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Biotech / Medical : Biotech Shorts

XOMA 32.98

-0.7%

Oct 31 9:30 AM EDT

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To: (no name provided) who wrote (38)	6/24/1997 7:21:00 PM
From: chester lee	of 61

kafka666, re HMSC HMSC is a startup CO with NO revenues, sales or earnings that has more than doubled since the IPO in 8/96. They have only 1 product that they are supposedly manufacturing for sale in June 97 that is "Breast Assure" . This is a breast cancer detection device consisting of 2 thermal sensitive pads that are to be worn beneath a womans Bra that evidently turn colors at the point of heat transmitted by potential tumor sites. (more info available in HMSC message folder) The CO feels that this product can be marketed to primary care physicians for about $25 a pop and they in turn will charge the patient/ins. co. about $40-50. They claim that this procedure is more effective than a standard clinical exam but admit that a "positive" result would indicate that further diagnosis is needed i.e.. mammogram. I am by no means a medical expert but I do know that unless a device like this can really be effective and most of all SAVE THE INS. COS. AND HMOS MONEY that it won't fly. If a mammogram is going to be needed anyway why use this procedure ......do ins. Cos and HMOS pay much more than $25-$40 for a mammogram?? At $8.50 it is currently trading at 20 x FY97 estimates of .41 (by one analyst) seems a high multiple to me for a co. with no sales to date. Perhaps this is still not the time to short this puppy.....maybe it will get hyped even higher. Perhaps they do have something......some thoughts from someone in the medical field would be appreciated. It has absolutely no literature in on the Medline database to back up their claim. A physcian I know on AOL has checked has found no information on Medline. Whereas mammograms have had to study1000's of women over 25 years to prove effectiveness. In responding to << The CO feels that this product can be marketed to primary care physicians for about $25 a pop and they in turn will charge the patient/ins.co. about $40-50. >> My doctor friend writes: <<Not me or anyone I know would do this without the evidence to back it up. A mammogram costs about $100 in our area and most insurances cover it . Free exams are available to the uninsured. >> They recently announced delays in launching their breast device: biz.yahoo.com CRANFORD, N.J., June 12 (Reuter) - HumaScan Inc said Thursday it expects a delay in the launch of its BreastAlert breast cancer screening device of four to six months. The product was scheduled to be introduced in the New York area June 30. HumaScan attirbuted the delay to manufacturing issues. ``The manufacturing refinements are proceeding rapidly and we are confident they can be completed within this revised time frame,'' the company said in a statement. HumaScan expects to proceed with its planned national launch in the fourth quarter of 1997. It said it has about $11 million in cash and equivalents on hand, which it said should be more than adequate to launch BreastAlert DTS successfully. Chester

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