Combination of Ultrasonic Skin Permeation & Iontophoretic Transport Provides
Faster and Deeper Skin Anesthesia
FRANKLIN, Mass., March 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Sontra Medical
Corporation (Nasdaq SC: SONT) announced today that rapid dermal anesthesia was
achieved using SonoPrep ultrasonic skin permeation followed by two minutes of
active drug transport with iontophoresis, a needle-free method of delivering
drugs through the skin using low-level electrical current. In this
randomized, prospective internally controlled clinical study, thirty patients
received three different types of treatments on their forearm with 2% topical
lidocaine. Needle-stick pain was evaluated using the Visual Analogue Scale.
The study evaluated SonoPrep ultrasonic skin pretreatment or a placebo (sham
ultrasound) skin pretreatment followed by two minutes of iontophoresis,
compared to ten minutes of iontophoresis alone. Pain scores from the SonoPrep
treatment followed by two minutes of iontophoresis were equivalent to the ten
minute iontophoresis treatment. In this study, Sontra used an Iomed Phoresor
Iontophoretic Drug Delivery System and 2% topical lidocaine with 1-10,000
epinephrine. SonoPrep pre-treatment followed by 2% lidocaine application and
two minutes of iontophoresis provided equivalent pain relief to 2% lidocaine
applied over intact skin with 10 minutes of iontophoresis. SonoPrep also
enabled iontophoresis to be applied with only 1 milliamp electric current
compared to 4 milliamps employed when iontophoresis was used alone.
"We are very pleased with the outcome of this study, which we expect will
lead to a generation of SonoPrep instruments combining ultrasonic skin
permeation with iontophoretic active drug transport," stated Thomas W.
Davison, Sontra's Chief Executive Officer and President. "Our current five
minute SonoPrep product provides the fastest delivery of topical lidocaine for
pain-free needle sticks. The sales traction and enthusiastic reception of our
recently appointed distributors and early adopters makes us confident that
there has been an unmet market demand for faster skin anesthesia. Combination
of these technologies will assure our leadership position in topical
anesthetics for years to come. Furthermore, we expect that the combination of
ultrasonic skin permeation and iontophoresis will improve the transdermal
delivery of large molecular weight drugs, while facilitating dose variation
with adjustment of the driving current."
About Sontra Medical Corporation (http://www.sontra.com)
Sontra Medical Corporation is a technology leader in transdermal science.
Sontra's SonoPrep ultrasound-mediated skin permeation technology combined with
technical competencies in transdermal drug formulation, delivery systems and
biosensors is creating a new paradigm in transdermal drug delivery and
diagnosis. The SonoPrep technology has demonstrated strong results from its
initial human clinical trials at leading universities and medical centers for
several billion dollar market opportunities including the transdermal delivery
of vaccines and large molecule drugs and continuous non-invasive glucose
monitoring. Sontra is currently marketing the SonoPrep device and procedure
tray for use with topical lidocaine to achieve rapid (within five minutes)
skin anesthesia.
This press release contains forward-looking statements, which address a
variety of subjects including, for example, the expected efficacy of the
SonoPrep device in connection with transdermal drug delivery, the expected
benefits, market opportunities and market acceptance of the SonoPrep device
and technology, the expected features of the next generation of SonoPrep
device, the expected size of the markets for the SonoPrep device and
technology, Sontra's expected ability to commercialize additional products,
and Sontra's business, research and marketing strategies and product
development plans. Statements that are not historical facts, including
statements about our beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements.
Such statements are based on our current expectations and are subject to a
number of factors and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to
differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. The
following important factors and uncertainties, among others, could cause
actual results to differ materially from those described in these forward-
looking statements: adverse results in product development, clinical trials,
commercialization efforts and market acceptance; difficulties or delays in
obtaining regulatory approvals to market products resulting from development
efforts; difficulties or delays associated with sources of regulatory-approved
transdermal drugs and vaccines; failure to obtain and maintain patent
protection for discoveries; commercial limitations imposed by patents owned or
controlled by third parties; dependence upon strategic partners and third-
party distributors to develop, commercialize, market and sell products based
on our work; the commercial success of products; and the requirement for
substantial funding to conduct research and development and to expand
commercialization and marketing activities. For detailed information about
factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those
described in the forward-looking statements, please refer to Sontra's filings
with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Sontra's most recent
Quarterly Report on Form 10-QSB. Forward-looking statements represent
management's current expectations and are inherently uncertain. We do not
undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements made by us.
Sontra Contacts:
Sean Moran, Sontra Medical CFO
508-553-8850 ext 234
Evan Smith, CFA
212-850-5606
Erica Pettit,
Financial Dynamics
212-850-5614
SOURCE Sontra Medical Corporation
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Related links:
http://www.sontra.com
Contact: Sean Moran, CFO, +1-508-553-8850 ext. 234, or Evan
Smith, CFA, +1-212-850-5606, or Erica Pettit, Financial Dynamics,
+1-212-850-5614, all of Sontra Medical
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