Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Strategies & Market Trends : Cents and Sensibility - Kimberly and Friends' Consortium -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: DO$Kapital who wrote (38357)	12/3/1999 4:31:00 PM
From: Walk Softly	Respond to of 108040

oh... you dig mo Prince too:-).... figured that "MO" meant mo than just "MO":-)

To: DO$Kapital who wrote (38357)	12/3/1999 4:35:00 PM
From: EtTuBrute	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 108040

Bought some shares of NTPL towards the close. Got some hilarious fills. It took them 4 fills to give me a whopping 900 shares. I got filled as follows: 140 500 200 and 60. Boy, these shares must really be tight. Also picked up some CYGN on Dustin's call. Made a strong move into the close. Monday is a BIG day for CYGN. If they get FDA panel approval on Monday, this could go far. Here is story: Cygnus diabetes glucose monitor up for review By Lisa Richwine WASHINGTON, Dec 3 (Reuters) - A watch-like device designed to help diabetics better monitor their blood sugar will come under scrutiny from federal advisers on Monday. The GlucoWatch, made by Cygnus Inc. (NasdaqNM:CYGN - news), painlessly records blood sugar, or glucose, levels every 20 minutes, helping patients adjust treatment. Now, many diabetics must monitor blood sugar with painful ''fingerstick'' tests to draw blood several times a day. Industry analysts said they expect the Food and Drug Administration advisory panel to conduct a thorough review of the GlucoWatch because it would be the first device to give such frequent glucose information directly to patients. ''You get trend lines on what the glucose levels look like over time, and that is something new,'' said PaineWebber analyst Elise Wang. ''I would expect it to be a lengthy meeting.'' Experts said better glucose monitoring could revolutionize treatment of diabetes, which affects nearly 16 million Americans, if the technology is perfected. The hope is that adjusting treatment based on rises and falls in glucose would help avoid serious complications such as blindness and kidney disease. The market for glucose monitoring devices, now dominated by fingerstick test supplies, is about $3 billion a year. But analysts said they were not ready to forecast how well the GlucoWatch might sell until they heard the FDA panel's evaluation. Cygnus said it has not finalized the price for GlucoWatch, but it might be sold to patients for between $225 and $250, with sensors that last up to 12 hours costing $4 apiece. Sales of the sensors are expected to eventually make up the bulk of revenues, Cygnus said. Winning the committee's endorsement of GlucoWatch is important because the FDA almost always follows its panels' advice. Cygnus, based in Redwood City, Calif., recently announced it would focus on development of the GlucoWatch after selling most of the assets from its drug delivery business to Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ - news) unit Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical Inc. On Thursday, Cygnus won permission to sell the GlucoWatch in Europe. The GlucoWatch uses small electrical currents to change the size of the skin's pores and extract fluid from which glucose is measured. After warming up for three hours, the GlucoWatch can be worn for up to 12 hours until sensors need to be replaced. Patients need to perform a fingerstick test each time they change the sensor to calibrate the watch. Other companies working on glucose monitors are Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT - news) and SpectRx (NasdaqNM:SPRX - news), who announced a joint development effort this week, and MiniMed Inc. (NasdaqNM:MNMD - news), which won FDA approval in June for an implantable glucose monitor that must be read by doctors. But no other company has reached the point of approaching the FDA for approval of a new monitoring device. Potential competitors will be watching the GlucoWatch review, which will provide insight on the FDA's views of that type of product, said Hambrecht and Quist analyst Rob Faulkner. ''It will be very important to the industry,'' Faulkner said. ''This is really the test case.''