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Biotech / Medical : BIOTECH & TECHNOLOGY INVESTING *UNDERVALUED*{T/A F/A & V} -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: BRAVEHEART who wrote (301)	3/15/2000 8:04:00 AM
From: BRAVEHEART	Respond to of 423

Hi Tuck, DRAX has good L/T potential. It has cash flows. Products in R&D. Worldwide market potential outside of it's Canadian operations. The Fibrimage & the Brachytherapy seeds products should be a real sharprice enhancer as we approach YE2000. Along with the rollout of five more inlicensed drugs and other developments I believe DRAX is positioned for a very good year. The Phase III trial will be held at various centres across Canada and is expected to involve 130 patients. It is anticipated that the Phase III trial will be completed by the end of 2000. Investigators completed Phase II studies of Fibrimage© last July, and reported on their interim results at the Society of Nuclear Medicine meeting held in Los Angeles in June 1999. Based on interim results the investigators, led by Dr. Raymond Taillefer of the Centre Hospitalier de l'Universitee de Montreal - Hotel Dieu Campus, concluded that Fibrimage© is a new and very promising radiopharmaceutical for the detection of DVT. Dr. Martin Barkin, President and CEO of DRAXIS Health stated, ``We are extremely pleased to report that Fibrimage© has now commenced Phase III trials and is one step closer to commercialization. In the United States alone it is estimated that over 2,000,000 people are afflicted with DVT annually and that approximately 200,000 deaths per year are attributable, directly or indirectly, to pulmonary embolism, the vast majority of which arise from DVT. Fibrimage© offers advantages to alternate diagnostic techniques including the ability to distinguish between dormant clots, which normally pose little or no danger, and actively forming clots which have the greatest risk of pulmonary embolism.' Fibrimage© is based on Fibrin Binding Domain (FBD), a recombinant polypeptide with high binding affinity for fibrin, the primary component of DVT. FBD was developed by Bio-Technology General Corp. (NASDAQ: BTGC - news) and is licensed to DRAXIMAGE on an exclusive, world-wide basis. Fibrimage© is a lyophilized (i.e. freeze-dried) kit containing FBD which is labeled with the active ingredient, Technetium-99m, prior to use. DVT is a serious medical condition caused by the spontaneous formation of blood clots (i.e. thrombi) in the lower limbs. An individual with DVT is exposed to the risk that a portion of the clot can unpredictably break free and cause a blockage of blood flow to the lungs - a condition known as pulmonary embolism. DRAXIMAGE is Canada's leading manufacturer of radiopharmaceuticals for use in nuclear medicine, and its products are available in many countries around the world. It markets radioactive products sold as ready-to-use sterile parenterals, and non-radioactive lyophilized kits intended for use with Technetium-99m. DRAXIMAGE recently signed an agreement which entitles the company to manufacture and market Iodine-125 brachytherapy seeds, used in the treatment of prostate cancer. Brachytherapy seeds are used in the treatment of localized cancers, primarily prostate cancer, which is the second most common form of cancer and the second leading cause of cancer deaths in men. For 1999, the American Cancer Society estimates that there will be 179,300 new cases of prostate cancer diagnosed and an estimated 37,000 deaths associated with the disease. Based on industry data, the estimated cost in 1995 of all methods for treating prostate cancer exceeded $3 billion in the United States. Dr. Martin Barkin, President and CEO of DRAXIS Health stated, ``DRAXIMAGE's brachytherapy seeds are second generation devices which have been optimized for dosage uniformity and safety. Since brachytherapy seeds are classified as medical devices, no clinical trials are involved, and the product is subject to faster regulatory review times than pharmaceuticals. Shortly after approval, DRAXIMAGE brachytherapy seeds will be launched on the U.S. market. In addition, filing with the Canadian Health Protection Branch is expected to follow shortly.' Dr. Barkin continued, ``This latest entry into therapeutic radio-oncology complements our capabilities in diagnostic imaging and leverages the capabilities of our new radiopharmaceutical laboratory. Brachytherapy is the fastest growing treatment for early stage prostate cancer and offers a number of advantages compared to alternative treatments, including: rapid patient recovery, lower costs and reduced incidence of complications such as impotency and incontinence.' DRAXIMAGE is Canada's leading manufacturer of radiopharmaceuticals for use in nuclear medicine, and its products are available in many countries around the world. It markets radioactive products sold as ready-to-use sterile parenterals, and non-radioactive lyophilized kits intended for use with Technetium-99m. Fibrimage©, the Company's diagnostic agent for deep vein thrombosis is now in phase III clinical trials in Canada. Best Wishes Jeffrey