UPPSALA, Sweden, June 8, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- Today, June 8, Q-Med is holding a capital market day for journalists, analysts and investors on the company premises in Uppsala. All the business unit Vice Presidents will present their areas and the focus will be on developments within new and existing products. The following will be covered during the day:
Esthetics: Anna Tenstam Lundvall presents the new products that are being launched during the year, RESTYLANE Touch, RESTYLANE SubQ and RESTYLANE Vital. Today, a hundred European doctors have been trained in the use of RESTYLANE SubQ, a product which shapes the contours of the face by increasing volume, for example around the cheeks or chin. Training has also been carried out in Japan. Preliminary data from the ongoing study on RESTYLANE SubQ in Canada indicate that the results that were observed regarding safety and effect at three months by and large still obtain after six months. RESTYLANE Vital is a new product for rejuvenation and hydration of the skin through a number of microinjections, where small drops of NASHA are deposited in the skin. Indications are the face, decolletage, throat and hands. Here, Q-Med has an opportunity to develop a new segment within the market for rejuvenation, where the injections comprise hyaluronic acid alone, without such additional additives as vitamins and amino acids. It is estimated that the market for rejuvenation is growing at a rate of approximately 20 percent per year.
Hospital Healthcare: Anna Eriksrud and Bengt Agerup present some initial data from the latest DUROLANE study as well as the status of the other products within the business unit, DEFLUX and ZUIDEX. During the year a six-week study on DUROLANE, Q-Med's product for osteoarthritis of the hip and knee joints, has been carried out in which the product was compared with a placebo. Preliminary results show that DUROLANE has a good safety profile and that the efficacy improves over time. The patients display considerable improvement compared with the base line. A trend analysis also indicates that DUROLANE is more effective than placebo. However, the material must be analyzed in more detail before definite conclusions can be drawn from the study as regards compliance with the FDA's requirements. In Europe a 12-month study on ZUIDEX is ongoing, where 6-month data now confirm the positive data that emerged from a previous pilot study, that is that three out of four of the women treated show significant improvement. Furthermore, a 91 percent decrease in the amount of leakage is seen at the six-month check compared with before the ZUIDEX treatment.
Explorative Areas: Jon Heimer gives an account of Q-Med's various development areas. Within Ixion, which carries out research within oxalate control for Q-Med, the focus has been on enzyme development during the spring. In parallel with this, clinical pilot studies continue to be carried out on bacteria formulation in people suffering from primary and enteric hyperoxaluria. An account is also given of the status of the project on GERD (GastroEsophageal Reflux Disease), where the clinical trials in Sweden are proceeding. Today, 27 of the planned 60 patients have been treated. Another new area for Q-Med is fecal incontinence, a problem that affects over two percent of the population. A pilot study including 15 patients is ongoing.
Queries should be addressed to: Bengt Agerup, President and CEO Ph: +46 (0) 70 974 90 25
Note: Q-Med AB operates under the name of Q-Med Scandinavia, Inc. in the USA.
Q-Med is a rapidly growing and profitable biotechnology/medical device company that develops, produces and markets medical implants. All products are based on the company's patented NASHA technology -- Non-Animal Stabilized Hyaluronic Acid. The products covered by the RESTYLANE trademark are used for the filling out of lips and facial wrinkles and for facial contouring and today account for the majority of sales. RESTYLANE is sold in over 70 countries and has been approved in the USA. DUROLANE, Q-Med's product for the treatment of osteoarthritis of the hip and knee joints, has been approved in Europe since May 2001. DEFLUX is a product which has been approved in Europe and the USA for the treatment of vesicoureteral reflux (malformation of the urinary bladder) in children. ZUIDEX for the treatment of stress urinary incontinence in women has been sold in Europe since July 2002. Q-Med today has 480 employees, with approximately 310 at the company's production facility and head office in Uppsala. The Q-Med share is listed on the Attract 40 list of the Stockholm Stock Exchange.
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