| Episode #: 82 Show: National 7 Airdates: Oct 2000-March 2001(see Programming Schedule for specific airtimes)
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How Endovasc intends to win the battle against heart
disease and cancer using liposomes. | |||
| Broadcast
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Mario: Statistics show that approximately 80% of smokers started smoking before the age of 18. Every day, nearly 3,000 young people become regular smokers. Ad agencies are said to spend over $6 billion a year selling tobacco. There are 401 poisons and 43 carcinogens in every cigarette. And the interesting thing is that every food product has to list their ingredients, so why not cigarettes. Cigarette smoke is reported to produce six times the pollution of a busy highway when in a crowded restaurant. Nationally, smoking results in more than 5 million years of potential life lost each year. And we're supposed to be an intelligent life form...Nearly 12.5 million acres of forest are destroyed each year for cigarettes. That's about a tree every two weeks for the average smoker. Penny: Every year Tobacco use is reported to kill over 400,000 people each year. This is more than AIDS, alcohol, drug abuse, car crashes, murders, suicides, and fires--combined! ÚÚ.heart attacks and ÚÚ..cases of cancer are blamed on the substance. But thanks to the wonder of modern medicine, the very drug, Nicotine, labelled as the addictive substance in Tobacco, is being used in the treatment of heart disease. A company known as Endovasc Inc., a High Technology Drug Delivery Company, has developed a new medical product that may significantly impact the cardiology, radiology, and oncology markets. Pat Matthews talks to the experts. Narration: Endovasc says its core technology consists of the ability to formulate and produce extremely small drug microspheres called liposomes. Liposomal Prostaglandin, drug name Liprostin, is a patented drug and delivery system which can be site-delivered to a specific vascular area for treatment of occlusive vascular disease and other indications. Q.1 We hear all this talk about microspheres and liposomes, can you explain what these are? Narration: Endovasc says their proprietary Liprostin delivered to local angioplasty sites may greatly reduce new blockages (restenosis), thereby saving the healthcare system billions of dollars and repeated patient procedures. Research indicates that this markets exceed $2 billion. Diagnosis and treatment of heart disease and cancer are the primary focus of the company. Endovasc says their principal objectives are to achieve a $200 million market penetration within three years of introduction. The company also intends to attain $18 million in revenues through market shares, licensing and R&D collaboration in 2000 with a major USA, Asian or European firm, $25 million in 2001, reaching $200 million by year 2003. Q.2 How can a product, made from tobacco, such as nicotine, overcome the stigma that has historically been associated with tobacco products? Narration: Today, heart disease is one of the most pervasive diseases affecting over 58 million people per year. Cardiovascular disease occurs when a fatty substance builds up within the walls of the arteries, affecting the blood flow to the heart. 50% of all patients who become critically ill due to blood vessel blockage are treated with bypass or medical therapy. The other 50% are treated with a procedure called Angioplasty. The problem that both the patient and the physician face is how to alleviate the re-blockage or scarring that occurs within the first six months in 40% of all Angioplasty cases. The cost to the healthcare system for repeated Angioplasty procedures is $3.5 billion and results in over 2,500 deaths per year. Q.3 So how does your product change this? Endovasc says its product was developed for prevention of occlusive arterial disease by Liprostin¸. The market potential is U.S. $1 billion as 40% of all vascular angioplasties reocclude. Endovasc is said to be raising a private placement investment or loan commitment of $2 million until the company can raise approximately $12 million in a secondary public offering in 2000. Endovasc is presently listed on the OTC Bulletin Board under ENDV and is prepared to issue convertible debentures with additional warrants for preferred and/or common stock that may be exercised at the offering. SUMMARY As the medical community continues to seek for new weapons to combat the most pervasive diseases threatening the lives of todayÃs patients, Liprostin is believed to have positive impact in many other areas of treatment such as ischemic ulcers, limb salvage, liver disease, arthritis, AlzheimerÃs disease and ParkinsonÃs disease. Thanks to the wonder of modern medicine. From Montgomery, Texas, Pat Matthews with Business World News. |
