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TWST: We'd like to begin with a brief historical sketch of InterCare and a
picture of the things you're doing at the present time.
Dr. Dike: InterCare DX, Inc., formerly known as InterCare Diagnostics, is
organized in the State of California. We are an innovative software products and
services company specializing in providing healthcare management and information
systems solutions, with main office located at 6201 Bristol Parkway, Culver
City, California, and international partners located worldwide.
In business since 1991, InterCare DX, Inc. is an innovative software products
and services company specializing in providing healthcare management and
information systems solutions.
We have created, published, and marketed software products that are embedded
with sound, text, and video, for purpose of relaxation training and stress
management. We have also developed Internet-ready applications for healthcare
transactions management, medical and health-related contents and information
targeted toward the education, consumer and healthcare industry markets.
InterCare Clinical Explorer (ICE), is the latest product developed by InterCare
DX, Inc., an innovative software application designed to integrate virtually all
aspects of the healthcare enterprise, and is now in a pilot testing phase prior
to official sales.
Most recently we also initiated commercialization of the "InterCare Vascular
Diagnostic Center" that provides a comprehensive system for measuring
atherosclerotic burden, early detection of coronary arterial disease, potential
of stroke, and overall arterial health. An examining table is all that is
required for performing this test.
Atherosclerosis is a common form of arteriosclerosis in which fatty substances
form a deposit of plaque on the inner lining of arterial walls. Arteries are
composed of collagen, elastin, and smooth muscle and are under tension/stress in
the normal physiologic state.
Atherosclerosis changes the physical properties of the arterial wall,
specifically compliance. In order to measure the maximum compliance of an
arterial segment and eliminate the effects of absolute pressure within the
arterial segment and distal resistance, the normal arterial wall stress must be
counter balanced. Changing the cuff pressure in the cuff surrounding the segment
of interest can do this.
According to the World Health Report 2003, around 80% of cardio-vascular disease
(CVD) deaths took place in low and middle-income countries. By 2010, CVD will be
the leading cause of death in developing countries. Until now, non-communicable
diseases such as CVDs have been associated with developed countries. At least 20
million people reportedly survive heart attacks and strokes every year; many
require continuing costly clinical care, which puts a huge burden on long-term
care resources. Heart disease has been shown to have no geographic, gender, or
socio-economic boundaries.
An estimated 16.7 million - or 29.2% of total global deaths - result from the
various forms of CVD, many of which are preventable by action on the major
primary risk factors: unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, and smoking. Of the
16.7 million deaths from CVDs every year, 7.2 million are due to ischaemic heart
disease, 5.5 million to cerebrovascular disease, and an additional 3.9 million
due to hypertension and other heart conditions. The major CVDs include: coronary
(or ischaemic) heart disease (heart attack); cerebrovascular disease (stroke);
hypertension (high blood pressure); heart failure; and rheumatic heart disease.
Despite major efforts by health care professionals, cardiovascular disease
remains the primary cause of death in the United States. Half of the victims of
sudden cardiac death exhibit no prior symptoms and have no knowledge of their
impending health risk.
The Vasogram technology in the InterCare Vascular Diagnostic Center is based on
an extensive multi-center, multi-continent and multi-million dollars clinical
trial, involving over 1,000 human subjects with different degrees of
cardiovascular disease or risk factors and those without any cardiovascular
disease or risk factors.
The first clinical trial was suggested by the FDA and involved comparing
arterial compliance (i.e. Vasogram) measurements with coronary artery disease as
determined by invasive coronary angiography. This trial was known as the
Vasogram Improvement Program (VIP). The first phase of this trial began in the
first quarter of 1995 and ended during the third quarter of 2000. This trial
enrolled 389 subjects in four major medical centers in the United States and
Europe. This trial revealed that the Vasogram measurements correlated well with
traditional cardiovascular risk factors and were clinically useful in estimating
degree of coronary artery disease as measured by coronary angiography
The second clinical study was undertaken to determine repeatability of testing
and expected values from a population of subjects over a large age range without
cardiovascular disease and was called the Precision Study. This study began in
the fourth quarter of 2001 and ended in the second quarter of 2002.
Approximately 400 subjects were enrolled from three centers in the United
States. This study revealed that the Vasogram methodology for determining
arterial compliance is repeatable and was characterized over a normal
population.
With the knowledge that coronary angiography does not identify early
cardiovascular disease, the third and final clinical trial was undertaken to
compare Vasogram measurements with degree of aortic atherosclerotic disease as
measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This study included subjects with
a wide range of cardiovascular disease and was called the Accuracy Study. This
trial began in the late fourth quarter of 2002 and was completed in the third
quarter of 2003. Approximately 350 subjects were enrolled from four major
medical centers in the United States; three of these centers participated in the
Precision Study and two in the early Vasogram Improvement Program. This study
revealed that compliance measurements were more predictive of generalized
atherosclerosis than any single traditional risk factor or combination of
traditional risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Further, this technology
has been shown to enhance significantly predictions of risk when all standard
factors are considered. MRI of the abdominal aorta was used as the measure of
CAD.
For the first time, physicians will know how their patients' arteries compare to
healthy subjects of the same gender and age.
Further, they will know how their patients' arteries compare to subjects with
known peripheral and coronary arterial disease, which is the direct cause of
over 1 million deaths annually, generating over $100 billion direct and $180
billion indirect treatment costs annually.
The Vasogram technology will be most helpful in identifying subjects at risk in
primary care settings. With this identification, treatment will start early and
outcomes will improve. Finally, this testing will target subjects who will
benefit from more expensive and perhaps invasive testing.
Initial estimates for procedures involving Vasogram technology and total market
opportunity, as estimated by McKinsey & Company, is between $300 million and
$500 million of a total $1.4 billion market potential.
Current clinical trial using The Vasogram technology includes the Kronos Early
Estrogen Prevention Study (KEEPS) Clinical Trial, a five-year multi-center,
randomized, controlled clinical trial study of female hormone replacement
therapy, aimed at providing prospective data on the risks and benefits of early
menopausal hormonal intervention, particularly as it relates to the progression
of atherosclerosis. The study involves 720 women with an anticipated close-out
of the trial in 2010. The study will examine the effects of estrogen on the
progression of atherosclerosis.
The study also will compare conjugated oral with transdermal estrogen treatment
to further elucidate the potential role of their differential actions in
mediating adverse effects of menopausal hormone therapy (MHT).
Tickers included in this excerpt: ICCO
For more information call (212) 952 7433. The
Wall Street Transcript does not endorse any of the comments made by interviewees, and does
not make stock recommendations.
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