When it comes to healthcare companies, the vast majority are pursuing diseases that receive a lot of publicity due to their high fatality rates. That is not to say that those illnesses don’t represent a great area of unmet medical need, as they certainly do, but there are countless other diseases and ailments from which people suffer as well that don’t find themselves on the top of the statistic charts each year, despite being widely-recognized.
For example, Ventrus Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:VTUS) is focused on gastrointestinal disorders primarily hemorrhoids, anal fissures, and fecal incontinence. While not necessarily typical table talk, the disorders represent a vast area of unmet medical need as there are no prescription medications to help the afflicted. Point being, from both a business and humanitarian standpoint, a focus on other medical conditions may slip under the radar of much of the investment community, but still can represent a strong opportunity.
Allezoe Medical Holding (OTCBB:ALZM), a company engaged in acquiring high-quality and in demand medical products, solutions and services, took a step today to direct some attention to another widely-known and troublesome illness that can end-up reaping deadly repercussions, Human Papillomavirus (HPV). The Company has agreed to acquire patent-pending technology (as well as all related IP and existing prototype) from Texas-based Aequorea Vision Medical that enables healthcare provides to "see and treat" HPV, the most common sexually transmitted infection and cause of cervical cancer.
This new addition will pad the portfolio of Allezoe, who has been quiet outside of revamping its board and executives, since announcing in May that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Organ Transport Systems, Inc., has expanded research on its LifeCradle® HR device for donor heart preservation to include collaboration with Duke University Medical Center.
Allezoe plans to form a new wholly-owned subsidiary to finish development of acquired device, seek regulatory approval (510k) and market the technology and device. According to Allezoe, the device outperforms traditional PAP smear tests that are standard issue today for detection as it can detect HPV lesions with a 98 percent accuracy by showing cell damage to healthcare workers so it can be treated instantly.
Infecting both men and women, more than 40 types of HPV exist presently affecting roughly 20 million Americans with estimates gauging that 5.5 million more will contract the HPV through sexual contact each year.
In a show of HPV’s staggering presence, Time.com states that approximately 40% of girls become infected with HPV within two years of becoming sexually active. By age 50, 80% of women will have had the virus at some point, though many have no symptoms.
Currently, HPV causes 70% of the 11,000 cases of cervical cancer diagnosed in women each year in the U.S. alone.
Shares of ALZM have been on a slow and steady climb since falling from $2.60 in May to touch $0.34 in June. Trading today provided 679,000 shares in volume with the stock price closing at $0.71, up 1.43% from Monday’s close.
