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Biotech / Medical : QLT PhotoTherapeutics (QLTI) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Ian@SI who wrote (868)	4/10/2000 12:09:00 PM
From: Julian	Respond to of 1321

Biotech 2000: Invest in Your Future, After a Period of Lean Years, Biopharmaceuticals Bounce Back 9:37 EST Monday, April 10, 2000 MONTREAL, QUEBEC--At the onset of the new millennium, the Canadian biotechnology industry holds promising growth potential. This will be what eight Canadian public companies hosting the +Biotech 2000 - Invest in your future+ Investor Roadshow will tell you during a national tour brought to you by AnorMED Inc., Axcan Pharma Inc., Cangene Corporation, IBEX Technologies Inc., Inex Pharmaceuticals, Nortran Pharmaceuticals Inc., QLT PhotoTherapeutics Inc. and Stressgen Biotechnologies Corp. After having been virtually ignored by the investment community in 1997 and 1998, the biopharmaceutical industry surprised a good number of investors these last few months by hitting record highs. The TSE Biotech index boasted a 50 % return between December 1998 and February 2000, compared with 38 % for the TSE 300. Over the last few years, not only did some of the presenting companies launch new medications they successfully developed, but the whole biotechnology industry has shown considerable advances in its quest towards the approval of new medications. R & D efforts in the development of new technologies in areas as diversified as the use of metal in medicine, gastroenterology, the development of plasma-based products, use of enzymes in the treatment of cardio-vascular disease, oncology, respiratory diseases, photodynamic therapy and the development of immuno-therapeutic products, can considerably increase quality of life in the future. These eight companies, active in the areas of research and development along with the production and commercialization of medications, will highlight their future prospects, and will show that now, more than ever, is the time to invest in the biotechnology sector. Investing in biotechnology is investing in your future. You are invited to join us for a complimentary luncheon buffet followed by brief company presentations, at one of following locations: Montreal Wednesday, April 12, 2000 at 11:30 Bonaventure Hilton Hotel Toronto Thursday, April 13, 2000 at 11:30 King Edward Hotel You can access a brief overview of these companies on the internet site www.smallcapcenter.com The tour is organized directly by the hosting companies and is sponsored by Catalyst, ITG and KPMG. Come join us - it's an event not to be missed. To register, please contact Michael Midmer at 1-800-330-9928

To: Ian@SI who wrote (868)	4/12/2000 7:48:00 PM
From: Julian	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 1321

FINALLY! GREAT NEWS!!!!!!!! 3507 DJ 12-Apr-00 at 19:10:00 19:39 DJ QLT, Novartis Unit Get FDA OK For Visudyne Eye Treatment Symbol: QLTI C/QLT I/NOV Industry: DRG Government: FDA Subject: DJN DJWI SCN WEI Market Sector: NCY NND Geographic Region: BRC CN EU NME SZ US WEU Product/Service: DCA DEE DPH By Otesa Middleton WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)--A light-activated drug for treating the top cause of blindness in older Americans won federal approval Wednesday. The Food and Drug Administration approved Visudyne, an intravenous drug from QLT PhotoTherapeutics Inc. (QLTI), and Novartis AG's (Z.NOV) CIBA Vision, for treating severe cases of the wet form of age-related macular degeneration. The FDA's move was expected because agency advisers recommended approval of the drug at a hearing in November. As the disease, which causes scars on healthy retina tissue, progresses, sufferers are left with only peripheral vision and a hole in the center of images. Visudyne is taken intravenously and isn't activated until a light is shone into the eye for one minute and 30 seconds. Then the drug seeks out the abnormal blood vessels. Dr. Neil Bressler, a Johns Hopkins University ophthalmology professor, led the clinical trials of Visudyne. About 30% of the 200,000 people who develop the disease yearly will be candidates for treatment with Visudyne, Bressler said. "It won't help people who already lost their vision," he said. In the studies, two-thirds of patients who were given an inactive placebo had significant vision loss in a year. Half as many suffered significant vision loss when treated with Visudyne, Bressler said. The cause of the disease isn't known, but Bressler said it attacks about 10% of everyone over age 65. When Bressler presented the data at the FDA panel in November, the agency's advisers said the drug should be approved because there are few treatment options available. Patients on the drug still lost vision, but at a slower rate. Less than 10% of people with the disease are eligible for laser treatment to remove damaged tissue if the problem area is small. If the damaged area is too big, laser isn't an option because the laser would do more damage to the patient's sight, Bressler said. Analysts at CIBC World Markets Corp. expect sales of Visudyne to be $90 million this year, growing to $335 million next year, $476 million in 2002 and reaching $613 million in 2003. -Otesa Middleton; Dow Jones Newswires; 202-862-6654