Business Wire - November 5, 2007
* Guardian's Signature Mapping technology to potentially save thousands of lives with early detection of TB bacteria and Malaria parasites
* Guardian to raise visibility in worldwide healthcare community
* Aurum to provide access to critical expertise and clinical case studies for targeted development of Signature Mapping
HERNDON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Guardian Technologies International, Inc. (OTCBB:GDTI), innovators of groundbreaking medical imaging and threat detection technology with critical and immediate applications for the healthcare and homeland security markets, today announced a Teaming and Joint Development Agreement with the world-renowned Aurum Institute for Health Research. The Agreement provides for the creation of a fully automated imaging analysis system for the early identification and quantification of tuberculosis, malaria and pneumoconiosis targeted for deployment in developing nations.
The Aurum Institute for Health Research is an independent medical scientific organization dedicated to the treatment of and research into epidemic and other diseases in developing countries. Aurum has an international reputation for its work in the fields of tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and is the recipient of research and other grants from South African and international agencies and institutions. Guardian will join Aurum's other international collaborators, including the Center for HIV-Aids Vaccine Immunology, HIV Vaccine Trials Network, International Aids Vaccine Initiative, John Hopkins University, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the U.S.'s National Center for Infectious Diseases.
"Guardian is honored to be invited as a collaborative partner to work hand-in-hand with the internationally distinguished Aurum Institute and we are looking forward to contributing significant medical advancements through our imaging technologies that can put a stop to these largely preventable epidemics," said Bill Donovan, President and Chief Operating Officer of Guardian Technologies International. "We believe this collaboration is simply one in a series of planned steps towards elevating Guardian's presence on the world stage. We have developed beyond doubt a groundbreaking technology that will not only generate revenues from multiple multibillion dollar markets in the developed world, but also contribute to assisting some of the developing world's impoverished regions. Guardian is wholeheartedly committed to this joint development agreement that will economically benefit Guardian and The Aurum Institute while significantly benefiting all of mankind."
Under the joint development agreement, Guardian and Aurum's scientists will work to perfect the use of the Company's Signature MappingÖ imaging technology to automatically detect, identify, and quantify the bacteria that causes TB and the parasites that cause malaria. Guardian's Signature MappingÖ technology has been integrated with numerous existing medical diagnostic systems -- including MRI, x-ray and others. Enhanced with Signature MappingÖ, these systems can detect disease conditions with very significantly increased levels of sensitivity and accuracy.
"Improved diagnostics supports early detection, which translates into early administration of treatments, which has been proven to be one of the most powerful weapons against diseases such as TB and Malaria," said Richard Borrelli, Vice President of Healthcare Services - of Guardian Technologies International. "We believe that Signature Mapping will play a key role in the automation of early stage diagnostics. Our goal is to further develop and distribute Signature Mapping, in tandem with Aurum, to help them reduce labor costs, provide faster diagnoses and eliminate all too common human errors in these underdeveloped regions."
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared tuberculosis a global health emergency. TB is a contagious wasting disease caused by any of several bacteria; the most common form of the disease is tuberculosis of the lungs. Some drug-resistant strains can be extremely resistant even to the most powerful antibiotics. Reported statistics indicate that approximately 8.8 million people annually develop tuberculosis and that approximately 2 million people die of TB every year. Epidemiologists currently estimate that one-third of the world's population - 2 billion people - is currently infected with the TB bacillus. The disease kills more people than any other infectious disease.
"TB is an entirely treatable and curable disease, yet every four seconds someone becomes infected with TB and every ten seconds someone dies from TB. The lesson we need to learn, and learn quickly, is that if you carry on doing what you're doing, you'll carry on getting what you get," states Dr. Dave Clark, Aurum's Executive Director - Operations. "The moment I reviewed the results of Guardian's Signature Mapping, on a set of case studies I provided, I knew I had found a new way of carrying on in the detection of TB. What I didn't know until I delved further into the technology was the immense impact the technology could have on the detection and quantification of disease states in both TB and malaria. Success in the analysis of sputum and blood samples could potentially provide real time diagnosis leading to real time treatment, in remote areas, where it could be weeks before test results would be determined."
Although TB infections are less widespread and uncommon in the United States and other developed countries, nationwide health concerns were triggered earlier this year when a United States citizen flew on a commercial airline while infected with a drug-resistant strain of the disease. Such examples highlight the vulnerability of western populations and need for continued improvements.
Malaria is a major threat to 40% of the world's population - approximately 2.5 billion people - mostly those living in the poorest countries. WHO estimates that 1.5 million people die each year from the disease, although the fatalities could be as high as 3 million annually. More than 500 million people become severely ill with malaria every year, 90% of the cases are in Africa, where one out of every five children dies from the disease. Unfortunately, drug therapies exist to reverse these statistics; however delivery of the therapies is severely hampered by the extended process of detection.
Malaria, as in TB diagnostics, Guardian's Signature Mapping imaging technology has, based upon our study, been shown to automate the identification, detection and measurement of the parasites that cause malaria in blood samples, automatically, with far higher sensitivity and accuracy than possible under current medical laboratory techniques.
About Aurum Institute
DEDICATED TO IMPROVING THE UNDERSTANDING AND TREATMENT OF TB, HIV/AIDS, AND WORKPLACE DISEASE IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES. OUR DEDICATED PROFESSIONALS ARE COMMITTED TO PROVIDING THE BEST CARE.
The Aurum Institute for Health Research is an independent medical scientific organisation for the treatment of and research into epidemic and other diseases in developing countries. The negative impact of the poor understanding and management of these epidemics is vast, affecting individuals, communities and economies. The recognition of the huge advantages of controlling these diseases is Aurum's motivation.
Aurum has an international reputation for its work in the fields of tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and is the recipient of research and other grants from South African and international agencies and institutions for this work.
About Guardian Technologies International
The impact of Guardian's industry-first computer aided detection technologies are immediate and profound for helping to eliminate human error in both the Homeland Security and the Medical Industry sectors. The Company's software solutions can be seamlessly installed to compliment existing imaging devices, such as baggage scanners and medical MRI, to scan the contents of any image and immediately identify items of interest not easily discernable by the human eye.
* Airport Security: Guardian's technology compliments and enhances current-generation baggage x-ray scanners with the ability to automatically and effectively detect, locate, and identify explosives and other types of threats.
* Disease Identification: Existing medical imaging devices used in Computer Aided Detection (CAD) are further improved with Guardian's auto-diagnostic ability to detect anomalous tissue (e.g., tumors) and other potential disease states or conditions.
* Technology-Independence: Because Guardian's technologies utilize and process the actual image output generated by the original imaging systems, virtually any existing or future imaging device can be upgraded with Guardian's products, delivering an instant, multi-billion dollar potential customer base with no competition.
Guardian's technology and product development partnerships include a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRDA) with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security- Science and Technology Directorate. The Company's platform and product suite is protected by a robust patent portfolio. They are also ramping up new technologies and plan to acquire complementary technologies to accelerate the Company's high-growth business model.
For investor-specific information and resources, visit http://www.trilogy-capital.com/tcp/guardian.
To view current stock quotes and news, visit http://www.trilogy-capital.com/tcp/guardian/quote.html.
To view an investor fact sheet about the company, visit http://www.trilogy-capital.com/tcp/guardian/factsheet.html.
Forward Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements in this document and those made from time to time by Guardian through its senior management are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements reflect the Company's current views with respect to the future events or financial performance discussed in this release, based on management's beliefs and assumptions and information currently available. When used, the words "believe," "anticipate," "estimate," "project," "should," "expect," "plan," "assume" and similar expressions that do not relate solely to historical matters identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements concerning future plans or results are necessarily only estimates and actual results could differ materially from expectations. Certain factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, among other things, in particular, the size and timing of contract awards, performance on contracts, performance of acquired companies, availability and cost of key components, unanticipated results from audits of the financial results of the Company and acquired companies, changing interpretations of generally accepted accounting principles, outcomes of government reviews, developments with respect to litigation to which we are a party, potential fluctuations in quarterly results, dependence on large contracts and a limited number of customers, lengthy sales and implementation cycles, market acceptance of new or enhanced products and services, proprietary technology and changing competitive conditions, system performance, management of growth, dependence on key personnel, ability to obtain project financing, general economic and political conditions and other factors affecting spending by customers, the unpredictable nature of working with government agencies and other risks, uncertainties and factors including those described from time to time in Guardian's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including without limitation, Guardian's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006, and its quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. Guardian expressly disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements.
Contacts
Guardian Technologies International, Inc. Richard Borrelli, 703-464-5495 info@guardiantechintl.com
or
Aurum Institute, Johannesburg, Tel: +27-0-11-638-2253 Management & HIV Prevention Programme Fax: +27-0-11-638-2179 Human Resources, Thibela TB & Health Economics Fax: +27-0-11-638-2502 HIV/AIDS Care Programme & PEPFAR Fax: +27-0-11-638-2608 www.auruminstitute.org
or
Investor Relations Trilogy Capital Partners Ryon Harms, 800-592-6067 info@trilogy-capital.com
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