ACCENDRA HEALTH INC

ACCENDRA HEALTH INC is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development, and commercialization of vaccines and immune system stimulants. These are delivered to the skin using a needle-free technology called transcutaneous immunization (TCI). TCI utilizes Langerhans cells, which are antigen-presenting cells in the outer skin layers, to generate an enhanced immune response. This technology aims to improve the effectiveness of existing vaccines, enable new vaccines that require transcutaneous administration, and expand the global vaccine market. The company is developing two product applications: a needle-free vaccine patch and an immunostimulant (IS) patch. Currently, ACCENDRA HEALTH INC has four product candidates in development. One candidate targets the prevention of travelers' diarrhea, and three candidates target influenza. The specific product candidates include: a needle-free travelers' diarrhea vaccine patch; an IS patch designed to stimulate an immune response to small doses of a pandemic flu vaccine, which could extend vaccine supply during an influenza pandemic; a needle-free vaccine patch for seasonal flu; and an IS patch intended to boost the immune response of the elderly to the standard flu vaccine. None of these product candidates have received approval for commercial sale from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or comparable foreign agencies. In September 2007, the company presented data from a Phase 2 field trial for the travelers' diarrhea vaccine. This data indicated that individuals who received the vaccine before traveling to Mexico or Guatemala were significantly less likely to report clinically significant diarrhea. Out of 59 individuals who received the vaccine, only three reported moderate or severe diarrhea, compared to 23 out of 111 individuals who received a placebo, representing a 75 percent reduction (p=0.007). Furthermore, one of the 59 volunteers in the vaccine group reported severe diarrhea, versus 12 of the 111 in the placebo group, an 84 percent reduction (p=0.033).