December 8, 2008

bioMérieux Acquires Culture Media Specialist PML Microbiologicals

bioMérieux’s recurring sales will be boosted by expanded reagent range

bioMérieux, a world leader in the field of in vitro diagnostics has acquired PML Microbiologicals Inc., a leading provider of culture media and microbiological products in North America for both clinical and industrial applications. This privately held American in vitro diagnostics company has manufacturing and marketing teams based in Portland, Oregon and Toronto, Canada.
Founded in 1969, PML has 205 employees with 2007 sales of $24 million. The company has an extensive range of products for use in the clinical and pharmaceutical industries, holding proprietary technologies for innovative culture media. PML specializes in reagents, including prepared culture media (PPM) for sterility testing and environmental monitoring, as well as control organisms, which are complementary to bioMérieux’s offering.

The acquisition will enable bioMérieux to become a leading provider in the U.S. of microbiology testing solutionsfor pharmaceutical companies. In addition, bioMerieux will enter the North American clinical PPM market, becoming the number one PPM provider for clinical applications in Canada.

“This new acquisition, our sixth in two years, reinforces the North American market position of bioMérieux’s core business, microbiology,” declared Stéphane Bancel, Chief Executive Officer of bioMérieux. “In the current challenging economic context, we are pleased to add another reagent-only business to our portfolio that will boost bioMérieux’s recurring sales.”

“The PML acquisition brings to our customers in the pharmaceutical industry an enhanced range of high performance, innovative solutions for the control of their manufacturing environment and products,” added Alexandre Mérieux, Corporate Vice President,
Industrial Microbiology.

PML’s sites in Portland and Toronto will join bioMérieux’s worldwide network of culture media production centers with its main site in Craponne (France) and regional facilities in Lombard, Illinois (United States), Madrid (Spain), Basingstoke (England), Brisbane (Australia) and Rio de Janeiro (Brazil).

bioMérieux purchased 100% of PML Microbiologicals’ shares from the privately held Pelican Life Sciences Group, based in San Diego, California (U.S.A.) for the sum of $29.6 million.

November 12, 2008

K2M Obtains Worldwide Exclusive Rights to Revolutionary Injectable Polymer Technology for Treatment of Spinal Disorders

Today's Announcement Builds on K2M's Recent Entry into the Biomaterials Market

K2M, Inc., a spinal device company developing innovative solutions for the treatment of complex spinal pathologies, today announced that it has entered into an agreement with Promethean Surgical Devices, Inc. (PSD) for the worldwide exclusive rights for all spinal applications of a breakthrough injectable polymer technology which may be used to address numerous spinal disorders.

K2M’s commitment to a new Biomaterials Research and Development (R&D) Division signals its continued drive to being a market leader in the complex spine market. In furtherance of this goal, the unique injectable polymer obtained from PSD will serve as a platform for the development of new implantable technologies. This material has demonstrated properties that could lead to the development of a new treatment modality and earlier intervention to address pathologies, such as spinal nucleus degeneration, or less invasive surgical approaches for predictable annular repair.

“Acquiring this injectable polymer technology signals the beginning of a new phase in the growth of K2M and our commitment to the development of market leading technologies,” stated Eric Major, K2M’s President and CEO. “Our financial strength at K2M is allowing us to invest in new R&D activities and we are very pleased to be partnering with PSD for the research and commercialization of this revolutionary material.”

“It has been our ongoing belief that the material we have developed at PSD is ideal for spinal applications,” stated Jeff Wilson, PSD’s President and CEO. “With K2M’s expertise in the spinal market and its team of world renowned spinal surgeons, we believe we have found the ideal partner to provide focus for the R&D and commercialization of products utilizing this unique polymer technology.”

October 15, 2008

WEBMEDX, INC. ACQUIRES M-TEC

Leading Medical Transcription Outsourcing Firm Demonstrates Aggressive Industry Workforce Development Commitment by Entering Clinical Documentation Education Sector

Atlanta-based medical documentation services provider Webmedx announced
today that it has acquired Medical Transcription Education Center, Inc. (M-TEC), the leading provider of distance learning and education programs for the medical transcription market. In 2005, M-TEC was the first program approved by the Approval Committee for Certificate Programs (ACCP), a joint committee established by the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI) and the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA). The acquired company will operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary and remain located in Fairlawn, Ohio.

M-TEC’s executive team of Susan Francis, President and Kathy Kropko, Chief Operating Officer will continue to run the business. “M-TEC has an industry-best reputation for a reason. We plan to build on this and assist the management team and their accomplished staff in meeting the expanding needs of the clinical documentation market,” says Sean Carroll, Webmedx CEO.

“It has been proven that a solid education is the catalyst for a productive and effective workforce. M-TEC’s history of successfully training medical transcriptionists, matched with the Webmedx standard of excellence, will promote an even greater job-ready learning environment. We are excited about the opportunity to work together to offer the highest quality training and support for the medical documentation industry as a whole. We believe this joint effort will benefit students, graduates, and employers for years to come.” Susan Francis, CMT, AHDI-F

Carroll stated M-TEC will continue to work closely with trade and professional associations in the sector to develop innovative educational and training programs that are relevant. He further committed that the company will continue to produce the highest quality graduate possible and promote employment opportunities broadly across all employers.

“Our strong belief is that new roles and related skills must emerge in today’s workforce to augment the obvious progression of technology,” Carroll states. “M-TEC has the talent and experience to lead this charge within our sector. It’s a natural business combination. Both companies share a dedication to providing top-shelf products and services and have genuine interest in the industry’s future,” he said. “Aligning quality with quality always makes sense.”

September 29 , 2008

Preferred Care Partners expands services to Lake, Marion, and Sumter Counties

Medicare Advantage HMO to offer new plans to Villagers

THE VILLAGES, FL - Medicare beneficiaries in The Villages are about to get some new choices, including a plan tailored to the community’s active adults.
Preferred Care Partners Inc., a Miami-based Medicare Advantage health maintenance organization, will unveil two new health plans Wednesday as part of an expansion into The Villages.

“We are committed to The Villages,” Joseph Caruncho, the HMO’s chief executive officer, said.

“This is a long-term plan. Everything The Villages has done is top-notch. If we’re going in there and offer the plans, they have to rise to the level of all the other services offered there.”
Although he cannot yet discuss details, in compliance with federal regulations, Caruncho described one plan that benefits Villagers who maintain personal wellness.

“Generally, these are folks who are active and have been responsible,” Caruncho said. “So, we’re looking at rewarding those folks. It’s rewarding good health and behavior, if you will.”
To make the plans more convenient for potential beneficiaries, Caruncho said, the HMO has contracted with The Villages Insurance to serve as its general agent.

“We’re going to start marketing and speaking publicly soon about two benefit plans,” Caruncho said. “On Nov. 15, Villagers can enroll for the 2009 benefits year. We’re going to do that through The Villages Insurance. We want our seniors talking with people they already know and trust.”

This is a great opportunity for Villagers, said Brad Brown, The Villages Insurance director of risk management and insurance services.

“I’m excited about it,” Brown said.

And efforts are under way to make enrollment as convenient as possible, Brown added.
“We’ll try to have an agent in each one of our offices,” he said. “We’ll also be hiring some independent enrolling agents to work primarily in the field.”
There’s another twist to the HMO’s expansion into the community.
Unlike other Medicare Advantage plans, the HMO will operate a customer service office in The Villages. It leased space in Lake Sumter Landing Market Square’s little red schoolhouse, 1064 Lake Sumter Landing.

That means Villagers will be talking with customer service representatives who are in the community, Caruncho said.
“We want people to believe this is their hometown health plan,” Caruncho said. “We’re going to have trained staff for customer service. So they’ll be able to come in and get their questions answered.”

Since its formation in 2002, Preferred Care Partners has established a considerable presence in the Florida HMO market.

The HMO ranked 896 on Inc. magazine’s “5,000 Fastest Growing Companies in America.” The firm has about 23,000 enrolled members, who produced 2007 revenue of about $335 million — a 403.2 percent increase over 2004 revenue.
In explaining the growth, Caruncho cited the HMO’s goal of eliminating “unnecessary hassles” for consumers.

“What sets us apart is we’re hassle-free,” Caruncho said. “You don’t have to check with us to go to a specialist. And a specialist doesn’t have to check with us to do routine diagnostics. It’s kind of like common sense. If you go to a cardiologist, he’s going to perform an EKG. It’s the unnecessary hassles we’re trying to eliminate.”

June 6, 2008

New WaveSense Presto™ and Pro™ Glucose Meters to Simplify Testing

The makers of the WaveSense™ line of blood glucose monitoring products (AgaMatrix, Inc.) announce the launch of the WaveSense Presto and WaveSense KeyNote Pro Blood Glucose Monitoring Systems (BGMS). The Presto is a no code meter with premium features that consumers can buy at a value price. The Pro is designed for use in institutional settings with added features for increased safety.

The Presto has all the market-leading features of AgaMatrix’s first product, the WaveSense KeyNote®, but does not require coding and is priced considerably less than no code products from the major brands. The system also has improved ergonomics and a brighter backlit display. Like the KeyNote, it requires a small sample size (0.5µl), is As Fast As 1-2-3®, and has alternate site testing. Presto builds on the existing base of WaveSense customers that is expected to exceed 1,000,000 by this fall.

“We are extremely excited to launch our first no code product in the United States,” said Dave Conn, Chief Commercial Officer. “Following the feedback we received from our users, the new Presto meets a growing market need for an affordable system that also has high accuracy and is easy to use. We are very proud of our progress and these new products are an important transition for our company as we grow. Consumers will be able to find the Presto in retail outlets this fall.”

In a recent clinical study, the Presto was show to be extremely accurate, as 93% of the results were within 10% of a lab standard*.

The WaveSense product portfolio consists of the KeyNote and KeyNote Pro, for users who want a value meter, the Presto, for users who want a no code meter, and the WaveSense Jazz™, for users who want a premium meter for better control. All products uniquely feature WaveSense, a new technology that personalizes each test to provide world class accuracy.

Marian Batts-Turner, MSN, RN, CDE, a leading diabetes educator who is a faculty member of the Welch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology, and Clinical Research, at Johns Hopkins University, said “It’s great to see that the company is listening to what diabetes educators and patients are asking for - high accuracy systems that are more affordable and easier to use. This is vital for improving patient care”.

June 4, 2008  

Erlanger Health System Selects PHNS for IT Services

PHNS today announced that Erlanger Health System, a public non-profit, academic medical center in Chattanooga, Tennessee (Erlanger), has entered into an eight-year agreement to outsource its information technology (IT) department to PHNS.  Erlanger selected PHNS after an extensive Request for Information process by Erlanger, with assistance from its independent consultant, HIMformatics, LLC, that began in the spring of 2007. 

Erlanger’s decision to outsource its IT services came after a detailed assessment of its IT infrastructure and services by HIMformatics revealed a significant need to enhance and expand Erlanger’s IT resources and services in order to support Erlanger’s future IT requirements and operational growth.

“Information technology is critical to Erlanger’s operations and success,” stated Jim Brexler, president and CEO. “The most efficient way to reach our IT goals is through outsourcing, partnering with a company that brings the same expertise to IT that we bring to patient care. We selected PHNS because of their demonstrated ability in improving the depth and breadth of IT services at other hospitals. We look forward to working closely with PHNS to dramatically improve our IT services and capabilities.”

“PHNS is very pleased to have been selected by Erlanger and we’re excited about providing Erlanger with significantly enhanced IT services that will support Erlanger’s current and future strategic and operational IT imperatives,” said Chick Young, chairman and chief executive officer of PHNS.

May 18, 2008

Volcano Announces Acquisition of Novelis, Inc.

Novelis' Forward-Looking IVUS technology platform expected to enable Volcano to offer an expanded line of minimally invasive diagnostic and therapeutic devices

Volcano Corporation (Nasdaq: VOLC), a provider of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), functional measurement (FM) and Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) products designed to enhance the diagnosis and treatment of coronary and peripheral vascular disease, said today that it has acquired Novelis, Inc., a privately-held company with proprietary ultrasonic visualization and therapy technology for minimally invasive diagnostic and therapeutic devices.

Novelis' proprietary Forward-Looking IVUS technology platform is expected to build upon Volcano's existing suite of products and further enhance Volcano's position as an imaging technology leader in the field of interventional medicine by enabling forward-looking IVUS and associated therapies in the interventional cardiology market. Volcano expects to add the Novelis products and capability onto its s5i multi-modality integrated platform/hub.

Novelis' core product line is based on Forward-Looking Intravascular Ultrasound (FLIVUS) technology. The product line includes an image-guided crossing catheter that combines visualization, steerability and RF tissue ablation, which is designed to permit Interventional Cardiologists to safely cross chronic total occlusions ("CTO") in the coronary and peripheral arteries, and a forward-looking IVUS catheter (imaging-only version) to facilitate current guidewire-based CTO crossing techniques as well as other potential product offerings with possible applications outside of vascular medicine. This platform technology may have applications for numerous minimally invasive procedures including plaque modification in the coronary or peripheral arteries, guidance in structural heart procedures, including cardiac ablation guidance and therapy, breast biopsy guidance and therapy, and orthopedic (spine) guidance and therapy.

Under the terms of the agreement, Volcano paid approximately $12 million in cash at closing. In addition, Volcano may make an additional cash payment of $3 million based on the achievement of a specific regulatory milestone.

"As was the case with our acquisition of CardioSpectra's OCT business, the Novelis offering represents a highly complementary technology to our IVUS offering. By adding new modalities, we will leverage the Volcano integrated imaging suite provided by our s5i integrated platform and expect to drive installed-base growth and per-procedure utilization as we address sizeable therapy markets that are estimated to be in the hundreds of millions of dollars," said Scott Huennekens, president and chief executive officer of Volcano.

"Novelis' proprietary technology has potential applications for a number of minimally invasive diagnostic and therapeutic applications in the coronary and peripheral arteries, including the treatment of CTOs. It is estimated there are currently over 200,000 CTOs performed in the U.S., Europe and Japan each year. These procedures, which remain one of the most challenging issues faced by interventionalists today, often fail or take hours to successfully complete due to inadequate visualization. Furthermore, due to the lack of adequate tools for CTO crossing, many interventionalists simply refer patients with CTOs to highly invasive and costly coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) procedures. The products under development by Novelis have the potential to shorten procedure times and minimize complications plus dramatically add to the total number of procedures being performed -- enabling patients with CTOs to be treated in the cath lab rather than in the surgery suite. At the estimated procedure volume of over 200,000 cases per year -- and factoring in the potential for market expansion -- the total market potential for Novelis' CTO products is estimated at over $500 million," he added.

"We believe the regulatory path is fairly straightforward in all major geographies and that this offering will leverage our strong presence in the cath lab through our sales and distribution programs. Given our sales team's role as advisor to interventionalists in ultrasound image interpretation, we believe this is an absolutely perfect match with our sales and marketing capabilities. We are also very excited to explore the potential for this technology platform in other large expanding markets like ablations for atrial fibrillation and spine therapy," Huennekens concluded.

"CTOs continue to be a challenge for even the very experienced interventionalist. Current angiographic tools are simply inadequate to guide CTO crossing," commented Dr. Gary Mintz, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, Cardiovascular Research Foundation, Medical Director and Editor-in-Chief, TCTMD.com and advisor to Volcano. "The next step to improve success rates will come in the form of intravascular image guided therapies such as this truly unique 'forward looking' approach to CTO imaging," he added. "Many technologies have been tried; but to date, none have been particularly successful. Novelis is the first forward-looking technology that I have seen that makes sense and seems to have a strong likelihood of providing a viable solution for guiding CTO recanalization."

"Catheter-based treatment of chronic coronary total occlusion is one of the remaining major clinical challenges in interventional cardiology," commented Dr. David Williams, MD, Professor of Medicine and Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory and Interventional Cardiology at Rhode Island Hospital and advisor to Novelis. "Currently, the lack of safe and predictable treatment modalities results in most CTO patients being referred to open-heart bypass surgery. I have performed pre-clinical work with the Novelis device which, in my view, demonstrated clear differentiation of coronary anatomy and sufficient ablative power necessary to guide the Interventional Cardiologist safely through a CTO."

"We believe there is an excellent strategic fit between the Novelis product candidates and Volcano's vision of the cath lab of the future," said Paul Magnin, Ph.D., CEO of Novelis. "I know I speak for all of the Novelis employees when I say we are thrilled to be a part of this vision and to have a role in the development of ultrasonic guidance technology that makes a difference in patient's lives."

Novelis' offering consists of a forward-looking manually steered imaging system comprised of a laptop-sized console with advanced custom software and single-use catheters both with and without RF ablation. The system and accessories are not approved for human use at this time and have not been submitted to FDA for regulatory clearance.

The company expects to file for appropriate U.S. and international approvals on the first of several devices during 2009 and begin commercialization of a stand-alone imaging console in the second half of 2009 in the U.S. and Europe. Volcano expects a majority of the purchase price to be written off immediately as in process research and development and to incur ongoing development costs in the range of $300,000 to $400,000 per quarter.

May 13, 2008

PHNS Acquires AmeriVault Corp.
Adds second managed services subsidiary to expand data protection reach

PHNS, an information technology and business process service provider focused on the healthcare industry, today announced the acquisition of AmeriVault Corp., a leading provider of remote online data backup, offsite recovery services, email archiving and data lifecycle solutions.

In 1998 AmeriVault pioneered disk-based online backup, founded on the premise that tape solutions were faulty and inefficient, and put businesses at risk. Today, AmeriVault continues to combine best-of-breed software, industry-leading hardware, world-class data centers and expert customer support to deliver secure offsite data protection and recovery services with the highest reliability. Solutions are designed to satisfy recovery point and time constraints, archiving requirements and compliance demands, while maximizing efficiency through automation and hardware-free processing. Since its inception, AmeriVault has experienced double-digit growth year-over-year, which has resulted in honors by both the Boston Business Journal and Inc. 5000 for their lists of Fastest Growing Companies.

AmeriVault will operate as a PHNS subsidiary together with PHNS’ Network Technology Group subsidiary (NTG), which also provides electronic data protection services as well as advanced data center information technology services. AmeriVault will operate with Bud Stoddard, AmeriVault’s president, continuing as president, and with AmeriVault’s management and employees remaining in their current positions. AmeriVault and NTG together will service over 1,270 customers throughout the United States with AmeriVault continuing to operate from its headquarters in Waltham, Massachusetts.

“AmeriVault is one of the most highly regarded companies offering electronic data protection services to small and medium sized business, and we’re very excited to combine AmeriVault’s data protection business with NTG’s data protection business,” said Scott Thompson, president of PHNS’ NTG subsidiary. “We’re very pleased that AmeriVault’s strong management and employee team will join with us to continue to offer outstanding customer service and a broad array of electronic data protection services to businesses at a reasonable cost.”

“AmeriVault and PHNS’ NTG together share significant depth in delivering managed and hosted solutions, especially with regard to data protection and recovery,” said Bud Stoddard, founder and chief executive officer of AmeriVault. “The combination of expertise, resources and customer bases will provide a strong competitive advantage that will benefit our customers.”

March 18, 2008

AMERITA, INC. ACQUIRES IV SOLUTIONS IN NASHVILLE
Amerita grows to ten locations

Amerita, Inc. announced today that it has acquired IV Solutions located at 217 West Maplewood Lane, Nashville, TN 37207. This marks Amerita’s sixth acquisition in the last two years and continues the company’s strategy to expand its presence in the Southeast region.

Started in 1994, IV Solutions has grown to be one of the largest independent infusion pharmacies in Nashville and has a tremendous clinical and service reputation in the communities it serves, said Jim Glynn, CEO of Amerita. IV Solutions provides specialty infusion services that primarily involve the administration of injectable or infused medications to treat a wide range of acute and chronic health conditions. This acquisition is our second Tennessee location and complements our existing Chattanooga branch by expanding our service area throughout the entire state of Tennessee and also broadens our clinical capabilities in a new therapy line for the company.

Michael Young, founder of IV Solutions, said, “Amerita and IV Solutions are a great fit. Our two companies share the same values and philosophy for specialty infusion excellence: a strong clinical focus, a true commitment to patient care and customer satisfaction, and exceptional employees who are dedicated to their patients and their local communities.” He added, “Amerita’s management team has been excellent to work with. I am confident that Amerita will create the very best environment for the company that I founded more than ten years ago to grow and prosper for many years to come.”

“Amerita continues to execute the plan we put in place two years ago to acquire well run home infusion companies in the West, Southwest and Southeast,” said Glynn. “The IV Solutions acquisition expands our service capabilities in the Mid-South and furthers our goal to build a company of scale that provides high-quality specialty infusion services to patients across the Southern U.S. We are excited to have Mike’s team as a part of the Amerita family.

March 3, 2008

K2M Launches ALEUTIAN™ AN (Anatomically Narrow) and Anterior - Lumbar Spacer Systems

Launch Completes a Full Breadth of Anatomically Designed Spacers for Complex Spinal Procedures

K2M, Inc., the spinal device company developing innovative and simplified solutions for the treatment of complex spinal pathologies and procedures, today announced the successful evaluation and launch of the ALEUTIAN AN (Anatomically Narrow) and the ALEUTIAN Anterior - Lumbar Spacer Systems. The ALEUTIAN family incorporates a full array of Spacer Systems, which include the Anterior - Lumbar, Small - Anterior, Posterior - Lumbar 10 x 22, Posterior - Lumbar 10 x 26, Posterior - Lumbar 10 x 27 and AN (Anatomically Narrow).
The launch completes a comprehensive K2M offering of biocompatible and anatomically designed implants. The ALEUTIAN products are designed to facilitate multiple surgical applications in the thoracolumbar spine including the treatment of trauma, tumor, and fractures. This launch is supported by over 2,000 surgeries utilizing the ALEUTIAN family of Spacer Systems.

ALEUTIAN incorporates a full range of anatomically designed spacers to address varying surgical approaches and different parts of the spine. ALEUTIAN features a durable and biocompatible material called PEEK-OPTIMA®; the radiolucent feature of which has the potential to increase visualization of the graft and allow for more accurate fusion assessment and placement. In addition, the elastic modulus more closely matches that of cortical bone for load sharing, with the potential to minimize stress shielding. The bulleted nose allows for easier insertion and distraction; and the self-retaining teeth can potentially help post operative stabilization of the implant. The family of ALEUTIAN Spacer Systems is available with a complete offering of additional preparation and insertion instruments, including the innovative ALEUTIAN Adjustable Inserter, which easily articulates as the implant advances into the spine during surgery. This unique instrument increases the potential for a shorter, more simplified surgery.

“We are pleased to launch the final two components of the ALEUTIAN family of Spacer Systems. This marks another important step in our development of a complete portfolio of unique, next generation products,” stated Eric Major, K2M’s President and CEO. “We continue to focus on the complex spine segment of the market and strive to be the leading provider of innovative products for treating the most difficult clinical challenges facing surgeons in the operating theater.”

“The ALEUTIAN Spacer System provides a complete product offering which combines the unique PEEK implant designs with special instruments that allow surgeons many options during surgery,” stated Paul Brisson, MD, Chief, Division of Orthopaedic Surgery at The Brooklyn Hospital Center. “This system includes innovative instrument designs allowing for both minimally invasive and traditional open surgical approaches, providing extensive versatility in one product.”

January 14, 2008

First LTAC in Montana Opens this Month

Advanced Care Hospital of Montana (Billings, MT), a private, 40-bed long-term acute care hospital owned by Ernest Health (Albuquerque, NM) will open by the end of January 2008.  The hospital, which will be the first LTAC hospital in Montana, will house a "transition room" to help patients get back into a daily routine once their treatment is complete.  The hospital, which is equipped to care for patients of any medical or surgical specialty, will work with both Billings Clinic Hospital (Billings, MT) and Saint Vincent Healthcare (Billings, MT), serving patients that need more acute care during their recovery process.  It will only be able to provide care for a maximum of ten patients until it receives certification from CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) (Baltimore, MD), which may take up to six months.

December 1, 2007

Reliant Renal Care Inc., Announces Company Formation, $50 Million Financing and Strategic Acquisition and Joint Venture

Reliant Renal Care, Inc. (RRC), a comprehensive outpatient dialysis provider, is pleased to announce its company formation with the initial placement of $ 50 million in private equity for acquisitions and development.  

The executive management team is led by Barbara Bednar who is RRC’s Chief Executive Officer and was formerly COO for Renal Treatment Centers and co-founder and COO for Physicians Dialysis, Inc.  Ms. Bednar has thirty-five (35) years experience in nephrology beginning as a nurse.  After receiving her masters in hospital administration, Ms. Bednar moved into key executive management positions with the above mentioned companies.

Scott Roncace is the Chief Financial Officer of Reliant and brings with him twenty (20) years of experience most recently with Call, Inc., a privately held pharmaceutical company.  Previously, Mr. Roncace was senior manager of mergers and acquisitions for Deloitte and Touche.  Nola McMullen is the Chief Operating Officer for the company.  Ms. McMullan has over twenty (20) years experience in nephrology and is a nurse who has had experience in operations at both DaVita and previously at Renal Treatment Centers.  John Sullivan with seventeen (17) years experience in nephrology is the Chief Development Officer for the company and his experience includes corporate development roles at Fresenius Medical Care.  Most recently, Mr. Sullivan was Associate Professor in the Finance faculty at Boston University.  Mr. Sullivan has published extensively on the economics of dialysis.  Rounding out the management team is Larry Nail, Senior Vice President of Development.  Mr. Nail has over eighteen (18) years experience in healthcare both in acquisitions and development in dialysis centers and outpatient surgery centers.

Ferrer Freeman & Company (FFC) led the company’s investor syndicate.  FFC, based in Greenwich, CT, invests exclusively in healthcare and healthcare-related companies.  FFC was an investor in Ms. Bednar’s previous dialysis company, Physicians Dialysis.  Thomas Flynn of FFC will join the Board of Directors for the company.  Mr. Flynn commented: "We view the renal dialysis industry as an attractive segment of healthcare services and are extremely pleased to have the opportunity to partner again with Barbara Bednar." Mr. Flynn also added, "We believe RRC has put together a solid management group with the ability to capitalize on a variety of acquisition and development opportunities."

In conjunction with the financing, Reliant Renal Care closed the acquisition of a majority interest in four dialysis centers in central Michigan.  As part of the transaction, McLaren Healthcare Corporation (“McLaren”)  received stock in Reliant and will be represented on the Reliant board. Joining FFC and McLaren in the transaction is DW Healthcare Partners (“DWHP”), a health care-focused private equity investor based in Salt Lake City, UT.  DWHP founder Andrew Carragher, whose past experience includes development roles at DaVita, Inc., will join RRC’s board.  Also, joining the board is Ron Hinds who was a founding member of Renal Care Group, Inc. (“RCG”) and also served as Chief Financial Officer for RCG.

“I am excited to begin Reliant Renal Care, Inc. with a very strong management team, solid private equity backing, and an outstanding partnership with McLaren Healthcare Corporation and key nephrologists in Michigan”, stated Barbara Bednar, CEO.  “Our goal as a company will be to focus on partnerships where possible and to be the strongest clinical provider of dialysis in the nation.  I would also envision RRC leading the way from a clinical perspective in both home and self care dialysis.  Our management team lends itself to being a uniquely strong clinical and operational company”.

November 5, 2007

WEBMEDX, INC. ACQUIRES TRANSHEALTH, LLC.

Atlanta-based national medical transcription provider Webmedx announced today that it has acquired Nashville-based TransHealth. Webmedx will build on the strong local reputation ofTransHealth by establishing its national field operations center to Nashville.

With the acquisition Webmedx will grow its U.S.-based workforce to approximately 800 people.TransHealth founder and CEO Joseph Storey will become executive vice president of Webmedxaccording to Sean Carroll, Webmedx CEO.

“One of the great things about this partnership is that both companies have shared a similarapproach to doing business,” said Storey, who noted that TransHealth traditionally has focused on smallto mid-sized community hospitals while Webmedx has served larger regional facilities. “Both of ourcompanies are dedicated to very high levels of customer service and are highly integrated with ourcustomers from a technology standpoint. We’ve both remained committed to high-quality transcription.”

Carroll noted that the Webmedx growth strategy was not principally based on acquisitions butthat highly strategic opportunities were always of interest.

“Having a strong presence in one of the most important health care markets in the world,Nashville, TN clearly adds to our strategic growth plan. As well, TransHealth has excelled in servicing adifferent sector of the market which we feel important to our future. Most importantly, TransHealthsubscribes to our belief that a remarkable employee experience leads to a remarkable client experience and that’s what clients deserve in today’s challenging health care market,” stated Carroll.

October 18, 2007

Volcano Corporation Announces Pricing of Common Stock Offering

Volcano Corporation (Nasdaq: VOLC) announced today the pricing of its public offering of 7,000,000 shares of its common stock at a price of $16.25 per share. All of the shares are being offered by Volcano. Volcano has granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 1,050,000 shares of its common stock to cover over-allotments, if any. The offering is expected to close on October 23, 2007, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.

J.P. Morgan Securities Inc., Banc of America Securities LLC and Piper Jaffray & Co. are acting as joint book-running managers for the offering, with Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc. acting as co-manager. Information about the offering is available in the prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus for the offering filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Copies of the prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus can be obtained by contacting J.P. Morgan Securities Inc., Prospectus Library, Four Chase Metrotech Center, CS Level, Brooklyn, NY 11245; Banc of America Securities LLC, Capital Markets (Prospectus Fulfillment) by e-mail to dg.prospectus_distribution@bofasecurities.com or by mail to Banc of America Securities LLC, Capital Markets Operations, 100 West 33rd Street, Third Floor, New York, N.Y. 10001; or Piper Jaffray & Co., 800 Nicollet Mall, Suite 800, Minneapolis, MN 55402.

A shelf registration statement relating to the securities being offered has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and has become effective. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

September 26, 2007

Infusion Innovations JOINS AMERITA AND BECOMES NINTH LOCATION

Amerita, Inc. expands into growing Utah market

Specialty infusion provider, Amerita, Inc., announced today that it has acquired Infusion Innovations, a specialty infusion pharmacy located at 2446 South Progress Drive in Salt Lake City, Utah.  This is the fifth acquisition for Amerita and extends the company’s local operating model into the high-growth markets along the front range of central and southern Utah.

“Infusion Innovations has been providing patients a full range of acute infusion therapy, specialty pharmacy drugs and a nutrition support program in the home setting since 1998.  They’ve done a remarkable job growing their company and working with home health agencies across the state of Utah to bring people’s care into the more cost-effective home setting,” said Jim Glynn, Amerita’s CEO.  “We’re excited that Infusion Innovations and Amerita have come together to provide quality specialty infusion services in Utah and across the West.  Our vision for Amerita includes the ability to service patients throughout the Western region of the United States.  This joining of two strong teams moves us closer to that realization.”

According to the company, the acquisition will retain former owners Bryan Nichols, RPh, and Deanne Birch, as well as the existing Infusion Innovations staff in order to continue the company’s delivery of exceptional patient care and service.

“We chose to partner with Amerita because they understand the unique specialty infusion market in Utah and share our business philosophy of exceptional care and service,” said Deanne Birch.  “Together we will continue as the leading specialty infusion provider for our payers, home health partners, and most importantly, our patients.”

Bryan Nichols added, “Unlike large national providers who consolidate companies and lay-off employees, Amerita wanted to keep our staff, provide them with better benefits, and help us grow our business.  As part of a larger organization, we will be able to continue high service levels and improve our efficiency by adopting Amerita’s operating system and improving our purchasing power. It’s a win/win.” 

Amerita, Inc. currently owns specialty infusion pharmacies in Texas, Colorado and Tennessee. The acquisition of Infusion Innovations is Amerita’s first location in Utah. Amerita’s goal is to build a company of scale that provides specialty infusion services to patients across the West, Southwest and Southeast areas of the U.S.

Wednesday August 22, 2007

On 20 July 2007, Meda (STO:MEDAA) announced that it had signed an agreement to acquire all shares in MedPointe. This strategic acquisition has now been completed and consolidation of MedPointe starts immediately. Meda plans to give further information on the acquisition and its impact on Meda in the interim report for the third quarter - to be released on 30 October 2007.

The final purchase price for MedPointe was 5 229 MSEK. This price consisted of 520 MUSD in cash and 17,5 million newly issued Meda shares. The cash component of 520 MUSD was hedged at SEK/USD 6,74 and compared to the current exchange rate this is equivalent to a positive effect of about 100 MSEK. The cash payment was therefore 3 506 MSEK, an amount fully financed through an existing credit facility. The book value of the newly issued shares was set to 98,50 SEK per share. New shareholders in Meda are The Carlyle Group, The Cypress Group LLC, and other US investors, who will have a combined shareholding in Meda of approximately 7%.

The strategic acquisition of MedPointe will establish Meda as a world-class specialty pharma company with full marketing coverage both in the US and Europe and with revenues of around 9 billion SEK. The acquisition of MedPointe is expected to be accretive to Meda's earnings per share at the latest during 2009.

MedPointe is a fast growing US-based specialty pharma company focused on two of Meda's priority areas, Allergy / Respiratory and Pain. The product portfolios are highly complementary. MedPointe's net sales in 2006 were 252 MUSD, representing a 23% growth in local currency compared to previous year. Net sales for the first half of 2007 amounted to around 145 MUSD, which, on an annualised basis, is equivalent to a purchase price revenue multiple of around 2,6. On a pro forma basis, Meda's US operation accounts for about 20% of annual sales. Meda's pipeline which is open for the US market can now be commercialised in own regimen through a wholly-owned subsidiary and thereby retaining 100% of the value of the product assets. Likewise Meda, through its strong European organisation, will be able to capitalise on product development opportunities based on MedPointe's pipeline. The new transatlantic combination will enable Meda to develop synergies both as to geographical markets and product portfolios.

July 30, 2007

STOCKHOLM, Sweden: Swedish pharmaceutical company Meda AB agreed Friday to buy privately owned MedPointe Inc. for US$520 million (376.6 million Euros) in cash and 17.5 million new shares.

MedPointe's main shareholders, private equity firms The Carlyle Group and The Cypress Group, will keep a total stake in Meda of about 6 percent.

"The acquisition establishes Meda as a world-class specialty pharma company with full marketing coverage both in the U.S. and Europe," Meda said in a statement.

Meda shares surged 10.9 percent to 108.5 kronor (US$16.32; 11.82 Euros) on the Stockholm Stock Exchange.

The combined entity will have revenue of about US$1.4 billion (€1 billion). MedPointe, which focuses on allergy/respiratory and pain relief treatments, had 2006 net sales of US$252 million (182.5 million Euros). Its biggest products are Astelin, a nasal spray, and Optivar, which treats allergic conjunctivitis.

May 29, 2007

PSS World Medical to Acquire Activus Healthcare Solutions
Strategic Physician Business Acquisition in Fast-Growing Markets

PSSI announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire 100% of the outstanding stock of Activus Healthcare Solutions, Inc. ("Activus"). Activus is a California-based distributor of medical supplies to office-based physicians and ambulatory surgery centers in California, Oregon, Nevada, and Arizona. Activus generates $22 million in annual revenue and adds 14 sales representatives with an average tenure of over 19 years in fast-growing markets.

David A. Smith, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of PSS World Medical, Inc, commented, "We are excited about this very strategic acquisition for our Physician Business' western markets. After Activus was formed by assembling a sales team from many of the leading physician distributors, they rapidly achieved a strong presence in these important, fast-growing markets. Our business in California is experiencing strong growth. The Activus sales team will accelerate our expansion, while they will benefit from a broader product offering, superior marketing programs and exclusive agreements with our supplier partners."

All current Activus operations will be consolidated into the Company's facilities in Phoenix, AZ, Fullerton, CA, and Sacramento, CA. The acquisition is expected to reduce the Company's earnings per share by approximately $0.01 in fiscal year 2008 due to transition and integration costs, but will be accretive to earnings within 12 months. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

PSS World Medical, Inc. is a national distributor of medical products to physicians and elder care providers through its two business units. Since its inception in 1983, PSS has become a leader in the two market segments that it serves with a focused market approach to customer services, a consultative sales force, strategic acquisitions, strong arrangements with product manufacturers and a unique culture of performance.

April, 2007

Genova Diagnostics Buys Texas Reference Lab

Clinical laboratory Genova Diagnostics (Asheville, NC), which focuses on niche diagnostics with specialized test panels, has purchased the operating assets of AAL Reference Laboratories (AAL; Austin, TX), known for its emphasis on hormone testing. The purchase includes testing equipment, clinical test panels, and the customer base of AAL. Beginning March 26, Genova assumed all testing performed by AAL. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

AAUs line of hormone tests include serum-, saliva-, and urine-based tests, which Genova CEO Ted Hull expects to augment Genova's existing product lines in immunology and nutrition testing.

Earlier this year, Genova acquired Individual Wellbeing Diagnostic Laboratory (IWDL; London, England), giving the company its first European laboratory.

IWDL provides allergy and nutritional testing, including analysis for amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins, cardiovascular risk, and oxidative stress.

Founded in 1986 as Great Smokies Diagnostic Laboratory, Genova offers over 125 specialized diagnostic assessments, including genetic markers for gastrointestinal, endocrine, metabolic, and immune function. The laboratory changed its name to Genova Diagnostics in April of 2006 to better reflect its technology, services, and geographic reach.

February 26, 2007

DALLAS, TX- February 26, 2007 – PHNS today announced that it has signed a multi-year agreement to assist Baton Rouge General Medical Center (BRGMC) and General Health System (GHS), Baton Rouge, Louisiana with its deployment of a wide range of new clinical systems to support nurses, physicians, pharmacists and other members of the care team in the delivery of safe, effective care at BRGMC and its surrounding ambulatory care settings. The new technologies from McKesson Corp. will support BRGMC and GHS in developing an electronic health record (EHR) that spans both inpatient and outpatient settings for greater continuity of care regardless of where patients seek medical services.  

“Because we’re a regional community hospital, we are aggressively creating an environment that enables physicians to work more collaboratively to the ultimate benefit of our patients and the community we serve,” said Bill Holman, president and chief executive officer of BRGMC/GHS. “We’re pleased to have PHNS, our long-time information technology partner, assist us in implementing and managing this important new clinical system.”

“Implementing these new technologies will ensure that Baton Rouge General Medical Center will stay at the forefront of healthcare delivery and technology innovation, and we’re very proud to be a part of their outstanding team,” said Chick Young, chairman and chief executive officer of PHNS.

About Baton Rouge General Medical Center :  BRGMC is the only community-owned, not-for-profit, full service hospital in Baton Rouge. Established in 1900 as the region’s first hospital, the organization is dedicated to improving the health and quality of life of citizens by providing for their healthcare needs in a compassionate and caring environment, with access to the latest in medical technology and treatment.

BRGMC is currently engaged in an extensive construction project that will increase its licensed bed capacity to 546 beds. The General serves the community from two hospital campuses — Mid City and Bluebonnet. Signature programs include the Pennington Cancer Center, Milton J. Womack Heart Center and Kirk’s Kid’s Pediatric Center. BRGMC also provides surgical services, women’s services, obstetrics, diabetes, burn treatment and comprehensive inpatient and outpatient physical rehabilitation services.

February 13, 2007

Volcano Corporation Announces Distribution Agreement for Peripheral and Endovascular IVUS Indications in Japan

Concentra Agrees to Sell Its Workers' Compensation Managed Care Services Businesses to Coventry Health Care, Inc.

Addison, Texas - Concentra Operating Corporation ("Concentra" or the "Company") today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to sell its workers' compensation managed care services business units to Maryland-based Coventry Health Care, Inc. ("Coventry") (NYSE:CVH). Total consideration in the sale is $387.5 million, to be paid in cash at closing.

The business units that Concentra plans to divest in the transaction are its Workers' Compensation Network Services (comprising its provider bill review and repricing services, and its FOCUS preferred provider organization), Field Case Management, Telephonic Case Management, Independent Medical Exams, and its Pharmacy Benefit Management business (First Script Network Services). These businesses generated a total of approximately $324 million of revenue in 2006.

The transaction is expected to be completed in 90 to 180 days, subject to closing conditions as well as regulatory and other customary approvals. Concentra estimates that the transaction will result in net after-tax proceeds of approximately $265 million, of which it currently anticipates that approximately $255 million will be used to prepay of a portion of its senior term indebtedness.

Commenting on the announcement, Concentra's President and Chief Executive Officer, Daniel J. Thomas, said, "We are excited about the prospects for our company in view of this transaction. Our customers will be well served by the combination of Concentra and Coventry's workers' compensation services businesses. When the sale is completed, Concentra will continue to own and operate the largest national network of health centers and to be the premier provider of cost-containment, claims review and repricing, and network management services to group health and auto insurers. With our strong position in these growing markets, and with our continuing businesses producing over $1 billion in annual revenues, we expect that our focus on these core business lines will produce attractive growth opportunities for Concentra in the years to come."

Dale B. Wolf, Chief Executive Officer of Coventry Health Care, added, "We are excited about the opportunities this transaction presents. These Concentra businesses and the talented professionals operating these businesses, when combined with our existing workers' compensation operations, will result in a well integrated service offering that will be attractive to our customers."

Coventry Health Care is a national managed health care company based in Bethesda, Maryland, operating health plans, insurance companies, network rental, managed care and workers' compensation services companies. Coventry provides a full range of risk and fee-based managed care products and services, including HMO, PPO, POS, Medicare Advantage, Medicare Prescription Drug Plans, Medicaid, Workers' Compensation services and Network Rental to a broad cross section of individuals, employer and government-funded groups, government agencies, and other insurance carriers and administrators in all 50 states as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. More information is available on the Internet at www.cvty.com.

Concentra Operating Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Concentra Inc., is dedicated to improving the quality of life by making healthcare accessible and affordable. Serving the occupational, auto and group healthcare markets, Concentra provides employers, insurers and payors with a series of integrated services that include employment-related injury and occupational healthcare, urgent care services, in-network and out-of-network medical claims review and repricing, access to preferred provider organizations, case management and other cost containment services. Concentra provides its services to approximately 200,000 employer locations and more than 1,000 insurance companies, group health plans, third-party administrators and other healthcare payors. The Company has 310 health centers located in 40 states. It also operates the Beech Street PPO network.

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements, which the Company is making in reliance on the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Investors are cautioned that all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, and that the Company's actual results may differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, changes in nationwide employment and injury rate trends; operational, financing and strategic risks related to the Company's capital structure, acquisitions and growth strategy; the adverse effects of litigation judgments or settlements; interruption in its data processing capabilities; the potential adverse impact of governmental regulation on the Company's operations; competitive pressures; adverse changes in market pricing, demand and other conditions relating to the Company's services; possible fluctuations in quarterly and annual operations; and dependence on key management personnel. Additional factors include those described in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Source: Concentra Operating Corporation

Central Line Infusion Opens New Specialty Infusion Facility In Houston

Irvine, California, February 8, 2007 – Amerita, Inc. announced the opening of a new full-service infusion pharmacy at 4001 West Sam Houston Parkway North, Suite 120 in Houston, Texas. According to the company, the Central Line Infusion facility will provide specialty infusion services to patients in the Greater Houston marketplace from a new location specifically designed to meet or exceed the stringent new standards set for sterile compounding (USP 797). The new location expands Amerita’s current service area into Southeast Texas and gives the company an opportunity to compete in the fourth largest city in America.

“Houston is an important marketplace for Amerita,” said Jim Glynn, the company’s president and CEO. “It would be impossible for our company to offer state-wide service without a foothold in Houston. The decision to build a totally new location versus buy an existing operation was based on our ability to recruit a strong management team with extensive market experience.”

“Healthcare is a local business,” said Ray McCaslin, the general manager of the new Central Line Infusion branch. “Amerita’s philosophy is to keep decision making close to the customer in order to provide our clients with outstanding clinical and customer service. This local approach is just what this industry needs to bring patient care, customer service and responsiveness back into focus. We will also benefit from the purchasing power and administrative savings a larger company can bring to a local business. ”

Specialty infusion therapy services primarily involve the intravenous administration of medications that treat a wide range of acute and chronic health conditions such as infections, auto-immune illnesses, cancer, pain, multiple sclerosis, hemophilia and nutritional deficiencies. To ensure quality, medications are compounded in a sterile clean room, dispensed under the supervision of a local registered pharmacist and delivered directly to the home of the patient. A registered nurse then ensures safe administration of the medication.

October 11, 2006

Ernest Health, Inc. celebrates ground-breaking for new hospital in Greenwood, SC.

Ernest Health, Inc., a health service provider treating patients recovering from stroke, head and spinal cord injury, and other functional deficits as a result of injury or illness will construct and operate a 46-bed, state-of-the-art rehabilitation hospital on Genesis Circle near Beckman Mental Health Center.

The first of its kind in the area, the hospital will be a one-story, 51,700 square feet facility. Approximately 130 new health-care related jobs will be created from this endeavor.

Ernest Health, Inc. will incorporate the project in Greenwood, South Carolina as Greenwood Regional Rehabilitation Hospital. Construction is expected to take approximately nine months, and the hospital expects to begin admitting patients as early as July of 2007.

The Albuquerque, New Mexico-based company operates post-acute hospitals in New Mexico, Texas, Colorado, Arizona and Idaho. In addition, the company is currently constructing facilities in Provo, Utah; Boise, Idaho; and Billings, Montana.

“We selected Greenwood because of its vibrancy and overall demographics,” said
Darby Brockette, President/CEO of Ernest Health, Inc. “The present medical facilities will allow us to add additional support to the wonderful medical treatment already provided. The support of Self Regional Healthcare and Greenwood Partnership Alliance was integral in our decision to expand into Greenwood county.”

Jeff Fowler, CEO of Greenwood Partnership Alliance, said the high-tech medical services and unique care of Ernest Health will be invaluable to those needing post-acute treatment.

“The patients and their family and friends will be able to stay in our community for these services,” said Fowler. “We are pleased that Ernest Health will be locating here. Our business and civic leaders are to be congratulated for their foresight and efforts in assisting Ernest Health in its expansion to Greenwood.”

The ground-breaking ceremony has been scheduled for October 11th at 3:00 p.m. at the site. Featured speakers include, Greenwood Mayor, Floyd Nicholson; John Heydel, Self Regional Healthcare CEO; Darby Brockette, Ernest Health CEO; Edith Childs, County Councilwoman, and Jeff Cochrell, community member.

Article in Pharmaceutical Executive

Paul Edick, CEO of MedPointe, says specialty pharma companies are looking for new drugs in their own labs-an R&D paradigm that takes them…Back to the Future

As Pharmceutical Executive celebrates its 25th anniversary, the specialty pharmaceutical sector can reflect on 15 years of history. The story starts in 1991, when the landscape was dominated by the likes of Merck, Glaxo, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Ciba Geigy, SmithKline Beecham, and Sandoz. It was a golden age. New chemical entities for the treatment of unmet medical needs were plentiful, and FDA approvals nearly so. The low hanging R&D fruit was largely unpicked. The reimbursement evnironment was easy. The impact of the independent generics firms was still slight, and the havoc they wreaked on branded franchises was but a glimmer of what

it has become today. Profit margins, which routinely exceeded 25 percent of net sales, were fat. The top ten pharma companies controlled 32 percent of global sales. Jobs were being created; globalization was in full swing; investors reaped handsome returns from soaring share prices.

Pioneers

At the same time, specialty companies were emerging from infancy. The movement was led by

Alza, the drug delivery pioneer, and Medeva and Elan, two brash Anglo roll-ups founded and led by former Big Pharma executives. These firms joined a smattering of precocious upstarts, such as Medicis (which was founded through a merger in 1988) and King Pharmaceuticals, to anchor a new age. They joined or were followed by KOS, Endo, Forest Laboratories, and many others of odd shapes and sizes that didn’t fit neatly among the pantheon of industry giants. For many of these young, rapidly-growing firms, the early 1990s was a time of a new but fundamentally flawed strategy that played itself out over the next decade: achieving high-octane growth via acquisitions. Many companies demonstrated prowess at acquiring marketed, branded pharmaceuticals products and using these drugs to build field sales capacity and infrastructure, reach specialists and primary care physicians, and generate phenomenal sales growth and returns for investors. The problem, however, was that this business model was finite—without a concurrent investment in the R&D pipeline, it was unsustainable.

Wanted: Big Pharma’s Cast-Offs

As Big Pharma entered a period of sustained corporate consolidation throughout the ‘90s, specialty pharma began clamoring to acquire the “non-core, non-strategic” products to which the larger companies were unable to pay an appropriate level of attention. These were the expendable, underpromoted assets that sucked up Big Pharma’s management time and dragged on top-line growth. Within specialty pharma, the race was on to see who could acquire these assets the fastest. And therein lay the problem: The growth and profitability expectations

that were created as more specialty companies entered the race became unachievable. It seemed as though venture capitalists were creating a new specialty pharma firm a month. The prices for Big Pharma’s divested assets grew higher, challenging the acquirer’s ability to a decent ROI. The days of cozy, backroom product acquisitions were replaced by professionally managed, investment banker-led auctions, openly seeking the highest bidder. The pace of divesting assets, which by 1993 had been a torrent, had dwindled to a trickle by the early to mid-2000s. The corporate consolidations had largely run their course. Big Pharma was getting fewer new products through the FDA approval process, changing the perception of slow-growth assets. These formerly non-core products were now cash cows that covered pressure on operating cash flows—at least so long as the threat of generic encroachment could be minimized.

Further Competition

Beyond acquiring new assets, the competitive environment for specialty pharma has undergone

enormous change: Paragraph IV certifications, reimportation, managed care practices, wholesaler inventory management programs, shorter product lifecycles, and armies of sales reps competing for physician attention are but a few of the new obstacles that have emerged over the past 10 years.  Collectively, they have mandated strategic change in the specialty pharma business model. At MedPointe, a specialty company descended from the leveraged buyout of Carter-Wallace, we’ve changed our model to reflect these dynamics. Today, we acquire and license marketed products, but also conduct R&D, expenditures which have grown from four percent of net sales in 2003, and will exceed 12 percent of net sales in 2006. While the early days in specialty pharma yielded a bonanza for companies that grew quickly through inorganic means, the pendulum has swung in the other direction. In many respects, it’s back to the future. A blend of acquisitions—both product and technology—and internal , organic growth through new product innovation is the way forward.

Pelican Life Sciences Expands its portfolio with three acquisitions

Pelican Life Sciences announced that it has completed the acquisitions of Continental Laboratory Products, Inc. (CLP), PGC Scientifics Corporation (PGC) and Kemp Biotechnologies Inc. (Kemp). Founded in 1989 and headquartered in San Diego, California, CLP is a leading manufacturer of disposable fluid handling plastics, reagents and instrumentation used in molecular biology research. CLP’s ISO certified manufacturing operations are located in Baja, Mexico with distribution facilities in San Diego, California, Charlottesville, Virginia and Northampton, U.K. For further information, please visit www.clpdirect.com.

Located in Frederick, Maryland, PGC is a leading manufacturer and distributor of molecular biology and scientific product consumables. With a focus on niche consumables, PGC has been a leading supplier for more than 40 years to the academic, government and biotech research market. Included with the acquisition of PCG is its wholly owned manufacturing subsidiary Labcor Products, Inc. For further information, please visit www.pgcsci.com or www.labcorproducts.com.

Kemp Biotechnologies supports the research of public and private sector laboratories by providing expertise in cell culture, protein expression, and protein purification on a contract basis. Through Kemp’s wholly owned subsidiary, GeneChoice, Kemp provides a full line of molecular biology reagents and kits used in scientific research. Kemp was founded in 1992 and is located in Frederick, Maryland. For further information, please visit www.kempbiotech.com or www.genechoice.com.

These three new acquisitions combined with the acquisition of PML Microbiologicals in December of 2005, form a solid foundation for Pelican Life Sciences. For further information, please visit www.pelicanls.com.

Volcano Corporation Announces Pricing of Initial Public Offering

Volcano Corporation (NASDAQ: VOLC) announced the initial public offering of 6,800,000 shares of common stock at a price of $8.00 per share. Volcano has granted the underwriters an option to purchase up to an additional 1,020,000 shares at the initial public offering price to cover over-allotments, if any. The common stock will trade on the Nasdaq National Market under the symbol "VOLC."

J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. and Piper Jaffray & Co. are serving as joint book-running managers for the offering, with Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc. and Cowen and Company, LLC serving as co-managers.

A registration statement relating to these securities has been filed with, and declared effective by, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

Founded in 2000, Volcano Corporation develops, manufactures and commercializes a broad suite of intravascular ultrasound and functional measurement products that enhance the diagnosis and treatment of vascular and structural heart disease.
For further information, contact investor relations at (916) 281-2645 or www.volcanocorp.com

Thomas Patton, Advisor to FFC, named Chief Executive Officer of Informed Medical Communications (IMC)

5/17/06 - Mr. Patton joins IMC with extensive experience in leading an array of private and public healthcare companies. Most recently, he was the CEO and founder of QDx, Inc., a diagnostic development company which explores new methods of hematology analysis. He remains an Advisor to Ferrer Freeman & Company, one of IMC's investors. Prior to that, Mr. Patton was the President of Novametrix Medical Systems, Inc., a publicly traded worldwide leader in cardiopulmonary monitoring products for critical care patients. The company also had a division focused on providing unique medical disposables for premature infants.

He has also served as the President and CEO of Wright Medical Technology, Inc., an orthopedic device company located in Memphis, TN. At Wright, Mr. Patton led a successful turnaround of the company, orchestrated its recapitalization led by a large private equity firm and increased revenues to $140 million. Before that, Tom served in various capacities at Wright Medical, including as General Counsel and EVP of Business Development.

Over the last two years, IMC has grown by 117% from $23 million in pro forma revenues in 2003 to $50 million in revenues for 2005.

Mr. Patton started his career as a litigation attorney in Washington, D.C., after graduating from Georgetown Law School and Holy Cross College. For further information, please visit www.informedmedical.com.

Norman C. Payson, M.D. Joins Concentra as Chairman of the Board

Addison, TX - Concentra Inc. ("Concentra" or the "Company"), today announced that it has named Norman C. Payson, M.D., as its non-executive Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Dr. Payson, age 57, has spent over two decades as a leading health plan manager and entrepreneur. From 1998 through 2002, he was Chief Executive Officer of Oxford Health Plans, leading its turnaround and subsequent growth to nearly $6 billion in revenues. Prior to that, Dr. Payson was Chief Executive Officer of Healthsource, Inc. from its inception in 1985 through its growth to over three million members and sale to CIGNA Corporation in 1997. Dr. Payson presently serves on the Board of Directors for Baltimore-based XLHealth, a disease management company, and several health care charitable and educational institutions.

In addition to Board duties, Dr. Payson will oversee strategic direction of the Company and will work actively with the Company's senior management team in pursuing Concentra's growth and performance objectives. In this role, he will work closely with the Company's officers, providing guidance and advice reflective of his experience in managing, growing and maximizing shareholder value for public and private companies. In connection with his appointment, Dr. Payson will make an initial $10 million purchase of Concentra Inc. common stock. Additionally, he will receive awards of unrestricted and restricted stock and options to purchase additional shares of common stock.

Commenting on the announcement, Daniel Thomas, Concentra's President and Chief Executive Officer, said, "We are delighted to announce the addition of Dr. Payson to chair our Board. As a distinguished health care executive, he brings a wealth of experience to our Company that will complement our team and provide leadership for Concentra as we pursue our Company's growth. With a strong reputation in health care economics and business, we believe Dr. Payson will enhance our Company's stature among current and prospective clients and customers."

Dr. Payson said, "I am very enthusiastic about joining Concentra. Concentra has achieved success in the field of workplace healthcare and has brought that experience into many related and complementary businesses with significant growth potential. I am honored to play a role in this exciting Company."

Dr. Payson is a member of the Board of Overseers and an adjunct Professor at Dartmouth Medical School. He also serves on the Boards of Advisors for the Health Sciences Technology Divisions of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard Medical School and is on the Board of Advisors of the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University. Dr. Payson is a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and received his MD at Dartmouth Medical School.

Ernest Health, Inc. Announces New Hospital Construction in Provo, Utah

Provo, Utah - Ernest Health, Inc., a health service provider treating patients recovering from strokes, head and spinal cord injuries and other functional deficiencies as a result of injury or illness will construct and operate a 40 bed, state-of-the-art long term acute care hospital at 306 West River Bend Lane in Provo, Utah. The first of its kind in Utah County, the hospital will be a two-story, 48,000 square feet facility. Approximately 150 new health-care related jobs will be created from this endeavor.

Ernest Health, Inc. will incorporate the project in Provo as Utah Valley Specialty Hospital. They expect to begin admitting patients as early as Fall 2006.

The Albuquerque, New Mexico-based company has post-acute hospitals open in Johnstown, Colorado; Brownsville, Texas and Las Cruces, New Mexico and post-acute hospitals under construction in Post Falls, Idaho; Mesquite, Texas; Laredo, Texas and Prescott Valley, Arizona. "We selected Utah Valley because of its growth, vibrancy and overall demographics," said Darby Brockette, President/CEO of Ernest Health, Inc. "The present medical care provided by Utah Valley Regional Medical Center and other surrounding Hospitals will allow us to add additional support to the wonderful medical treatment already provided. The support of Provo Economic Development and Utah Valley Regional Medical Center were integral in our decision to expand into Utah County.

The groundbreaking ceremony has been scheduled for November 2nd, 2005 at 10:00 a.m. at the site. Provo Mayor, Lewis K. Billing and Mr. Dave Cark, Vice President of Urban South IHC will participate in the ceremony.

VOLCANO Corp. Announces Commercial Release of VH™ IVUS System

Groundbreaking Ultrasound Technology is Poised to Re-Shape Assessment of Coronary Artery Disease

Rancho Cordova, California - Volcano Corporation today announced the commercial launch of its patented VH™ IVUS system -- the first technology to enable real time (in the cardiac catheterization lab) compositional assessment of atherosclerotic plaques in coronary arteries. The VH™ IVUS technology is now available on new VOLCANO systems or as an upgrade to VOLCANO's installed base of Intravascular Ultrasound ("IVUS") systems in medical centers throughout the world.

An Important Advance in Diagnostic Imaging

Previously, assessment of atherosclerotic disease was limited to 2D views of symptom-causing narrowings of the coronary arteries by way of contrast agent-enhanced X-Ray imaging. More recently, grayscale IVUS allowed for quantification of atherosclerotic plaque build-up, in addition to providing precise measurements of vessel anatomy to guide optimal angioplasty or stent-based treatment.

Volcano's new VH IVUS technology uses advanced spectral analysis techniques to allow simplified interpretation of ultrasound images and provide detailed information on the composition of each patient's atherosclerotic plaques. The colorized VH images show four plaque component types: fibrous, fibro-fatty, dense calcium, and necrotic core. VH IVUS images are created using VOLCANO's imaging console along with the Eagle Eye Gold IVUS imaging catheter. Images are displayed live, in the cath lab for easy review by the interventional cardiologist and his or her staff while the patient remains on the table. No changes to standard clinical practice are required to employ VH IVUS. This novel technology provides automated measurement tools to simplify image interpretation and employs a pre-determined color key to display plaque composition at a specific point in the artery or across a region of interest. Please visit www.volcanocorp.com/vhintro/ for more detailed information on the technique and product.

"We are thrilled to bring this groundbreaking product to market" commented Scott Huennekens, President & CEO, Volcano Corp. He continued, "VH IVUS is the culmination of over 10 years of research and development at The Cleveland Clinic Foundation and Volcano. By simplifying IVUS use and by providing important new information to the interventional cardiologist, we are confident that VH IVUS will improve the treatment of patients and help to further expand IVUS use in percutaneous coronary interventions."

Comments from Early Collaborators

"VH™ IVUS is the first IVUS system capable of providing information in the cardiac catheterization laboratory about the plaque composition" said Martin B. Leon, MD Chairman of the Cardiovascular Research Foundation® and the Associate Director of the Center for Interventional Vascular Therapy (CIVT) at Columbia University Medical Center, New York City. Dr. Leon continued, "This impressive technology will assist us in interpreting our ultrasound results and is expected to provide important new information to guide the management of our patients. We are aggressively studying this new technology and assessing its optimal role in the cath lab."

Professor Patrick W. Serruys, Thoraxcentre, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands commented: "The use of IVUS today is generally focused on providing geometric measurements of the vessel and lumen. Due to IVUS' inability to display plaques other than as grayscale renderings, interventionalists have had difficulty drawing conclusions about the plaque type or disease type seen in individual patients. Plaque imaging using VH IVUS will provide key information and may shift the paradigm of how we diagnose and manage patients with cardiovascular disease."

April 26, 2005

Preferred Care Partners Set to Acquire Neighborhood Health Partnership's Medicare Business

Miami, FL - Business Wire - In a joint statement, Preferred Care Partners ("Preferred Care") and Neighborhood Health Partnership ("NHP") announced today that they have signed a Definitive Agreement in which Preferred Care will acquire the Medicare business of NHP. This transaction will require the approval of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services ("CMS") and both organizations project a possible effective date of June 1, 2005. The transaction will make Preferred Care the largest privately-owned Medicare Advantage Health Plan in South Florida. NHP will continue to operate its Commercial HMO business in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties.

Mr. Joseph L. Caruncho, Chief Executive Officer of Preferred Care Partners Holding Corp., the parent company of Preferred Care stated that "this acquisition enables us to offer our innovative PSO model to a wider cross section of Medicare beneficiaries in the South Florida Market. We intend to continue the course set by NHP of providing a high level of service to both members and providers." For NHP members transitioning over to Preferred Care Partners, the change will be seamless and their benefits will remain unchanged for 2005. This acquisition covers all 38,000 members currently enrolled with NHP's Medicare Advantage program and will bring Preferred Care's membership to more than 45,000, once it is effective.

Mr. Joseph R. Papa, NHP's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer stated that "Preferred Care shares our long standing commitment to both seniors and physicians in South Florida, so I know that Preferred Care will continue to provide the type of service and commitment to our members that they have become accustomed to in the past. At a time when specialization by regional managed care plans is more prevalent than ever, this transaction will provide NHP with additional capital resources to focus on an aggressive growth plan for its Commercial business, particularly in Broward and Palm Beach counties while Preferred Care will continue to service and grow a robust Medicare membership in the same region." Both Caruncho and Papa agree that this will be a positive move forward for both organizations, as well as their members and providers.

"This will be a smooth transition with a continued commitment to being a low hassle partner for physicians and members," said Justo Luis Pozo, President of Preferred Care. "Our success has been based on empowering physicians, and this transaction will not change that commitment," said Dr. Orlando Lopez-Fernandez, Chief Medical Officer of Preferred Care.

Preferred Care Partners has partnered with Ferrer Freeman & Co., a private equity firm located in Greenwich, CT, that invests exclusively in healthcare and healthcare-related companies, to consummate the acquisition.

Preferred Care is a Provider Sponsored Health Plan contracted with CMS to offer Medicare Advantage plans to Medicare beneficiaries in the South Florida market. Its unique PSO model focuses on empowering physicians to make clinical decisions for their patients in a manner that reduces costly administration. Since beginning operations as a Medicare Advantage Plan in 2002, the Company has seen significant growth and was named the fastest growing, privately held company in South Florida by the South Florida Business Journal. Its principal offices are located at One Datran Center, 9100 S. Dadeland Blvd., Suite 1250, Miami, Florida.

NHP is an HMO licensed by the State of Florida and currently operates in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties. Born out of a coalition between Dimension Physician Hospital Organization and John Alden Insurance, it has been in operation since 1994. In July of 2002, NHP was acquired by private interests from the former provider owners and has grown to become the largest HMO operating in Miami-Dade County since that time. NHP has its principal offices at 7600 Corporate Center Drive in Miami.

March 2, 2005

Peer Group and HealthTalk Merge and Launch New Health Marketing Service Network

Major Private-Equity Firms Fund Informed Medical Communications and Mergers. Combination Creates Biopharmaceutical Marketing Company with Expanded Interactive Educational Products and Services to Physicians and Patients

New York, NY, Edison, NJ and Seattle, WA - The Peer Group, a peer-oriented medical education company, and HealthTalk, Inc., a patient-education enterprise delivering live- and web-based programs on new research and treatments, announced today their merger. The combination marks the launch of a new biopharmaceutical marketing network with interactive educational products and services to physicians and patients called Informed Medical Communications (IMC). The companies have combined revenues of more than $35 million.

The transaction’s lead investors include Ferrer Freeman & Co., LLC, a healthcare private-equity firm based in Greenwich, Connecticut, and Frazier Healthcare Ventures, a Seattle-based venturecapital firm.

IMC will provide biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies with a spectrum of products and services including: interactive and live physician and patient programs; call-center services and primary and syndicated market research. The combined Company offers clients access to more than 400,000 physicians, a patient database of people with chronic illnesses, and clinical experience in some 30 disease-states (e.g., oncology, asthma, multiple sclerosis, cardiovascular, Crohn’s disease and migraine).

Robert Goodman, formerly CEO, HealthTalk, was named CEO of IMC.

“One of the most pressing marketing challenges among biopharmaceutical clients is enhancing the discussion between physician and patient, and caregiver and patient around product selection,” stated Mr. Goodman. “The Peer Group and HealthTalk merger will help pharmaceutical brand staff better address this need.”

The Peer Group and HealthTalk merger was funded by two well-regarded names in healthcare private equity – Ferrer Freeman & Company, LLC, and Frazier Healthcare Ventures. The two private-equity firms provided funding for the launch of IMC and have earmarked funds to support future growth and acquisitions.

“The companies are extremely complementary in terms of audience, types of programs and clients, with extensive synergies and minimal overlap,” commented Tom Flynn, partner, Ferrer Freeman & Company, LLC, an investor in the business. “The combination truly represents a unique and differentiated offering for their clients and current and future members.”

Both Peer Group and HealthTalk have 20 years of experience developing promotional and educational programs for their clients. The Peer Group has been a leading marketing company among healthcare professionals and the pharmaceutical industry through the use of its unique peer-to-peer format and services. HealthTalk has helped patients with chronic illnesses better understand their health options by providing the latest research and treatments through live- and web-based educational programs.

When working together, the two companies will be able to provide an integrated and targeted approach to physician and patient communications. During their 20 year histories, they have contributed to the market success of more than 95 healthcare products for 15 of the top 25 pharmaceutical companies.

“The merger brings together two enterprises with a history of placing clients’ needs in the forefront. The combined resources significantly enhance our capabilities to provide clients with a broader range of services that improve physician-patient dialogue,” said Robert Goodman.

As parent company, IMC will operate the branded businesses of The Peer Group and HealthTalk as wholly-owned subsidiaries based from their Edison, NJ, and Seattle, WA, locations. The board of directors will include: Robert Goodman, Harris Kaplan, CEO of HealthStat, LLC, Tom Flynn and Ted Lundberg of Ferrer Freeman & Company, LLC, and Alan Frazier and Patrick Heron of Frazier Healthcare Ventures.

Patrick Heron, Partner with Frazier Healthcare Ventures, noted, “As an early stage investor in HealthTalk, we are excited about the future opportunities of the business because of the exceptional management team and experienced operating professionals in both companies. They have an impressive track record of growing the business and reputation for delivering high quality, innovative programs.”

February 24, 2005