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Biotech / Medical : Trickle Portfolio -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: tuck who wrote (1376)	3/6/2003 11:42:00 AM
From: scaram(o)uche	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1784

I was all thumbs at the bench. I'm the only person who I know who had a technician as a graduate student. My major professor realized that I was dangerous in a lab. I was so glad when they came out with precast gels. The exception? Tissue (cell) culture. I could grow and/or clone anything. There's good stuff to come from "systems biology in human tissue culture". Together with an appreciation for the role of the major histocompatibility complex re. control of the immune response, it's a fun/good background to have. I absolutely love to watch biology unfold into medicines. I can't understand why investors have so completely abandoned the sector. There are sincere, excellent efforts.

To: tuck who wrote (1376)	3/6/2003 12:48:39 PM
From: keokalani'nui	Respond to of 1784

MDS turns in solid quarter. Able to increase life sciences revs with instruments and pharma services. Zevalin mentioned at the end. Our core businesses showed revenue growth in the first quarter of fiscal 2003 that is in line with our expectations. Much of the overall growth in revenue and operating income of these businesses was attributed to sales in our analytical instruments and research services businesses. Year over year reported growth in consolidated revenues and operating income were 5% and 23%, respectively. Basic and diluted earnings per share, which includes the impact of MDS Proteomics, grew 31% to $0.17. The growth in operating income resulted in basic earnings per share from our core Health and Life Sciences segments of $0.24 compared to $0.19 last year, an increase of 26%. Summary of First Quarter Consolidated Results (SNIP!) Life Sciences revenues grew to $263 million, an increase of 10% compared to the first quarter of last year. Analytical instruments and pharmaceutical research services were the main contributors to the growth in Life Sciences during the quarter. Nuclear medicine revenues grew by 6%; however, this was offset by declines in revenues in other isotopes businesses. Operating income from Life Sciences businesses grew by 12% while margins remained level compared to the first quarter of 2002. Analytical instruments continue to show exceptional growth, increasing revenues by 41% compared to the same period last year. Sales of our high-end mass spectrometers continue to increase from levels reported last year. Sales of API 4000 remain robust. We are also pleased with the sales performance of our QSTAR(TM), and ELAN models, and of our new Q TRAP(TM) model which was introduced part way through fiscal 2002. Pharmaceutical research services revenues increased by 3% from the same quarter last year. This increase was mainly attributed to continued growth in our early clinical research business. A 7% increase in Phase I to Phase III revenues was partially offset by a decline in revenues in pharmacology and toxicology services. Our first quarter often shows slower activity during the holiday season; however, we expect revenue growth to reflect industry averages for the balance of the year. We also expect to gradually fill capacity in our newly expanded preclinical facility over the balance of the year. Compared to the first quarter of last year, revenues from nuclear medicine increased by 6%; however, this was offset by a decline in Oncology Software Solutions revenues that resulted from the sale of our high-dose-rate brachytherapy business last year. Subsequent to the end of the quarter, on February 11, 2003, we announced the sale of the Oncology Software Solutions business. This industry has undergone substantial consolidation since we made our first investment in the area in 1998 and we do not feel that we have sufficient size in this market to compete effectively. We have retained the therapy systems businesses that relate to cobalt-based treatment systems. The issuance of US Medicare billing codes has resulted in sales growth of Zevalin during the quarter compared to the same period last year. Sales of Zevalin have been growing since the issuance of the billing codes and as the product gains acceptance in the market.