ACCELERATING TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT

Acceleration of medical technology development is absolutely essential. In a recent New England Journal of Medicine special article "Translational and Clinical Science - Time for a New Vision." Dr. Elias Zerhouni - Director of the NIH stated:

"It is the responsibility of those of us involved in today's biomedical research enterprise to translate the remarkable scientific innovations we are witnessing into health gains for the nation"

The rest of the article outlines important policy initiatives that are intended to further accelerate translational research with an emphasis on facilitating interdisciplinary and team-based approaches to marshalling the complex resources required. This is especially important for the intrinsically interdisciplinary area of convergent/combination medical technologies and Duravest is developing a unique, innovative business model to directly address this problem (and opportunity).

Duravest made its first major acquisition in January of 2005 with a majority stake in Estracure, Inc. Estracure had completed its preclinical studies of estradiol-based coronary artery interventions back in 2001 and Duravest's acquisition resulted in substantially accelerating the company's core product - a next generation drug eluting stent (see diagram below).

Duravest accelerates medical technology development through a combination of factors:

1. Public transparency: Through a publicly-traded parent company, our subsidiaries need to minimize waste and maximize meaningful results for patients and shareholders alike.
   
   
2. Flexible financing: The public-traded parent model also facilitates rapid financing of its subsidiaries so that delays relating to cash-flow constraints and other financing-related barriers are more readily obviated.
   
   
3. Scientific support: Many privately-held early-stage and expansion-stage companies have medical and scientific advisory boards that are not fully independent of the scientific founder. The Duravest MAB/SAB is both of world-class stature and can truly apply independent and objective input to its subsidiaries.
   
   
4. Operational support: Duravest has developed relationships with best-of-breed professional services providers including accounting, auditing, legal, public relations and others which it can bring to the efficient benefit of its subsidiaries.
   
   
5. Exit Strategy support: Duravest has developed extensive relationships with most of the leading biotech, pharma, imaging and device companies in order to facilitate the transition from Duravest subsidiary to a full exit strategy sale. By bringing our private subsidiaries up to the standards of a publicly-reporting company, we provide these large companies with very attractive acquisition targets.

It is not only innovative technologies that are a part of Duravest but also an innovative business model that brings these technologies to the benefit of patients rapidly.