FRANKLIN, Mass., Nov. 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Sontra Medical
Corporation (Nasdaq SC: SONT) announced today that its SonoPrep(R) ultrasonic
skin permeation device was awarded the Grand Award of the "Best of What's New"
Award in the personal health category in Popular Science(R) Magazine's 2004
17th Annual "Best of What's New" Awards. The Best of What's New Awards
showcase the top 100 technology innovations in 12 categories, with each
category having a Grand Award. The Grand Award was granted to Sontra for the
SonoPrep in the personal health category, in recognition of its great
technical advances. This award to Sontra for SonoPrep will be featured in the
December 2004 issue and will be on newsstands November 16. The article can
also be viewed at the Popular Science Magazine website at the following
address:
http://www.popsci.com/popsci/bown/2004/personalhealth/article/0,22221,768307,00.html
"Best of What's New is the ultimate Popular Science accolade, representing
a years' worth of work evaluating thousands of products," said Editor Mark
Jannnot. "These awards honor innovations that not only impact the way we live
today, but change the way we think about the future."
The SonoPrep ultrasonic skin permeation device was chosen due to its
advanced technology and innovative approach to penetrating the skin's
outermost layer, the stratum corneum. SonoPrep applies ultrasonic energy to
the skin surface, which disorganizes the lipid-bilayer of the stratum corneum
and creates reversible micro channels in the skin. This simple, fast and
painless application creates an imperceptible window through the skin that
enables molecules to pass through with 100 times greater efficiency than
intact skin. The SonoPrep(R) ultrasonic skin permeation device makes the skin
permeable for up to twenty four hours after a 15 second (average) treatment.
SonoPrep has been demonstrated in numerous clinical studies to have broad
product applications in non-invasive diagnostics and transdermal drug
delivery. The recent FDA 510(k) clearance to market the SonoPrep device and
procedure tray for use with topical lidocaine to achieve rapid skin anesthesia
provides physicians and nurses a new innovative medical technology to help
patients avoid painful interventions, particularly chronically ill children
and adults who must endure repeated needle sticks and IV therapy. The SonoPrep
is also currently being evaluated for the continuous non-invasive monitoring
of glucose and for the transdermal delivery of vaccines, pain drugs and large
protein biopharmaceuticals, offering potential significant health benefits to
millions of people around the world.
"We are very pleased Popular Science has recognized our SonoPrep device
for its significant technological advancement in the area of personal health,"
stated Thomas W. Davison, PhD, Sontra's President and Chief Executive Officer.
"I would like to thank Scott Kellogg, Sontra's Vice President of R&D and the
rest of the scientific team at Sontra for all their hard work and dedication
in developing the SonoPrep device. They built on the wonderful inventions of
Sontra's co-founders, Dr. Robert Langer of M.I.T. and Dr. Yosi Kost and have
developed a skin permeation device that is effective, simple to use and
economical to manufacture. As we continue to advance the product in several
key market segments, we believe SonoPrep will become an effective transdermal
delivery and diagnostic tool for the medical community providing health
benefits to patients worldwide."
About Popular Science
Founded in 1872, Popular Science is the world's largest science and
technology magazine with a circulation of 1.45 million and 6.5 million monthly
readers. Each month, Popular Science reports on the intersection of science
and everyday life, with an eye toward what's new and why it matters. Popular
Science is published by Time4 Media, a subsidiary of Time Inc., which is a
wholly owned subsidiary of Time Warner Inc. (NYSE: TWX).
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 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.
SonoPrep is a registered trademark of Sontra Medical Corporation. All
other company, product or service names mentioned herein are the trademarks or
registered trademarks of their respective owners.
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 diagnostics, vaccine delivery, glucose
monitoring and transdermal drug delivery, the expected benefits, market
opportunities and market acceptance of the SonoPrep device and technology, 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 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.
Contacts:
Sean Moran, CFO or Evan Smith, CFA / Erica Pettit
Sontra Medical Corporation KCSA Worldwide
Tel: 508-553-8850 Tel: 212-896-1251 / 212-896-1248
SOURCE Sontra Medical Corporation
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Related links:
http://www.sontra.com
CONTACT:
Sean Moran, CFO of Sontra Medical
Corporation, +1-508-553-8850; or Evan Smith, CFA,
+1-212-896-1251, or Erica Pettit, +1-212-896-1248, both of KCSA
Worldwide
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