A touching story. Miss America now on the MNMD team !
biz.yahoo.com
Friday October 8, 9:25 am Eastern Time
Company Press Release
MiniMed Inc. Announces Nicole Johnson, Miss America 1999, as Official Spokesperson
- Miss America 1999 continues to raise diabetes awareness -
SYLMAR, Calif--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 8, 1999-- MiniMed Inc. (Nasdaq: MNMD - news) announced today that it is partnering with Nicole Johnson, Miss America 1999, to continue her mission of diabetes awareness. Ms. Johnson will serve as an official spokesperson for the Company, speaking out on the importance of maintaining good glycemic control for the treatment of diabetes.
''I am thrilled to be working with MiniMed, a world leader in diabetes management,'' Ms. Johnson said. ''We are a perfect match because we both are filled with hope for a brighter tomorrow and, ultimately, a day without diabetes. However, until that day comes, we are dedicated to educating patients that diabetes doesn't have to control them, rather, they can control their diabetes.''
During her tenure as Miss America, Ms. Johnson addressed both the medical and patient communities with her platform, ''Diabetes: Unmasking the Hidden Killer.'' This campaign, which emphasizes the importance of education, early diagnosis and recognizing effective treatments for the disease, will continue under Ms. Johnson's partnership with MiniMed.
Ms. Johnson began pump therapy over two years ago, replacing her regimen of four to six insulin injections per day with MiniMed's external insulin pump, and has been an advocate of pump therapy ever since. ''Wearing an insulin pump has changed my life in so many ways,'' Ms. Johnson, stated. ''I would not have been able to fulfill my duties as Miss America without it. I traveled up to 20,000 miles a month and changed countless time zones in order to speak at medical conferences, hospitals and diabetes care centers. During this time, I realized that wearing a pump meant I could live well with diabetes. My pump gave me a precious gift, the gift of life and the power to take control of my disease.''
Ms. Johnson will represent MiniMed at various engagements throughout the United States and other countries. Ms. Johnson recently spoke to worldwide leaders in diabetes research and development at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) conference about the importance of maintaining good glycemic control. In addition to treating diabetes with pump therapy, Ms. Johnson points to the benefits of MiniMed's continuous glucose monitoring system, which provides physicians and patients with comprehensive data from which to treat diabetes. The sensor records up to 288 glucose measurements over a 24 hour period and is designed to be worn for three days.''One of our biggest challenges is identifying low and high blood glucose excursions, especially at night,'' Ms. Johnson says. ''In the near future, MiniMed's sensor will also include high and low glucose alarms, and, next year, the sensor system will display continuous readings on the screen. This information is desperately needed and is a dream come true for the 16 million people afflicted with diabetes.''
MiniMed Inc. designs, develops, manufactures and markets advanced infusion systems with a primary emphasis on the intensive management of diabetes. The Company's products include external pumps and related disposables, a continuous glucose monitoring system product and the distribution of an implantable insulin pump, which is currently approved for sale in the European Community and has not yet been cleared for marketing in the U.S. The Company also distributes other diabetes supplies and pharmaceutical products.
Any statements made by MiniMed in this press release that are forward-looking, including statements relating to MiniMed's future generation continuous glucose monitoring systems and features contained in such systems, consumer acceptance of continuous glucose monitoring systems and the future benefits of MiniMed's continuous glucose monitoring systems are made pursuant to the Safe Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Reform Act of 1995. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties which may affect MiniMed's business and prospects, including changes in economic and market conditions, acceptance of MiniMed's products by the health care and reimbursement communities, health care legislation, new developments in diabetes therapy, administration and regulatory approval and related considerations, and other factors discussed in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
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Contact:
Kevin R. Sayer
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Eric S. Kentor
Senior Vice President and General Counsel
818-362-5958
or
Investor Relations
Morgen-Walke Associates
Robert P. Jones/Ephraim R. Bernstein
212/850-5600
Media: Sheryl Seapy
415-296-7383 |
