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Focus group testing with diabetes patients and physicians who treatdiabetes has identified a clear role for Naturlose in the management ofdiabetes. A series of focus group meetings were held in two U.S. cities. Thetesting included demographically diverse groups of both general practitionersand endocrinologists, as well as patients ranging from the age of 30 to 70.
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Patients, many of whom suffer side effects from current oral diabetesmedications, valued the safety of a natural product already approved for usein food. Patients expressed a preference for the soft chewable formulation,with the fast-dissolving oral and powdered forms ranking second and third,respectively. The convenience of meal-time dosing was also mentioned bypatients. Patients expressed a clear need for more information about diabetes.Many feared the long-term consequences of poor long-term control of bloodglucose and were eager to have practical advice on improving their health.
Physicians, who treat diabetes with multiple drugs, each acting at adifferent biochemical point to control blood sugar, were intrigued byNaturlose's novel mechanism of action. For physicians, drug choice was acomplex algorithm involving level of glucose control, tolerance to sideeffects, cost, and patient compliance. The consensus of the physicians wasthat with three of four of the most widely prescribed drugs to treat type 2diabetes, patient toleration of side effects limited their ability to achievethe glycemic control that they seek for their patients. Physicians expressedsignificant frustration with the ability of current medications to controlpatients' blood sugar to guideline-based goals, and saw value in being able toadd a safe new therapeutic approach to their arsenal.
Both patients and physicians expressed interest in the safety and efficacydata currently being developed for Naturlose in the Phase 3 trial. BecauseNaturlose is approved as a food ingredient and the food-grade sugar isavailable, both patients and physicians had the opportunity to taste Naturloseduring the focus group meetings. The sweet flavor had great appeal. Aftertasting Naturlose one general practitioner remarked, "We are all going tostart taking it."
Data from the national prescription audit of the diabetes category for2007 revealed 167,019,000 total prescriptions, with 58,015,000 newprescriptions. The diabetes category remained very active in 2007. Price leveland positioning on insurer and managed care formularies are important issuesthat manufacturers continuously address. Regardless of product launch date,the share of new prescriptions remains around 30%. More recent brand productlaunches with the largest marketing budgets show a higher share of newprescriptions. However, generics with recent launches are also showingyear-to-year prescription growth. As a result, significant opportunities existfor Spherix over the next several years.
Certain statements contained herein are "forward looking" statements asdefined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Because suchstatements include risks and uncertainties, actual results may differmaterially from those expressed or implied. Factors that could cause actualresults to differ materially from those expressed or implied include, but arenot limited to, those discussed in filings by the C
