IMI expands skin sterol research with study examining new cardiovascular disease markers

IMI expands skin sterol research with study examining new
cardiovascular disease markers 


TORONTO, Jan. 5  /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Predictive medicine company IMI
International Medical Innovations Inc. (TSX:IMI; Amex: IME) announced today it
will initiate a new clinical trial to evaluate the relationship between skin
sterol values and a variety of new and established coronary artery disease
(CAD) markers, including ankle/brachial blood pressure index (ABI) and vascular
compliance, in high-risk patients.

World-leading cardiologists, Drs. John Mancini, Sammy Chan and Jiri Frohlich,
of the University of British Columbia, in Vancouver, are co-principal
investigators of the study.

"This trial, with the range of markers it includes, will provide important new
data on skin sterol testing," said Dr. Brent Norton, President and CEO of IMI.
"We already know skin sterol correlates with the presence and extent of
coronary artery disease. This study could expand the scientific foundation of
our skin sterol technology, and show how it and other markers change in
response to various therapies."

"This trial will provide new information about the relationship between skin
sterol and emerging new markers, such as myeloperoxidase, and may point to
other applications for IMI's technology," said Dr. Mancini. "We may find that
using skin sterol in combination with one of these other markers is even more
accurate than current approaches for identifying individuals at risk of
cardiovascular disease. If it proves to be effective at measuring response to
various therapies, it could play a key role in the ongoing management of
patients' cardiac health."

About the Study

The study will be performed at Providence Hospital, in Vancouver, British
Columbia, which is affiliated with the University of British Columbia (UBC).
The trial will be conducted in collaboration with AtCor Medical Pty. Ltd, an
Australia-based company that specializes in cardiovascular diagnostic products,
and the university.

One hundred patients at high risk for cardiovascular disease not currently
taking cholesterol-lowering medication will be examined using PREVU(x) Point of
Care Skin Sterol Test, a non-invasive cardiovascular disease risk assessment
test, as well as the lab-processed format of the technology, PREVU(x) Skin
Sterol Test (LT). Another marker included in the trial is AtCor's SphygmoCor Px
Aortic BP Profile System, a tool that derives the calibrated blood pressure
waveform from radial artery blood pressure, which is also measured
non-invasively. Markers of inflammation, markers produced by fat cells, and
specialized lipid tests, among others, will also be included in the study.
Those patients who have received various therapies after baseline testing will
be examined again in six months.

About PREVU(x)

PREVU(x) Point of Care Skin Sterol Test, which does not require fasting or the
drawing of blood, tests the amount of sterol, or cholesterol, in the skin
tissue. Clinical studies have shown that as cholesterol accumulates on artery
walls it also accumulates in other tissues, including the skin. High levels of
skin sterol are correlated with higher incidence of CAD. PREVU(x) POC has been
approved for sale in Canada, the U.S. and Europe (as Cholesterol 1,2,3(TM)).

About IMI

IMI is a world leader in predictive medicine, dedicated to developing rapid,
non-invasive tests for the early detection of life-threatening diseases. IMI's
cardiovascular products, which are branded as PREVU(x) Skin Sterol Test, will
be marketed and distributed worldwide by McNeil Consumer Healthcare. The
company's cancer tests include ColorectAlert(TM), LungAlert(TM) and a breast
cancer test. IMI's head office is located in Toronto, and its research and
product development facility is at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.
For further information, please visit http://www.imimedical.com/.

This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements
involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which could cause the
Company's actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-
looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, the
lack of operating profit and availability of funds and resources to pursue R&D
projects, the successful and timely completion of clinical studies, the
successful development or marketing of the Company's products, reliance on
third-party manufacturers, the competitiveness of the Company's products if
successfully commercialized, the ability of the Company to take advantage of
business opportunities, uncertainties related to the regulatory process, and
general changes in economic conditions. In addition, while the Company
routinely obtains patents for its products and technology, the protection
offered by the Company's patents and patent applications may be challenged,
invalidated or circumvented by our competitors and there can be no guarantee of
our ability to obtain or maintain patent protection for our products or product
candidates.

Investors should consult the Company's quarterly and annual filings with the
Canadian and U.S. securities commissions for additional information on risks
and uncertainties relating to the forward-looking statements. Investors are
cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. IMI is providing
this information as of the date of this press release and does not undertake
any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this press
release as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. 

DATASOURCE: IMI International Medical Innovations Inc.



CONTACT: Company Contact: Sarah Borg-Olivier, Director, Communications,

T: [phone], ; U.S. Investor Contact: Andrea

Faville, The Investor Relations Group, T: [phone],

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