three announcments in 3 days
See also www.norwoodabbey.com
Laser Device Receives Overwhelming Response
NORWOOD ABBEY LIMITED 2003-06-19 ASX-SIGNAL-G
HOMEX - Melbourne
+++++++++++++++++++++++++ Norwood Abbey Limited (ASX:NAL) has exhibited its revolutionary laser device ("LAD") for the delivery of topically applied anaesthetics at the 6 th International Symposium on Paediatric Pain Management. Over 400 delegates are attending the symposium in Sydney from 15-19 th June 2003.
Norwood has received very significant interest from, Australian, New Zealand, North American and European delegates.
"This product will revolutionize children's health care as we know it. Imagine painless blood tests and needle procedures - children may actually like going to the doctor" said Renee Manworren, Paediatric Clinical Nurse and Manager of Pain Management, at the Childrens Medical Centre of Dallas in the USA.
The Children's Medical Centre of Dallas will commence using the LAD over the next couple of months and their response to the LAD has been tremendous.
The LAD system consists of a laser device and single-use disposable tip, and is intended to painlessly and temporarily alter the outer layer of the skin (stratum corneum) enhancing the penetration of topically applied drugs. Clinicians and nurses indicate that the slow onset of action of topically applied anaesthetics is the major barrier to use of these products prior to needle insertion procedures. The LAD reduces the time of anaesthesia onset from 30-60 minutes to just 5 minutes, enabling more patients to be treated with local anaesthetic prior to cannulation, venipuncture and other needle sticks.
Norwood is commencing large-scale manufacture of LAD units with Lightmed Corporation of Taiwan. Norwood expects to commence sales in North America within weeks. Executive Chairman, Peter Hansen, said "The Company believes that the LAD technology represents a breakthrough in transdermal drug delivery of topically applied local anaesthetics. According to Mr Hansen, there is also potential to use the LAD with many other pharmaceuticals including vaccines and anti-inflammatories.
To find out more about the company, visit www.norwoodabbey.com
AUSTRALIA COMPANY CONTACTS U.S. INVESTOR CONTACTS
Peter Hansen Lippert Heilshorn & Assoc. EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN Kim Sutton Golodetz 613-9782-7333 [email protected] Bernie Romanin 613-9782-7333 212-838-3777 Director of Marketing Bruce Voss 613-9782-7333 310-691-7100 [email protected] www.lhai.com
Monash University takes equity in Norwood Immunology
NORWOOD ABBEY LIMITED 2003-06-18 ASX-SIGNAL-G
HOMEX - Melbourne
+++++++++++++++++++++++++ The Melbourne-based medical technologies commercialisation company, Norwood Abbey, today announced that its subsidiary, Norwood Immunology, has entered into a full licensing agreement with Monash University covering all aspects of the intellectual property associated with their Immunology Project.
The agreement incorporates an equity participation in Norwood Immunology by the commercial arm of Monash University, Monash Commercial Pty Ltd.
The Deputy Vice Chancellor of Monash University, Professor Gary Bouma, commented today: "The decision to move from being a research partner to a commercial partner by taking an equity position, represents a model for a university to realize long term commercial returns from ground-breaking medical research. This equity partnership recognises Monash's belief in Norwood's ability to translate these scientific discoveries into a commercially viable project."
Norwood Abbey Executive Chairman Peter Hansen said today: "Norwood Abbey's core expertise is in the management, marketing and commercialisation of medical technologies. The decision by Monash to take equity underscores the special quality of Norwood Abbey and shows the way forward in marrying research and business. Norwood has invested in excess of $6.0 million in the project and currently believes that, even after planned capital raisings, it will continue to hold a very substantial majority shareholding. The initial Monash equity position is 3.125%".
"Monash sees this as a great opportunity to collaborate with one of Victoria's leading medical technologies commercialisation companies," said Monash Commercial Business Development Manager, Dr David Lyster.
The project involves reviving the immune system by rejuvenating a critical organ, the thymus.
Norwood Immunology is a wholly owned company within the Norwood Abbey group of companies. It has been created to maximise the commercial potential of the immunology research. Norwood recently announced the appointment of Richard Williams, as its CEO. Richard Williams was the former Head of Global Healthcare for Andersens, and is based in London.
Australia Company Contacts U S Investor Contacts
Peter Hansen Lippert Heilshorn & Assoc Executive Chairman Kim Sutton Golodetz 61 3 9782 7333 [email protected] Jeff Bell 212-838-3777 Chief Financial Officer Bruce Voss 61 3 9782 7333 310-691-7100 [email protected] www.lhai.com
International Trials for Norwoods AIDS Reseach
NORWOOD ABBEY LIMITED 2003-06-17 ASX-SIGNAL-G
HOMEX - Melbourne
+++++++++++++++++++++++++ Important Australian research on rejuvenating the immune system which could significantly help HIV/AIDS patients has been seized upon by a team of distinguished international scientists for clinical trials.
It is planned that up to 50 patients will undergo treatment in Europe using a novel method aimed at preventing fatal AIDS-related illnesses, which has been developed by the Melbourne-based biotechnology business development company Norwood Abbey together with its partner Monash University.
The trial will be centred around the renowned University Hospital in Basel, Switzerland and involve input from the American National Institutes of Health (NIH).
A leading researcher, Professor Manuel Battegay of Basel's University Hospital, today hailed the project as an "outstanding example of international cooperation".
A major problem confronting HIV/AIDS patients is the recovery of the specialized white blood cells, called T cells, which are destroyed by the HIV infection. These immune cells are not only needed to control the virus but also to prevent other severe, often fatal, infections. The problem is that the thymus, the organ which exclusively produces the T cells, is most unexpectedly "turned off" early in life by the normal elevation of sex steroids from the onset of puberty. HIV/AIDS patients therefore have no means of restoring their immune defences.
Monash and Norwood Abbey have shown in both clinical and animal studies, that temporary chemical blocking of sex steroid production via the use of an existing class of drugs - GnRH analogues - can regenerate the thymus, and thereby replace lost T cells and also prompt existing T cells to function better.
"Rebooting" the immune system creates a source of new T cells, the body's main defence against disease. "It is our belief that if we can turn the immune systems of these patients back on, we will initially be able to stabilise the condition of these patients and eventually eradicate the virus from the patients body. The beauty of this treatment is that it is the patients own body and mother nature that do all the work" commented an excited Associate Professor Richard Boyd of Monash University.
"We currently have good anti-HIV drugs that act on the virus itself but we urgently need agents that specifically boost the immune system. GnRH analogues could potentially be used in this way" says Professor Sharon Lewin, Director of Infectious Diseases at the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne.
"If this therapy can be translated to HIV/AIDS patients it promises to overcome one of the most important hurdles in HIV therapy", Dr Battegay said. These thoughts were echoed by fellow Basel immunologist, Professor George Hollander. "We are delighted to be able to move to this globally important trial based on such excellent research developed in Melbourne."
The National Institutes of Health is part of the U.S. Government's Department of Health. Daniel Douek, chief of the Human Immunology Section of the NIH Vaccine Research Centre in Washington said, "The NIH is gratified to be involved with pre-eminent HIV/AIDS research groups in Europe to help in this vital work. The work in Australia to potentially create a major component of the therapy for HIV treatment is most impressive." The Swiss-centred trial is also planned to be run simultaneously on HIV/AIDS patients in Australia.
The aims of the trial include:
* Restoring a collapsed immune system. * Programming or preparing the immune system to better respond to vaccines. * Investigating its potential use in gene therapy.
Associate Professor Richard Boyd also stated "The GnRH analogues have been successfully used for many years in the treatment of prostate and breast cancer. As this is a new use for an existing class of drugs, the time to validate the new indication is relatively short and therefore treatment has the potential to be in the clinic within a couple of years"
Welcoming the trial, the chairman of Norwood Abbey, Mr Peter Hansen, said today that he recently met the leaders of this new international research team and was impressed by their enthusiastic endorsement. "This is a further example of how a team combining researchers, a university and a biotechnology business development company can move quickly with the likelihood of outstanding results."
The planned HIV/AIDS study follows encouraging results from Melbourne based studies involving patients with prostate cancer and patients undergoing bone marrow transplantation.
AUSTRALIA COMPANY CONTACTS U.S. INVESTOR CONTACTS Peter Hansen Lippert Heilshorn & Assoc. Executive Chairman Kim Sutton Golodetz 61 3 9782 7333 [email protected] Jeff Bell 212-838-3777 Chief Financial Officer Bruce Voss 61 3 9782 7333 310-691-7100 [email protected] www.lhai.com
NAL Price at posting:
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