the extent to
which the clinicians performing the procedures are able to obtain third-party reimbursement. These risks are qualified in their
entirety by cautionary language and risk factors set forth in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Media Contacts: Hilary Kaye or Joan Murray at Hilary Kaye Associates (714) 426-0444 (PST) or
jmurray@hkamarcom.com; Investor Relations Contact: Jonathan Fassberg at The Trout Group (212) 477-9007 (EST) or
jonathan@troutgroup.com.
SOURCE: Photogen Technologies, Inc. |
