Xechem International Announces Hiring of a Managing Director for Xechem Pharmaceuticals Nigeria BusinessWire - December 18, 2006 12:41 PM ET
Related Quotes Symbol Last Chg XKEM Trade 0.0187 +0.0004 Quotes delayed at least 15 minutes
Xechem International, Inc. (OTC BB: XKEM) today announced that it has appointed Mr. Iretiolu Oniyide Managing Director of its Xechem Pharmaceuticals Nigeria Ltd. subsidiary. Mr. Oniyide, born in Nigeria and currently a resident of the United States, was selected for his high-level experience in pharmaceuticals, banking and government after an exhaustive, international search. He will relocate to Nigeria to head up this critical operation.
Dr. Ramesh Pandey, Chairman and CEO of Xechem International, stated, "We are very pleased with Mr. Oniyide's decision to take on this key position for Xechem Nigeria as we prepare for full-scale production of NICOSAN(TM), our groundbreaking new treatment for Sickle Cell Disease, at our new Abuja manufacturing facility. He brings a wealth of experience from a 30-year distinguished career in banking and pharmaceuticals, including three years as Chief Operating Officer of a pharmaceutical start-up company. He brings the necessary tools for the hard work ahead of us, with a unique vision, creativity and understanding of the plight of the 4 million Sickle Cell patients in Nigeria.
"Besides his strong background working with multinational corporations, their boards and officers on a wide range of disciplines including management, operations, finance, lending and business consulting, Mr. Oniyide is a former gubernatorial candidate in Nigeria who understands the intricate workings of industry and government necessary to bring our NICOSAN(TM) product from the small scale stage to mass production. He will be taking over from Col. Bhuwan Pandey, Vice President of Xechem International Operations, who has magnificently shepherded the NICOSAN(TM) project and Xechem Nigeria in Abuja since the inception of this project in 2002."
Mr. Oniyide holds a B.Sc. in Economics and International Business from New York University and an MBA in International Business from Adelphi University.
Mr. Oniyide said, "I am excited about the prospects of this challenging position, bringing a complex pharmaceutical product to full scale production. More importantly, it provides me a unique opportunity to give back to my community and provide a much needed product to end the suffering of many of my fellow citizens. I hope to live up to the high standards established by Col. Bhuwan Pandey."
Xechem Nigeria is presently engaged in small scale production of NICOSAN(TM), the first new product in decades to successfully treat the symptoms of Sickle Cell Disease. According to Dr. Pandey, "The expansion of our facility for the manufacture and delivery of NICOSAN(TM) to the millions of needy sufferers in Nigeria is our first and foremost directive".
Professor Soji Adelaja, John A. Hannah Distinguished Professor and Director of the Land Policy Institute at Michigan State University and Xechem International and Xechem Nigeria Board member, said, "Ireti is a seasoned leader who will bring much needed leadership to this new phase of Xechem Nigeria's evolution. The Company is doing everything in its power to organize the resources to put in place a full scale production facility and Ireti's background in the financial industry will help tremendously," Dr. Adelaja continued and said: "Raising the funds from the international community for a Nigerian-based operation designed primarily to service the Nigerian market is subject to all the challenges of the marketplace, but we are determined to make this vision a reality."
Nigeria's Minister of Health, Professor Eyitayo Lambo, said, "We are very supportive of the efforts of Xechem Nigeria to move from a small scale to a full scale production facility, which once completed, will provide hope for millions of Sickle Cell sufferers. We welcome the addition of Mr. Oniyide as Managing Director. He brings an intimate knowledge of the community and pharmaceuticals to Xechem Nigeria."
Nigeria's Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Turner Isoun, stated, "We are all proud of Xechem Nigeria, particularly of Dr. Ramesh Pandey, who has developed the necessary state-of-the-art facilities in the Science Village, SHESTCO, Abuja, to bring NICOSAN(TM), a phytopharmaceutical product from natural plant extracts found in Nigeria, to combat Sickle Cell Disease, one of the most debilitating diseases on the continent and throughout the world."
About Xechem
Posted by 10of13 on :
Seems to be gaining a little with the news... Not in just watching it..
Posted by GreenDay on :
Is the Nigeria Faculity up and running "full scale" yet?
Posted by Jo4321 on :
XKEM (.02) Update From The Recent 10th Annual NYSSA Biotech Conference
Business Wire "US Press Releases "
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Xechem International, Inc. (OTC BB: XKEM) announced today that Xechem was well received and applauded for Dr. Pandey's work in developing and bringing to market the best treatment in 30 years to relieve the suffering of patients from Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) in Nigeria and throughout the world at the 10th Annual New York Society of Security Analysts Biotech Conference, December 12th/13th, 2006. Some of the highlights given by Dr. Pandey at the conference were: revenues in the first year of full production are estimated to be in the $30 million range, with a 3 to 5 year outlook of $75 - $100 million in Nigeria alone, assuming current pricing and further premised upon Xechem procuring necessary financing, receiving continued regulatory approval from Nigeria and completing construction of the Nigeria manufacturing plant; Worldwide market for Sickle Cell treatment is believed to be 16-18 million patients, with 10 million in Africa; the Nigerian government has raised the priority of Sickle Cell Disease to number two following AIDS at number one. They have also stated that the Nigerian Government will help pay for the treatment of those individuals that cannot pay for NICOSAN(TM). Dr. Pandey's presentation can be accessed through the Xechem Web Site at www.xechem.com.
Dr. Pandey introduced the new Managing Director for Xechem Pharmaceutical Nigeria, Mr. Iretiolu Oniyide, who comes to the Company with a distinguished career in the banking and pharmaceutical fields for over 30 years.
Xechem is also preparing an IND application to the FDA for US clinical trials to begin on HEMOXIN(TM) which is the name of NICOSAN(TM) for the US and Europe. Five US hospitals have agreed to take part in the clinical trials. UMDNJ, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, SUNY-Brooklyn, Thomas Jefferson and Howard University hospitals. The opening of new Xechem offices in the UK will enable future clinical trials in Europe.
About Xechem
Xechem International is a development stage biopharmaceutical company working on Sickle Cell Disease (SCD), antidiabetics, antimalarials, antiviral (including AIDS), anticancer, antifungal and antibacterial products from natural sources, including microbial and marine organisms. Its primary focus is on the development of proprietary technologies, including those used in the treatment of orphan diseases. Xechem's mission is to bring relief to the millions of people who suffer from these diseases. Its recent focus and resources have been directed primarily toward the development and launch of NICOSAN(TM) (named HEMOXIN(TM) for the US and Europe) for the prophylactic management of Sickle Cell Disease (SCD). With the recent limited Nigerian regulatory approval of NICOSAN(TM), Xechem is now scaling-up the commercialization of the drug in Nigeria and making preparations for the pursuit of US FDA and European regulatory approval. In addition to NICOSAN(TM), Xechem is also working on another sickle cell compound, 5-HMF, which it has licensed from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU).
Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains certain forward looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 as amended, and section 21E of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which are intended to be covered by safe harbors created hereby. Such forward looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties.
Source: Xechem International, Inc.
Posted by dollar13 on :
going up WOW.
LOL
Posted by Jo4321 on :
Hey now, slow and steady wins the race.....
Posted by dollar13 on :
ARCA had a basket full at 0.0229
Posted by dollar13 on :
nice 0.0234
Posted by dollar13 on :
19% so far
Posted by Redwinger on :
geesh, good run Posted by RichBy26 on :
I'm in on this dip!
Posted by dollar13 on :
ARCA pos
LOL
Posted by J_U_ICE on :
Posted by: bigdaddyc25 In reply to: None Date:12/20/2006 7:12:33 PM Post #of 74367
***HUGE NEWS*****
Guys look at this. Looks like more is going on than we think.
We expect sales of between $240 million and $288 million per year in Nigeria in the next three to five years. Then we plan to market the drug in all African countries because there are no other drugs on the market.
Hello!?!?
Posted by money 76 on :
wow this is huge for xkem
stock should go back higher than before.
would touch a dollar or more be next year end.
Posted by doling2005 on :
This stock is going MUCH higher folks...it'll be a quarter before it hits the US market IMO
"Xechem is also preparing an IND application to the FDA for US clinical trials to begin on HEMOXIN(TM) which is the name of NICOSAN(TM) for the US and Europe. Five US hospitals have agreed to take part in the clinical trials. UMDNJ, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, SUNY-Brooklyn, Thomas Jefferson and Howard University hospitals. The opening of new Xechem offices in the UK will enable future clinical trials in Europe."
Posted by BooDog on :
Might have to pay more attention to this. lol. getting some fda approval or even start getting some results or partial results from the trials should spin this up pretty good.
Posted by mizzou7 on :
Not with the current O/S and A/S...
quote:Originally posted by doling2005: This stock is going MUCH higher folks...it'll be a quarter before it hits the US market IMO
"Xechem is also preparing an IND application to the FDA for US clinical trials to begin on HEMOXIN(TM) which is the name of NICOSAN(TM) for the US and Europe. Five US hospitals have agreed to take part in the clinical trials. UMDNJ, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, SUNY-Brooklyn, Thomas Jefferson and Howard University hospitals. The opening of new Xechem offices in the UK will enable future clinical trials in Europe."
Posted by Lockman on :
Chart looks good, but the pps didn't move much on 580,000 buy. Is this deluted.
Lock
Posted by BooDog on :
"Not with the current O/S and A/S..."
Do agree with you mizzou. will probably take a rs or some VERY very good news to attract major buyers. by the time they get closer to fda approval maybe they will have thought of that.
Posted by BooDog on :
quote:Originally posted by Lockman: Chart looks good, but the pps didn't move much on 580,000 buy. Is this deluted.
Lock
imo without a doubt. mainly through their bigtime sponsor chaseman. (spelling) check the threads.
Posted by Redwinger on :
quote:Originally posted by BooDog: "Not with the current O/S and A/S..."
Do agree with you mizzou. will probably take a rs or some VERY very good news to attract major buyers. by the time they get closer to fda approval maybe they will have thought of that.
Ya, they'd need a R/S. But since they just approved the A/S this last shareholders meeting, they prolly wouldn't do a R/S that fast.
But maybe I'm wrong. 3 Billion in O/S does look kinda lame
Red
Posted by dollar13 on :
Ya, they'd need a R/S.
LMAO
Posted by BooDog on :
Their approval is still pretty far off IMO plenty of time.
Posted by Sally77 on :
Nice movement today for such a terrible stock by all of your standards. Why wait for approval when there is money to be made now?
Posted by JL on :
XKEM might see .03s next week.
Posted by dollar13 on :
WALL AT .025
Posted by BooDog on :
quote:Originally posted by Sally77: Nice movement today for such a terrible stock by all of your standards. Why wait for approval when there is money to be made now?
good for some flips while we wait, no doubt Sally - Cheers!
Posted by doling2005 on :
I have seen this PR on at laest half a dozen stocks this year, none of them ( buyouts ) ever happened!. maybe a scam to pump up the price and volume so large holders can bail!! would not put to mutch "stock" in this so called news! JMO!! do what you feel!
Posted by jos_tul on :
quote:Originally posted by madmoney:
quote:Originally posted by jos_tul: How about this ?.. ... This may be a scam...
I have seen this PR on at laest half a dozen stocks this year, none of them ( buyouts ) ever happened!. maybe a scam to pump up the price and volume so large holders can bail!! would not put to mutch "stock" in this so called news! JMO!! do what you feel!
So many people have got on board due to this rumor..they just trust some .pt website...the buy based on their own risk...so many scams...this buy out looks like 1 among those scam
Posted by doling2005 on :
This is contributing to the move
"Xechem is also preparing an IND application to the FDA for US clinical trials to begin on HEMOXIN(TM) which is the name of NICOSAN(TM) for the US and Europe. Five US hospitals have agreed to take part in the clinical trials. UMDNJ, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, SUNY-Brooklyn, Thomas Jefferson and Howard University hospitals. The opening of new Xechem offices in the UK will enable future clinical trials in Europe."
Posted by J_U_ICE on :
Xechem CEO, In Wide-Ranging UPI Interview, Discusses for-Profit Model for Delivering Critically-Needed Drugs for African Market Business Wire - January 03, 2007 10:03 Dr. Ramesh Pandey, CBS/MarketWatch Readers Choice CEO Of Year, Lays out Plans for $250+ Million in Sales of New Sickle Cell Drug
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J., Jan 03, 2007 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Xechem International, Inc. (OTCBB: XKEM), Dr. Ramesh Pandey, president and CEO of Xechem International, was interviewed at length by United Press International (UPI) recently on his plans to manufacture and market the first new treatment for Sickle Cell Disease in decades in Nigeria. Sickle Cell Disease threatens the lives of 4 million Nigerians, as well as 80,000 Americans and many millions more worldwide.
The interview, which follows, can be found at:
http://www.upi.com/HealthBusiness/view.php?StoryID=20061221- 033418-3614r.(Due to the length of this URL, it may be necessary to copy and paste it into your Internet browser's URL address field. You may also need to remove an extra space in the URL if one exists.)
UPI Interview: Into Africa: Xechem CEO
WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 (UPI) -- United Press International interviewed Dr. Ramesh Pandey, an Indian-born medicinal chemist who founded his own company after years of working for large pharmaceutical companies, with this mission statement: make needed drugs that no one else would make.
More than 20 years later, Xechem, his New Jersey-based company, holds lucrative patents on drugs like paclitaxel, a cancer treatment derived from the Yew tree.
After a chance meeting with Nigerian officials, Xechem has opened one of the most state-of-the-art pharmaceutical plants in Africa. The factory churns out Nicosan, the first non-toxic treatment for sickle-cell anemia, a disease that afflicts about 16 million individuals primarily of African descent worldwide.
For his work, he has been awarded the Reader's Choice CBS/MarketWatch CEO of the Year award, and immortalized in a song written by Martin Luther King Jr.'s niece. But despite all this, he says, there is still more work to be done.
Q: How did you end up working on drugs for orphan diseases?
A: I was working at Abbott Laboratories, working on antibiotics and cancer treatments that cost $3 million, $4 million or $5 million per kilogram. Then I was approached by a company called Lyphomed to help them develop a generic version of the drug vancomycin (an antibiotic used to treat severe infections). The only company making the drug was Eli Lilly, and their patent had been expired for five years. Nobody in China, India, anywhere, was making the drug.
I wasn't sure at first if I could make the drug, but after three and a half years we developed a version. We founded Xechem and the charter was to make drugs not available anywhere else on the market. We put our generic into production in Copenhagen and Japan. We made our money back in less than two weeks. My entire life changed.
Q: You bought out Xechem from its parent company in 1990, but as the company prepared for its first public offering, an untimely patent extension granted to another firm sent the stock into freefall. Can you describe your meeting with a Nigerian delegation in search of a sickle-cell anemia drug that turned things around for you?
A: Until that time, I had no idea what sickle-cell disease was. I overheard someone from the delegation saying 'We have a drug for sickle-cell disease but nobody wants to put up money.' I said, 'I want it.' At the time, there was no non-toxic drug for the disease.
The Nigerians said 'Westerners come here, take things and never come back. Can you set up a factory here?' I went to Nigeria and saw there was a lot of opportunity there. I agreed to build a factory.
We are currently marketing the drug in Nigeria and we plan to bring the drug to the United States -- where 80,000 people have sickle-cell anemia -- to increase its credibility.
Q: Most of the attention goes to efforts to donate drugs to people in low-income countries. But you have built a successful model based on selling to the Nigerian market. How does it work?
A: Nigeria has a population of 130 million people. Like in every country, there are rich and poor people. It is very cheap to manufacture things there, and many people can afford to buy the treatment.
Right now, the problem is that demand for the drug is greater than what we can produce. Other countries have sent delegations to tour our factory.
Especially when the government is in the picture, I think it makes a lot of sense to develop things in those countries. We are making history. I think there's a tremendous opportunity to help people.
Q: What is it like to operate in Nigeria?
A: People have a very bad image of Nigeria and other African countries; we've helped to change that. If you come there, you can see that what we have built is as good as anywhere else. People will change their impression and say yes, things can be done in these countries.
One problem we have encountered is that often, once people are trained, they leave. We have decided to start classes at Nigerian universities to ensure a supply of trained workers.
(These countries) are looking for people like us who can help build. Criticism won't help anybody get anywhere.
Q: Where do you plan to market the drug next?
A: We expect sales of between $240 million and $288 million per year in Nigeria in the next three to five years. Then we plan to market the drug in all African countries because there are no other drugs on the market.
We also have orphan drug status in the United States and the European Union.
About Xechem
Xechem International is a development stage biopharmaceutical company working on Sickle Cell Disease (SCD), antidiabetic, antimalarial, antibacterial, antifungal, anticancer and antiviral (including AIDS) products from natural sources, including microbial and marine organisms. Its focus is on the development of phyto-pharmaceuticals (Natural Herbal Drugs) and other proprietary technologies, including those used in the treatment of orphan diseases. Xechem's mission is to bring relief to the millions of people who suffer from these diseases. Its recent focus and resources have been directed primarily toward the development and launch of NICOSAN(TM) (to be marketed as HEMOXIN(TM) in the US and Europe). With the Nigerian regulatory approval now in hand, Xechem is now working on the commercialization of the drug in Nigeria and the pursuit of US FDA and European regulatory approval. In addition to NICOSAN(TM), Xechem is also working on another sickle cell compound, 5-HMF, which it has licensed from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU).
Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains certain forward looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which are intended to be covered by safe harbors created hereby. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties.
SOURCE: Xechem International, Inc.
Xechem International, Inc. Stephen Burg, Director, 707-425-8855
Copyright Business Wire 2007
Posted by BooDog on :
XECHEM INTL INC (OTC BB:XKEM.OB) Delayed quote data
Last Trade: 0.0250 Trade Time: 2:00PM ET Change: 0.0014 (5.93%) Prev Close: 0.024 Open: 0.024 Bid: 0.0250 x 5000 Ask: 0.0255 x 5000 1y Target Est: N/A
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Xechem International, Inc. (OTC BB: XKEM - News) announced today that Amalfi Research Group, Ltd. has recently completed a research report on the company. The entire comprehensive report and other relevant company information can be viewed at http://www.xkem.octrader.net or call 1-800-277-9081 for additional information. Amalfi Research Group, Ltd. is a provider of market intelligence, analytical reports, and strategic advisory services for the capital markets, with primary focus on emerging small cap organizations.
XECHEM INTERNATIONAL INC Files SEC form 8-K, Other Events
"...As of December 31, 2006, Xechem has paid Alembic $1,000,000 of the principal amount due plus interest in the amount of $190,000 on the New Note. The Remaining Balance of the New Note ($2,000,000) plus interest and penalty of approximately $250,00 is due on or before December 31, 2006. According to the Termination of Agreements, if the Remaining Balance and interest is not paid on or before December 31, 2006, subject to written notice from Alembic and a right to cure within 10 days as set forth in the New Note, Xechem will be in breach of the Termination of Agreements and the New Note.
Xechem did not pay the amounts due Alembic on December 31, 2006. Xechem and Alembic have been in negotiations regarding an extension of the Maturity Date. Pursuant to a Letter Agreement, dated January 4, 2007, the parties agreed to extend the Maturity Date to January 31, 2007. The parties may extend the Maturity Date further, pending additional negotiations of an extension agreement and the successful completion of due diligence."
Posted by pick em low on :
Get over this stock.... I've watched it for years and it constantly R/S look at chart.... it was like $21,000 a share adjusted for splits years ago.... so you lost 99.999999999999999999999% of your money if you held
Posted by BooDog on :
I reposted what had alreaddy been posted above - but this time it was tied with a PR.
No doubt pick em - gotta watch out for those sneaky RS's. I've held a position here for some time now - any hint of a RS and i'm gone - i'll pull my 20 shares out so fast scottrade won't know what the flash was.
Posted by Sally77 on :
quote:Originally posted by pick em low: Get over this stock.... I've watched it for years and it constantly R/S look at chart.... it was like $21,000 a share adjusted for splits years ago.... so you lost 99.999999999999999999999% of your money if you held
A few things have changed with Xechem since "years ago." There is a lot more to trading than just chart reading.
You get over it and find a different board to post on. Not in? Don't spin.
Posted by KP on :
quote:Originally posted by BooDog: I reposted what had alreaddy been posted above - but this time it was tied with a PR.
No doubt pick em - gotta watch out for those sneaky RS's. I've held a position here for some time now - any hint of a RS and i'm gone - i'll pull my 20 shares out so fast scottrade won't know what the flash was.
XKEM is a great player! They are just another company trying to keep things going amidst the short selling. I held this stock last summer and did quite well with it. Lots of people with sickle cell D and they are a hopeful company. I am going in again at the dip with a good pinch this time around. Lots of good press lately and their conver/diver holds strong even at these levels. Pills take time, no matter how you ingest it. Posted by Mambo7 on :
holding good today!
Posted by Mambo7 on :
0.0262
Posted by Mambo7 on :
this is a good day for XKEM
Posted by KP on :
[
quote:Originally posted by pick em low: Get over this stock.... I've watched it for years and it constantly R/S look at chart.... it was like $21,000 a share adjusted for splits years ago.... so you lost 99.999999999999999999999% of your money if you held
Above was suppossed to be in place of what was input below. Sorry BooDog...I think that was a long evening.
QUOTE]Originally posted by KP:
quote:Originally posted by BooDog: I reposted what had alreaddy been posted above - but this time it was tied with a PR.
No doubt pick em - gotta watch out for those sneaky RS's. I've held a position here for some time now - any hint of a RS and i'm gone - i'll pull my 20 shares out so fast scottrade won't know what the flash was.
XKEM is a great player! They are just another company trying to keep things going amidst the short selling. I held this stock last summer and did quite well with it. Lots of people with sickle cell D and they are a hopeful company. I am going in again at the dip with a good pinch this time around. Lots of good press lately and their conver/diver holds strong even at these levels. Pills take time, no matter how you ingest it. [/QUOTE]
Posted by BooDog on :
Cheers KP.
Posted by Mambo7 on :
Momentum Indicators Trend 10 Day Trend Bullish
40 Day Trend Bullish
100 Day Trend Bearish
STOCHASTICS: Overbought RSI: Overbought MACD: Bullish
Posted by GreenDay on :
Xkem's getting so boring, like paint drying. When can we see some revenues? that'll be more fun
Posted by J_U_ICE on :
Local heroes Feb 1st 2007 From The Economist print edition
Good science does get done in Africa, though it tends to go unnoticed
AFRICA is where researchers go to carry out exotic fieldwork—at least, that is a common presumption in rich countries. It is a useful place for studying elephant behaviour and discovering early hominid remains; then the scientists return home, write papers and enjoy the kudos of getting them published in oft-cited journals.
This, however, is only part of the picture. Nigeria, for instance, has about 40% of the world's sickle-cell-anaemia patients. Last July, a drug company called Xechem Nigeria started selling a new medicine for the disorder. This medicine, Nicosan, had been developed by the country's pharmaceutical research institute. And, at a more esoteric level, the Southern African Large Telescope, located in South Africa's semi-desert Karoo region, is the joint-biggest such instrument in the world.
Despite these successes, many African scientists feel neglected by their politicians who, they suspect, do not understand that geeks as well as businessmen are crucial to economic development. That, however, might be about to change. For the first time, the theme of the twice-yearly African Union Summit (held on this occasion in Addis Ababa) was science, technology and climate change. Although not everything went to plan (“I have a crisis meeting with ministers to discuss how they got beaten by soccer on the agenda,” read one speaker's BlackBerry message to The Economist) such a high-level discussion of the role that science can play in Africa's development was long overdue.
Though the summit's conclusions were limited (many decisions were put off until a re-match next month), that Africa's politicians are taking any notice at all of their continent's science is encouraging. It is, of course, possible to free-ride on the science and technology of others. But in Africa, as elsewhere, no one knows better than the locals exactly what technology needs to be created, and no one has a greater incentive to create it. Nor need such technology be of the unsophisticated kind often badged as “appropriate” by well-meaning outsiders. Appropriate technology can be very sophisticated indeed.
Brothers in arms The African Laser Centre, for example, is that most trendy of things, a virtual organisation. This means it can draw on talent from different countries without requiring people to move. One of its first projects is to design a laser-based gadget that can diagnose the condition of crops. For this project, the collaborators are a Ghanaian, Paul Buah-Bassuah, who works at the University of Cape Coast, and a South African, Hubertus von Bergmann, of the University of Stellenbosch.
Chlorophyll, the molecule that is at the heart of the process of photosynthesis, absorbs the short and long wavelengths of visible light (blue and red), and reflects the stuff in the middle (green). It is the absorbed wavelengths that are used for photosynthesis, so measuring the efficiency of that absorption gives an indication of a plant's health.
The device devised by Dr Buah-Bassuah and Dr von Bergmann contains a laser that produces blue light of the wavelength preferred by chlorophyll. In a healthy plant the energy from this light will, once it has been taken in by a chlorophyll molecule, be passed on to other molecules and used to make sugar. In a plant that is stressed by lack of water or nutrients, however, such a transfer of energy is harder to effect, and if the chlorophyll cannot pass its energy on, it simply re-radiates it—a process known as fluorescence.
When the laser in the device is shone onto a leaf or fruit through a fibre-optic cable, the light excites chlorophyll molecules inside the cells. Any fluorescent re-emissions travel back along the optical fibre to a detector that analyses both the amount and the nature of the fluorescence.
According to Dr von Bergmann, the amount of re-emitted light can vary by as much as 80% between a healthy and an unhealthy plant. The nature of the fluorescence is also important. The re-emitted light is not blue. Instead, it is a mixture of red and infra-red. The more infra-red light the mixture contains, the fewer functioning chlorophyll molecules there are in the leaf or fruit being examined.
Laser laboratories, virtual or otherwise, are still a rarity in Africa. The continent, however, does produce some of the world's top veterinary livestock research.
From the perspective of poor farmers, animal diseases can be placed into three categories. Some, such as Newcastle disease, for which H5N1 flu was first mistaken in Nigeria, reduce their assets by killing livestock. Others pose limits to their productivity. East Coast Fever, for instance, hits non-indigenous but meaty breeds of cattle harder than the scrawny, local zebu. That puts cattle farmers in the east and south of the continent, where the disease is endemic, on the horns of a dilemma when they choose which breeds to ranch.
It is the third category of disease, though, that is most economically devastating. This is the sort that shuts down farmers' access to their markets because the buyers are afraid of it spreading.
Rift-valley fever falls in this third category. For centuries, nomadic herders in areas now under the control of Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia and Sudan sold sheep and goats to customers across the Red Sea for sacrifice during the haj pilgrimage to Mecca. Until nine years ago, this trade involved millions of animals. But then, a massive outbreak of rift-valley fever led Saudi Arabia to impose a trade ban, and to buy more expensive Australian livestock instead.
Some scientists, such as Assaf Anyamba, from Kenya, are trying to tackle the problem by using satellite images to forecast how much rain will fall in various parts of the Horn of Africa. Eggs of the mosquito that transmits rift-valley fever must dry out and become wet once more if they are to develop into adults, so an accurate forecast of periodic flooding is the key to predicting where the disease will break out. That might help herders avoid those areas. But a vaccine would be better.
This is what Felicity Burt, of the University of the Free State, in Bloemfontein, South Africa, is trying to create. She has taken a virus called sindbis, which does not cause serious symptoms, and swapped the genes that code for its protein shell with a selection of those that do the same job for the rift-valley-fever virus. When her vaccine is injected into an animal, it causes the production of rift-valley viral proteins without the associated fever. The immune system can then learn to recognise those proteins, so that it can react rapidly if it encounters real rift-valley viruses.
So far, the vaccine seems to work well in mice—protecting them against infection. Whether it protects sheep has not yet been tested, although it certainly causes them to produce the appropriate antibodies. Unfortunately, that needs two inoculations, and an ideal vaccine would need only one. Nomadic herders, by definition, are rarely found in the same place twice, so tracking them down to give their animals a booster shot is difficult. One way to create a single-shot inoculation might be to insert extra or altered promoter elements–which switch genes on and off—into the sindbis virus's genetic material. That should increase the amount of rift-valley proteins made in an infected cell.
Such genetic modification is also finding a place in African crop science. Jennifer Thompson and Edward Rybicki, of the University of Cape Town, have developed a variety of maize that is resistant to maize-streak virus, another insect-borne disease (the culprits here are leaf-hoppers). Maize is not native to Africa, even though it now, for instance, occupies 90% of the cultivated land in Malawi. But since its arrival from the Americas in the early 1500s, a virus found in local grasses has evolved a way to attack it. In bad years, such as 2006, maize-streak virus can wipe out entire harvests. Plant breeders have tried for a quarter of a century to develop crops that are immune to the disease by crossing maize with partially resistant native grasses. Unfortunately, they have met little success. The pattern by which resistance genes are inherited has proved elusive.
Dr Thompson and Dr Rybicki's trick was to insert a modified viral gene into the maize. This gene encodes a mutated version of one of the proteins that the virus needs to copy itself. When expressed at high levels in a plant infected with maize-streak virus, the modified protein outcompetes the normal version, throwing a spanner into the works of viral assembly. That has been demonstrated in greenhouses, at least, by Panner Seeds, a seed supplier in Greytown, South Africa. And the trait has successfully passed itself down four generations of crop. If further crosses go well, field trials will take place later this year. Those would be the first such trials of a genetically modified crop in Africa, and if successful, this maize would be the first genetically modified crop created in a developing country—the first, it is to be hoped, of many.
Posted by dollar13 on :
Item 8.01. Other Events. On January 5, 2006, Xechem International, Inc. (the "Xechem") and its subsidiary, Xechem Pharmaceuticals Nigeria Ltd. ("Xechem Nigeria") received executed copies of a series of agreements with Alembic Limited ("Alembic"), dated as of December 22, 2005. For a description of the new agreements, see Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 6, 2006 (File No. 000-23788).
As part of these agreements, Xechem and Alembic agreed to terminate an old note in favor of a "New Note." Pursuant to the terms of the New Note, Xechem agreed to repay Alembic in full the outstanding principal and interest remaining from the New Note as follows: $1,000,000 to be paid on or before January 31, 2006 (the "Initial Payment"), with the balance (the "Remaining Balance") due on or before December 31, 2006. Furthermore, for every month beginning July 2006, in which any portion of the New Note remained unpaid, Xechem agreed to pay Alembic as additional consideration the sum of $16,600, for a total of up to $99,600. The New Note bears interest at the rate of 8%.
As of December 31, 2006, Xechem had paid Alembic $1,000,000 of the principal amount due plus interest in the amount of $190,000 on the New Note. The Remaining Balance of the New Note ($2,000,000) plus interest and penalty in the combined amount of approximately $250,000 was due on or before December 31, 2006. According to the Termination of Agreements, if the Remaining Balance and interest is not paid on or before December 31, 2006, subject to written notice from Alembic and a right to cure within 10 days as set forth in the New Note, Xechem would be in breach of the Termination of Agreements and the New Note.
Xechem did not pay the amounts due Alembic on December 31, 2006. Xechem and Alembic extended the Maturity Date, pursuant to a Letter Agreement, dated January 4, 2007, to January 31, 2007. Pursuant to a second Letter Agreement, dated January 31, 2007, the parties agreed to extend the Maturity Date to February 24, 2007. As consideration for the second extension, Xechem agreed to pay to Alembic, in reduction of the indebtedness due under the Note, the sum of $100,000. Pursuant to a third Letter Agreement, dated as of February 24, 2007 (executed March 1, 2007), the parties agreed to extend the Maturity Date to March 31, 2007. As consideration for the third extension, Xechem paid Alembic, in reduction of the indebtedness due under the Note, the sum of $100,000 on March 1, 2007, which payment was a condition to the extension.
Furthermore, the parties agree that if Xechem makes a principal payment to Alembic in reduction of the Note of not less than $1,000,000, together with accrued interest, on or before March 31, 2007, then the Maturity Date will be extended for an additional six months.
As of March 6, 2007, the Company borrowed $480,000 from Michael and Betsy Brauser, which amount bears simple interest at 8% per annum and is due and payable in six months.
Posted by dollar13 on :
MOVING A BIT
Posted by Redwinger on :
hmm, I guess I don't understand all these wordy things
MOVES by government to combat the Sickle Cell Anaemia would be enhanced when the planned manufacture of herbal sickle cell drugs in the country takes off.
According to the Managing Director of Xechem Pharmaceuticals Nigeria Limited, Iretiolu Oniyide, the company would commence increased production of the drug at an average of four million capsules daily by the middle of the year.
He said this was necessitated by the need to bring reprieve to the estimated four million Nigerians with sickle cell anaemia, the highest in the world.
The company is presently constructing an ultra modern rotary extractor, with the capacity to produce two to four million Nichosan capsules daily with support from the Nexim bank in Nigeria to the tune of $9.2 million.
Explaining how the drug works, he said, "Nichosan is a substance developed from four herbs and it is an anti-sickening agent that makes the body adjust back
to the normal flow of oxygen".
Although the drug had been in use since 1995, it only received NAFDAC certification in July 2006 and has been Okayed by the US Federal Drugs Agency.
"I am passionate about Nichosan because Nichosan is for us by us. By us in the sense that it was a recipe developed by Nigerian scientists. The efficacy level is at least 70 per cent when compared to orthodox medicine," he said.
Posted by CobyCo1 on :
Posted by Hitman on :
Scottrade is not allowing online buys/sells of XKEM ..... Not unusual
Posted by Sally77 on :
I know I just tried to scoop up some more. They are pissing me off.
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