Smallcap Recap Archives
May, 2005:Orphan Medical ... Wizzard Software ... BAB ... MDI ... Halozyme Therapeutics ... SonoSite ... Mantech ... CV Therapeutics ... SLS
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. . . New Parent for Orphan - Orphan Medical (Nasdaq:ORPH) has entered into an agreement to be acquired by Jazz Pharmaceuticals. Recently, Orphan reported record revenues for the quarter ended March 31, 2005. Orphan Medical develops and markets pharmaceuticals for inadequately treated and uncommon central nervous system diseases treated by specialist physicians. The lead product for the company is Xyrem, which is the first and only approved treatment for cataplexy associated with narcolepsy.

. . . Does your medication talk to you? More and more people are benefiting from prescription pill bottles which "talk" to the patient, allowing them to distinguish what type of medication is in the bottle and to hear critical information on dosage amounts and refill parameters. But the market for Rex-The talking pill bottle, made by Wizzard Software (OTCBB:WIZD), extends well beyond the visually-impaired. As the population ages, and as directions and labeling, become denser and more complex, the ability of talking pill bottles to tell people what to do may eliminate myriad drug errors, including fatal ones. Wizzard Software develops a range of products in the speech technology application market.

. . . Bagels are big. And while they are no longer just a New York phenomenon, bagels associated with the Big Apple are perceived to be superior. BAB (OTCBB:BABB) which offers Big Apple Bagels, benefits from the NY brand halo effect, though it is based in Iowa. Now BAB is opening the first Big Apple Bagels and Cousins Subs location in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The company operates, franchises, and licenses Big Apple Bagels ®, My Favorite Muffin ®, Brewster's ® Coffee and Jacob Bros. Bagels , and is looking at expanding in other locations in the Midwest.

. . . Volvo, a global leader in transportation-related products, has selected MDI (NASDAQ:MDII) in partnership with Diebold (NYSE:DBD) to manage the security operations of their global enterprise. The MDI/Diebold team will begin by constructing a state-of-the-art global security command and control center to monitor and manage Volvo's security data at its worldwide headquarters. A critical factor in Volvo's selection of the MDI solution was its ability to seamlessly integrate access control, alarm management, video assessment and systems control into a centralized management platform that is securely accessible to clients anywhere across the globe.

. . . New In Vitro Fertilization Product - Halozyme Therapeutics (Amex: HTI) received FDA clearance to market Cumulase for certain in vitro fertilization procedures. Cumulase provides the IVF specialist with a safer, purer and more reliable alternative to bovine and ovine extracts that are currently used to prepare oocytes before IVF during sperm injection. Halozyme received approval in late 2004 to market Cumulase throughout the European Union. The company has a number of agreements in place to distribute Cumulase worldwide.

. . . Ultrasound to Go - SonoSite (Nasdaq:SONO) announced the launch of its MicroMaxx(TM) ultrasound system, the company's third generation hand-carried ultrasound product. At less than eight pounds and the size of a laptop computer, the MicroMaxx system delivers image resolution and performance comparable to much larger and more costly ultrasound systems. MicroMaxx provides caregivers with more flexibility and efficiency in using ultrasound in both hospital and office-based settings. Citing performance improvements of this new system, Delafield Hambrecht recently upgraded to a buy.

. . . Becoming a high-end security player - Mantech (Nasdaq:MANT) was awarded a $23.9 million contract to provide advanced defensive technical security services to the U.S. Department of State. The contract represents a continuation of the company's 16 year relationship with the department of state. In 2004, Mantech's revenue increased 20%, and it continues to make progress in its goal of becoming a tier one industry player in the high-end Department of Defense, Intelligence Community, Department of State, Department of Homeland Security markets.

. . . New chest pain treatment - CV Therapeutics (NasdaqNM:CVTX) said its experimental Ranexa drug reduced the frequency of angina in a late-stage trial. The data could support the approval of Ranexa for the treatment of chronic angina. Angina, or chest pain, occurs when oxygen rich blood is prevented from reaching the heart because of blockage, and affects about 6.4 million people in the United States. If approved, Ranexa would be the first in a new class of anti-angina treatments in the United States in more than 25 years.

. . . Backed by a music legend - SLS International (OTCBB: SITI), a maker of sound systems for commercial, home entertainment and professional markets, announced that its revenue for the first quarter ended March 31 2005, was the highest in the company's 30 year history, and represented an increase of 61.6% over the fourth quarter of 2004. A leading driver of business in the near future is expected to be the launch of its Q-Line Silver home theater and surround sound music system in September 1, 2005. The system was developed in conjunction with Quincy Jones, music legend and a long-time professional user of SLS products. It is the first retail product that Quincy Jones has ever endorsed.