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Biotech / Medical : Boston Scientific (BSX) Any Comments??? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: John Carragher who wrote (456)	8/17/1998 8:57:00 AM
From: John Carragher	Respond to of 798

Home - Yahoo! - Help [ Business \| US Market \| By Industry \| IPO \| AP \| S&P \| International \| PRNews \| BizWire ] Monday August 17, 8:25 am Eastern Time Company Press Release Early Warning Heart Disease Management System To Prompt Higher Usage of Cardiovascular Drug Therapies According to Westergaard Analysis Released Today Bristol-Myers Squibb and Zeneca Group PLC Predicted to Benefit NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 17, 1998-- Internet webzine publisher Westergaard Broadcasting Network.com (www.wbn.com) predicts that introduction of a remarkable new system for primary care management of coronary artery disease (CAD) will have a material impact on sales of cardiovascular pharmaceuticals over the next five years and an unfavorable impact on demand for cardiovascular medical devices. The new technology for CAD management tradenamed ohms/cad(R) is a service of Q-Med, Inc. (NSDQ:QEKG), manufacturers of medical devices and systems for diagnostic interpretation of cardiovascular and diabetic disease conditions. Ohms/cad(R) provides pre-episodic symptom-independent risk stratification of existing and at risk CAD patients. Through early risk identification, heart failure for a patient cohort of 40,000 MCO (managed care organization) members in Bakersfield CA was reduced 37%. The 1997 study also reported: -- total coronary events reduced 25% -- catheterizations reduced 29% -- angioplasties (PTCA/Stent) reduced 28% -- hospitalization for diagnosis of angina including ''rule out myocardial infarction'' reduced 41% -- myocardial ischemia abolished in 79% of patients hypertension normalized or improved by more than 10% in 72% of hypertensive patients LDLs (bad cholesterol) normalized or improved by more than 10% in 79% of patients cost to the MCO of CAD care across the 40,000 patient group declined 24% in 18 months Inasmuch as ohms/cad(R) management calls for early stage application of drug therapies once risk factors are determined, usage of such therapies may be expected to rise materially. To put it simply, if 2 out of 10 patients at time of enrollment are on a daily aspirin regimen and the ohms/cad analysis determines that 7 out of 10 should be, the increase in usage across a projected patient population of 5 million by 2001-02 will become meaningful to the Bayer Corporation, principal manufacturer of aspirin. The earlier the point at which the ohms/cad(R) system identifies CAD or high risk of CAD, the sooner pharmacological interventions are likely to be introduced such as beta blockers to control blood pressure, Zeneca Group PLC (NYSE:ZEN - news) being a leading manufacturer with two products -- Inderal(R) and Tenormin(R), and lipid-lowering compounds such as Pravachol(R) from Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY - news). Conversely, medical device manufacturers such as Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE:MDT - news) and Boston Scientific Corp. (NYSE:BSX - news) may see sales of surgical and diagnostic cardiovascular products decline as the application of ohms/cad(R) management achieves a main objective which is diminished reliance on invasive revascularization and other surgeries. This class of product lines may be expected to begin topping out in 2001-02. The Westergaard analysis of ohms/cad(R) and its implications for the drug industry, accompanied by an in-depth look at the company qmed, Inc., may be accessed at WBN-QEKG (www.wbn.com/QEKG), an Internet cyberstation licensee of New York based Westergaard Online Systems, Inc. (OTC BB:WSYS - news), publishers of Internet webzines and of International Med-Tech Directory, an industry standard financial reference now in an 11th edition (out-of-print) to be reintroduced in 1999 as an online Internet subscription service. Contact: Westergaard Online Systems, Inc., New York Anne Straton Managing Editor 212-947-3853 More Quotes and News: Boston Scientific Corp (NYSE:BSX - news) Bristol-Myers Squibb Co (NYSE:BMY - news) Medtronic Inc (NYSE:MDT - news) Westergaard Online Systems Inc (OTC BB:WSYS - news) Zeneca Group PLC (NYSE:ZEN - news) Related News Categories: biotech, computers, internet, medical/pharmaceutical, publishing Help Copyright c 1998 Business Wire. All rights reserved. All the news releases provided by Business Wire are copyrighted. Any forms of copying other than an individual user's personal reference without express written permission is prohibited. Further distribution of these materials is strictly forbidden, including but not limited to, posting, emailing, faxing, archiving ina public database, redistributing via a computer network or in a printed form. See our Important Disclaimers and Legal Information. Questions or Comments?