PART A: Upcoming Events

 

1. Telecom Israel 2002

 

The Israeli telecom market has, for a long time, been a target for investments from the world's leading hi-tech companies. International telecom giants understood it long ago, joined, and still join in the success.
The indicators of the Israeli telecom market, today, are wonderful by any standard - beginning with the cellular penetration rate, which is today over 80%, with monthly minute rate being among the world's highest (over 300 minutes per month), to the cable network, to which more than 90% of homes are connected, and which nowadays is becoming fully digital.
No doubt, Israel is a unique telecom phenomenon in the world.
A global crisis in the hi-tech industries, an especially severe world crisis in the telecommunication markets, and the international terror crisis - all of the above did not change the basic fact: the Israeli telecommunication market is a dazzling success story.
Telecom Israel 2002 is designed to draw focus to this success story.
In Telecom Israel 2002, the Israeli telecom industry will introduce its most recent innovations to the international telecom community.
The Telecom Israel 2002 events will include an International Exhibition, in which the world's biggest producers and leading service providers will participate, and a professional interdisciplinary conference, which will be comprised of key note speeches, panels, discussions and workshops, with the guidance and participation by leaders of the world telecommunication community, analysts, and regulators.

Telecom Israel 2002 will take place on November 4th-7th, 2002.

 

2. Bio-Tech Israel 2002 to Introduce Life Science Breakthroughs This Coming March

 

Israel’s first international biotechnology conference will take place in Tel Aviv on 20-21 March 2002 as part of National Biotechnology Week.  Bio-Tech Israel 2002 includes a Scientific Program comprising more than 40 presentations by leading life science researchers from Israel and by overseas presenters from the Serono Pharmaceutical Research Institute, AstraZeneca and Crucell.  Biotechnology has undergone dramatic growth in recent years, with Israeli scientists at the forefront of interdisciplinary fields such as bio-informatics, immunology and nano-technology, owing to Israel’s strength in cell biology, molecular biology, mathematics, physics and computer science.  Original research to be made public at the conference includes:  Nano-technology for detecting drug resistance in HIV patients from the Hebrew University, the next stage in DNA computing from Tel-Aviv University and Glycominds’ GlycoChip - the world’s first biochip for analyzing protein-glycan interactions.  For more information about the Scientific Program and abstracts please visit: http://www.kenes.com/biotech/scientific.htm.  (BioIsrael Communications31.01)

 

PART B: New products and innovations from Israel

 

B1. Biotechnology & Medical

 

3. Diabetes Vaccine Discovered at Weizmann

Scientists at the Weizmann Institute in Rehovot have developed the first successful vaccine for Type I diabetes. The vaccine blocks the immune system’s destruction of pancreatic beta cells in humans. The drug, DiaPep277, offers the possibility both of preventing the onset of the disease in those with a genetic risk and of halting its progression in those whose cells have already begun to die. With Phase II trials on DiaPep 277 successfully completed, Phase III trials are to begin in various centers around the world next year. Peptor Ltd. - the Rehovot biopharmaceutical company that purchased the rights - is planning to present an application to the US Food and Drug Administration in 2004. A team of researchers, led by Weizmann’s Irun Cohen, has worked more than 10 years on a small peptide fragment known as p277, despite skepticism among others in the field about its possible efficacy. Results on a mouse model were dramatic, and the team proceeded to show its efficacy on patients, 200 of who have been treated successfully so far here and in England, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Germany. Based on the results of their research, Peptor developed DiaPep 277. Cohen, Dr. Dana Elias (then a postdoctoral fellow at Weizmann and now vice president for research and development at Peptor), and colleagues reported on the clinical study performed at Hadassah-University Hospital in Jerusalem’s Ein Kerem by Itamar Raz, president of the Israel Diabetes Association and head of the hospital’s diabetes unit, in November 23^rd’s issue of the British journal The Lancet. (JP 11/23/01)

4. BGU Team Develops Sensor For Chemical Warfare Agents

A team at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Beersheba has developed a “dip stick” bio-sensor that monitors water supplies for agents of chemical and biological warfare. Robert Marks and his team from the Faculty of Engineering Sciences, the department of biotechnology engineering and the university’s Institute for Applied Biosciences, have created a bio-luminescent optical fiber probe that can be used to monitor chemical and biological warfare agents in water. Whole bacterial cells that have been genetically engineered to react to targeted toxins, such as pesticides, are part of the probe. While current systems for testing water can identify the presence of a chemical in a sample using sophisticated instrumentation, they cannot give bio-toxicity information unless they use fish or similar bacteria in sophisticated laboratories. Marks’ device is a self-contained system to which nothing needs to be added beyond the dip-stick-like probe itself. It uses specially formulated bacteria genetically engineered to produce light when they are exposed to chemicals that damage their genetic material (genotoxins). The bacteria are gel-coated onto one end of an exposed optical fiber, forming a sensitive chemical detector. When this bio-probe is inserted into a sample of water outdoors or in the lab, any genotoxins present in the water column cause the bacteria to glow. The light transmitted along the optical fiber is then measured by a sensitive photodetector. (JP 11/27/01)

5. Teva receives tentative FDA approval for generic anthrax drug

The anthrax panic has abated, but the US Administration is taking all possible precautions. In addition to procuring Bayer’s Cipro, an antibiotic treatment of anthrax, the US Food and Drug Administration has tentatively approved Ciprofloxacin, Teva (Nasdaq: TEVA)’s generic substitute for Cipro.

Teva noted that Cipro has annual US sales of approximately $950 million.

Final approval is not anticipated until the resolution of issues associated with Bayer’s December 2003 patent expiry date. Teva also noted that it expects there will be multiple competitors.

Teva had already received tentative approval for this drug from FDA under separate application through its acquisition of Novopharm.

While Teva is not expected to launch the drug before Bayer’s patent expires at the end of 2003, anything is possible. The fear of an anthrax attack still exists, and it is by no means clear that Bayer could supply the amount of anthrax treatment that would be required in an emergency.

This matter was raised two months ago, at the height of the anthrax panic in the US. US Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) demanded at the time that generic companies, including Teva, be permitted to manufacture generic versions of Cipro, Bayer’s ethical drug. Schumer proposed that five companies that had already developed a generic version of the drug be allowed to market it, due to the emergency situation.

The US administration had enough Cipro to treat two million cases for 60 days at the time. However, the US government speeded up its procurement of Cipro and Bayer boosted production of the drug by 25%. It is now estimated that US warehouses have enough of the drug to treat 3.5 million cases for two months. The quantity appears sufficient, but it is feared that it would not be enough in an emergency.

 

6. FDA approves Ron-Tech Medical surgical product

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Israeli start-up Ron-Tech Medical’s transvaginal ultrasound probe holder device, which provides a picture of the uterus during surgery, allowing surgeons to work based on an ultrasound picture.
A product developed by Israeli start-up Ron-Tech Medical received US Food and Drug Administration marketing approval. The transvaginal ultrasound probe holder device provides a picture of the uterus during surgery, allowing surgeons to work based on an ultrasound picture, rather than just by touch, as is currently done.

The device is designed for the gynecological clinics and surgeons performing all gynecological surgical interventions of the uterus for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.

According to company figures, the number of legal abortions worldwide is 26-31 million a year, and the number of uterine tests and treatments worldwide is 30 million a year.

The approved device is designed as part of a medical platform for gynecological surgery, and is now being manufactured on a regular basis. Ron-Tech said it was negotiating marketing and distribution agreements in its target markets with various companies in Israel and around the world

Ron-Tech Medical was founded in 1999 by gynecologist Prof. Ron Tepper. Private investors have invested $5 million in the Kfar Sava-based company to date.

 

7. Rotlex Optics unveils system for better testing of contact lenses

Israeli start-up Rotlex Optics has produced a unique device that provides an immediate profile of the entire contact lens. The company is negotiating a marketing cooperation agreement with Nidek, a Japanese company that develops contact lens testing equipment.

Rotlex Optics has invested $4 million to develop a unique system for testing contact and implant lenses. The company has signed a deal to sell its first 200 systems, to Nidek of Japan for $2 million. Rotlex Optics is based in the Rotem industrial park, near the Dimona Nuclear Research facility.

Rotlex Optics chairman Meir Avital says the system is highly advanced and has great marketing and sales potential. The company is negotiating a marketing cooperation agreement with Nidek. Rotlex plans to set up a plant to manufacture and assemble the system in Dimona, employing 100 people.

Rotlex Optics specializes in the development and manufacture of electro-optical systems for use in the quality assurance of glasses and contact lenses. The company has just completed the development and manufacture of a device which provides an immediate profile of the entire lens or surface in the form of a fringe pattern, consisting of 40,000 points across the lens. The product, the first of its kind in the world, will optimize each lens to meet the patient’s individual needs, the company says.

Avital says the device, called “Multi Mapper”, represents a qualitative jump in the measuring of ophthalmic lenses across the entire lens surface, and was especially designed for optometrists. The company invested 18 months and over $4 million to develop the device, in cooperation with Nidek, Avital says. Nidek is the industry leader in the development of lens measuring and processing equipment, as well as ocular surgical medical equipment. Nidek’s turnover is $500 million a year. 

Rotlex Optics has registered 20 international patents, some of which are applicable to other fields. The company’s customers include Johnson and Johnson (NYSE: JNJ), Polaroid (NYSE: PRD), Bausch and Lomb, Elcon, and Hoya Japan.

 

8. Teva Announces Final Approval for Fluoxetine 10, 20 & 40 Mg Capsules and Fluoxetine 10Mg Tablets

 

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (Nasdaq: TEVA) announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted final approval for Fluoxetine 10, 20 and 40 mg capsules and for Fluoxetine 10 mg tablets.
Teva now has approval for all Fluoxetine dosages, and will launch these new forms immediately.
Fluoxetine is the generic version of Eli Lilly’s antidepressant drug - Prozac®.
2001 brand sales of Fluoxetine capsules in the USA were approximately $ 2.1 billion and Fluoxetine 10mg tablets were approximately $ 80 million.
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., headquartered in Israel, is among the top 40 pharmaceutical companies and among the largest generic pharmaceutical companies in the world. Over 80% of Teva’s sales are in North America and Europe. The company develops, manufactures and markets generic and branded human pharmaceuticals and active pharmaceutical ingredients.
Safe Harbor Statement under the U. S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This release contains forward-looking statements, which express the beliefs and expectations of management. Such statements are based on current plans, estimates and expectations and involve a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause the Company’s future results, performance or achievements to differ significantly from the results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause or contribute to such regulatory environment and changes in the health policies and structure of various countries, acceptance and demand for new pharmaceutical products and new therapies, the impact of competitive products and pricing, the availability and pricing of ingredients used in the manufacture of pharmaceutical products, uncertainties regarding market acceptance of innovative products newly launched, currently being sold or in development, the impact of restructuring of clients, reliance on a strategy of acquiring companies and on strategic alliances, exposure to product liability claims, dependence on patent and other protections for our innovative products, fluctuations in currency, exchange and interest rates, operating results, and other factors that are discussed in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 20-F and the Company’s other filings with the U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

 

9. Odin Medical Novel Intraoperative MR Image Guidance Device Enhances Tumor Removal

 

Odin Medical Technologies announced that PoleStar N-10, the world’s only compact intraoperative Magnetic Resonance Image (iMRI) Guidance System for neurosurgery procedures, was used for the first time to acquire images during an orthopedic procedure.  The small, semi-portable iMRI device was initially designed for use by neurosurgeons in a standard operating room to assist them in achieving desired tumor removal and overcoming problems resulting from brain shift.  On 23 January, an orthopedic surgeon from Sheba Medical Center in Tel Aviv, Israel, performed the first interventional orthopedic procedure using the PoleStar in the O.R. to remove a lump from the ankle of a 55-year-old patient.  The FDA cleared the PoleStar N-10 iMRI System for obtaining three-dimensional images of the brain and extremities in a standard operating room.  The system also incorporates an FDA-cleared image guidance feature that allows orientation and reference information during intraoperative procedures.  Images from the PoleStar provide surgeons with a real-time view of the brain or extremities throughout surgery without changing their standard operating procedure. Surgeons can now evaluate surgical progress at any point during the operation and have the ability to remove lesions with exquisite precision.  Odin Medical Technologies (www.odinmed.com) develops, manufactures and commercializes intraoperative MR Image Guidance systems designed to improve surgical interventions with a special focus on minimally invasive procedures.  Located in Newton, MA, Odin Medical Technologies, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Israeli-based Company.  (Odin07.02)

 

B2. IT&T

 

10. NICE Releases New Telecommunications Monitoring System for Law Enforcement Agencies

 

NICE Systems released its new system for telecommunications monitoring, NiceTrack. NICE has over a decade of experience providing law enforcement, government and military agencies with mission critical applications for intelligence and national security. Intelligence experts designed NiceTrack to support the rapidly evolving telecommunications environment and to meet the special operational needs of law enforcement agencies. It is fully compliant with the latest lawful interception standards set by European Telecommunications Standards Institute, (ETSI) and the American Communications for Law Enforcement Act, (CALEA). NiceTrack is a complete solution providing monitoring, recording, information management, system administration, data analysis and reporting. It includes the ability to monitor and record a wide variety of media including fixed and mobile networks and voice and data communications. The system features a highly intuitive graphic interface that provides instant access to key information including a visual display of the location of cellular devices. NICE Systems (www.nice.com), headquartered in Ra’anana, Israel, is a worldwide leader of multimedia digital recording solutions, applications and related professional services for business interaction management. NICE products and solutions are used in contact centers, trading floors, air traffic control sites, CCTV security installations and government markets. NICE’s synergistic technology platform enables customers to capture, evaluate and analyze business interactions in order to improve business processes and gain competitive advantage. (NICE20.11)

 

11. Israeli Company Develops Internet Tools For Toddlers

ComfyNet, an Israeli startup, developed Comfy 2, an interactive keyboard for use as an Internet browser for young children. Comfynet, which developed the first computer keyboard for toddlers, has now updated it to serve as a protected Web browser for this age group. The new keyboard equipped with matching software, presents the young web-surfers with different buttons, each linking to a website suitable for kids. The websites include the Discovery Channel’s website as well as several Israeli websites. Kids can find information about topics such as the Solar System, art and history, as well as push certain buttons that play music or allow the kids to draw paintings on the computer screen. Comfynet is currently negotiating with a number of additional foreign sites for children such as Dreamworks and America On Line. Company officials said they hoped that the result of this very early exposure to the Internet would result in the development of better surfing skills and computer literacy. The officials also said that the company already sold 230,000 keyboards, and aims to do even better with the new, internet-ready version. (JP 11/20/01)

12. A Trillion Computers In A Drop Of Water

A group of scientists at the Weizmann Institute of Science has used biological molecules to create a tiny computer, a programmable two-state, two-symbol finite automaton, in a test tube. This biological nanocomputer is so small that a trillion such computers co-exist and compute in parallel, in a drop the size of 1/10 of a milliliter of watery solution held at room temperature. Collectively, the computers perform a billion operations per second with greater than 99.8% accuracy per operation while requiring less than a billionth of a Watt of power. This study may lead to future computers that can operate within the human body, interacting with its biochemical environment to yield far-reaching biological and pharmaceutical applications. The computer’s input, output, and ‘software’ are made up of DNA molecules. For ‘hardware,’ the computer uses two naturally occurring enzymes that manipulate DNA. When mixed together in solution, the software and hardware molecules operate in harmony on the input molecule to create the output molecule, forming a simple mathematical computing machine, known as a finite automaton. This nanocomputer can be programmed to perform several simple tasks by choosing different software molecules to be mixed in solution. For instance, it can detect whether, in an input molecule encoding a list made of 0’s and 1’s, all the 0’s precede all the 1’s. The nanocomputer created is too simple to have immediate applications, however it may pave the way to future computers that can operate within the human body with unique biological and pharmaceutical applications. For example, such a future computer could sense an abnormal biochemical change in the body and decide how to correct it by synthesizing and releasing the necessary drug. (Weizmann22.11)
 
13. Emblaze launches new version of multimedia platform for cell phones

Emblaze Systems (LSE: BLZ) made a technological breakthrough by launching the new version of its Mobile Media Platform, a solution for cellular operators seeking profitable multimedia services for their subscribers. Emblaze provides solutions for video transmission on cellular networks and data communications.
Emblaze Systems (LSE: BLZ) today launched Release 3 of its Mobile Media Platform. The new version constitutes a technological breakthrough in the providing of a complete standard solution for cellular operators seeking profitable multimedia services for their subscribers in 2002. The new platform includes substantial changes in the company’s system, at the request of its customers.

Emblaze Systems CEO Eli Reifman says, “The expertise we have gained by working together with our customers in the actual commercial deployment of services over our mobile multimedia platform gives us the advantage of constantly enhancing our product specifications to continue to provide robust solutions for carriers.”

The improvements in the new version include improved video and audio quality with new MPEG-4 and H.263 optimizations for low-bandwidth networks; improved Dynamic Bandwidth Adaptation algorithms; full implementation of Real Time Control Protocol (RTCP) to assure continuous media flow, despite network instabilities and bandwidth fluctuations; transcoding of all common compressed digital formats into MPEG-4 to significantly increase the amount of available content; and an improved management tool that provides an infrastructure for defining categorization, storage, and access to multimedia content.

All enhancements were developed under complete interoperability with global standards such as the 3GPP. Emblaze carried out tests together with the WMF (Wireless Multimedia Forum) to ensure its ability to work with the maximum number of content providers, telco-equipment vendors and mobile device manufacturers.

Release 3 is available for commercial deployment over any existing network and assures a seamless transition to 3G UMTS or CDMA2000 networks. The systems feature complete telco-grade quality with fail-safe mechanisms, load balancing and complete scalability for all components. Release 3 also allows remote upgrades and hot-swap maintenance for continuous 24x7 operation and reliability.

Emblaze provides solutions for video transmission on cellular networks and data communications. The company offers an end-to-end commercial solution for video transmission on cellular networks, whether second, intermediate, or third generation. The company’s technology supports existing international standards and facilitates the streaming of video files to all types of devices: PCs, PDA, and cell phones.

 

14. TTI Telecom’s ACTiVATE Dramatically Reduces Service Time to Deliver; TTI Telecom to Showcase its Latest Provisioning and Configuration Solutions at OSS World

 

TTI Telecom International Ltd. (NASDAQ: TTIL), a leading provider of integrated, turnkey software solutions for telecom service providers, announced the immediate availability of its ACTiVATE product.
ACTiVATE is part of TTI Telecom’s Netrac configuration and provisioning (NetCAP) family of products, set to revolutionize the way services are delivered across complex, multi-vendor, multi-technology networks.
TTI Telecom’s ACTiVATE is a fully automated solution that activates the network elements necessary for provisioning services end-to-end. ACTiVATE dramatically shortens the service time-to-deliver, affords optimal visibility over the entire provisioning process and supports operations such as traffic load balancing and prioritization of various activation activities.
ACTiVATE enables users across the organization to concurrently handle thousands of service orders per day and undertake activities such as “rolling back” the network when activation problems occur. By solving most of the problems that arise during the activation process, ACTiVATE also frees up technicians’ time, allowing them to focus only on activation exceptions as opposed to the entire activation process.
By automating the activation process, ACTiVATE eliminates time-consuming, error-prone manual activities that result in bottlenecks, helping operators achieve greater efficiency and cut down on operational costs. With ACTiVATE, service delivery times are reduced from days to mere hours, enabling service providers to turn on the revenue tap sooner.
ACTiVATE builds on the data in TTI Telecom’s NetCAP’s configuration database, which is synchronized with the “live” network and reflects actual available resources and network capacity. This ensures that services are ACTiVATEd at a high rate of success.
“For service providers operating in today’s intensely competitive marketplace, decreasing activation times is a key goal,” said Meir Lipshes, chief executive officer of TTI Telecom. “It is the forward looking service provider - capable of swiftly delivering compelling, revenue-generating services - that will succeed in attracting and retaining customers and boosting profits.”

15. Mercury Interactive Launches First Production Tuning Service to Optimize Infrastructure, Applications and Security of Live Systems

 

Mercury Interactive (Nasdaq: MERQ), the leading provider of enterprise testing and application performance management solutions, today launched ActiveTune™, the industry’s first service designed specifically to tune the performance of production systems. ActiveTune, which can be delivered remotely via the Internet or onsite through highly experienced Mercury Interactive consultants, tunes every tier and each component of a live production system’s architecture systematically to optimize the performance of infrastructure, application and security components that impact the business. This allows ActiveTune customers to achieve superior reliability and increased system capacity with existing software, hardware, and personnel resulting in tangible cost savings.

Based on knowledge gleaned from thousands of load tests conducted with the company’s hosted Web-based load testing service, ActiveTest™, 68 percent of which were conducted on live production systems, Mercury Interactive’s performance experts estimate that 70 percent of performance issues on production systems can be resolved through tuning alone.

“Providing superior customer service and a convenient and enjoyable shopping experience are paramount to the success of our Web site,” said Lillian Vernon, CEO, Lillian Vernon Corporation, a leading online and catalog retailer. “ActiveTune has helped our IT team make important infrastructure enhancements which have resulted in an optimal online shopping experience for our customers and a high return on investment.”

There are several reasons why applications that perform well in the

testing lab fail to do so in production.  First, the testing lab is usually a scaled down version of production that seldom includes production infrastructure components such as firewalls, load balancers, and cache severs.  Additionally, the Internet and its infrastructure are absent, so elements such as switches, routers, gateways, bandwidth and ISP peering-all of which can impact performance-are not present during testing. Finally, security components such as hardware, software and encryption, often missing from the testing lab, impact the performance of an application in production.

 

16. Magic Software Enterprises Announces Web Services Release of Magic eDeveloper v9.2; Helps Companies Realize Increased Return On Investment Faster

 

Magic Software Enterprises (Nasdaq: MGIC), a leading provider of state-of-the-art application development and deployment technology announced today the release of Magic eDeveloper™ v9.2, which enables developers to create and deploy Web Services (http://www.magicsoftware.com/webservices) as a stand-alone service or in conjunction with J2EE application servers. This release provides companies the ability to extend the lives and increase the value of legacy applications, while helping to reduce the cost and complexity of integrating ERP, CRM and custom applications.
    Web Services are business processes that can be accessed and executed over the Internet using standard technologies. Web Services enable organizations to easily integrate applications using standard XML formats to almost any client device. Similarly, Web Services easily interconnect applications from multiple hardware platforms and operating systems.
    Magic eDeveloper v9.2 supports the standards necessary to develop and deploy Web Services. These include Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) and Web Services Description Language (WSDL). Applications developed with Magic eDeveloper fully interact and integrate with advanced J2EE application servers, such as IBM WebSphere (http://www.magicsoftware.com/j2ee). Magic eDeveloper v9.2 enables these applications to also be deployed as Web Services.
    

17. TTI Telecom’s OSS For SS7 Networks Offers Full HSSL Monitoring Support

 

TTI Telecom International announced its ability to provide full High Speed Signaling Link (HSSL) monitoring support via its SS7 operations support system (OSS) Network Wide View 7 (NWV-7).  HSSL dramatically accelerates messaging speeds in the network to 1.5 to 2 megabits per second - an increase of approximately 27 times the previous maximum speed. Today, more service providers are deploying HSSL in their networks, as the increased speed capability increases the traffic capacity of their networks, leading to dramatic cost savings.  But in order to benefit from the increase in messaging speeds offered by HSSL, service providers need to be able to monitor the HSSL links.  TTI Telecom’s NWV-7 is one of the only solutions available that enable service providers to achieve this goal.  HSSL monitoring is just one of TTI Telecom’s NWV-7 innovative features.  NWV-7 is an advanced OSS that uses non-intrusive probes to collect SS7 messages, statistical counters and Call Detail Records (CDRs) from the entire network, enabling service providers to effectively manage and perform real-time surveillance of their SS7 networks.  Using NWV-7, service providers can monitor, analyze, manage and troubleshoot their SS7 network from a centralized, multi-user environment.  NWV-7 is unique in that it provides full HSSL monitoring support, enabling service providers to perform real-time SS7 surveillance on low and high speed links in order to obtain a full picture of the network’s health.  Petah Tikva’s TTI Telecom International (www.tti-telecom.com) develops, markets and supports advanced, modular, integrated software products and services for operations support systems (OSS) and network management systems (NMS) in the telecommunications industry.  (TTI Telecom10.01)

 

18. ECtel Launches NGN FraudView™, a Comprehensive Next-Generation Fraud Prevention & Security Management Solution

 

ECtel Ltd. (Nasdaq: ECTX), a leading developer and worldwide provider of fraud prevention, Quality of Service (QoS) management and interconnect billing support solutions for today’s and next generation networks, today announced the launch of NGN FraudView™, its comprehensive Fraud Prevention & Security Management solution for IP and Next Generation Networks.  NGN FraudView™ is the newest addition to ECtel’s revenue protection platform “X-ellence” (formerly known as TRP 360), our One Platform - Multiple Applications advantage.

NGN FraudView™ is the most advanced end-to-end NextGen fraud management

solution, addressing the emerging problems specific to Next Generation Networks.  NGN FraudView™ integrates its proprietary technologies with the recently acquired NetEye technologies; namely, it combines the capabilities of FraudView™, ECtel’s successful fraud detection, prevention and management solution, with NetEye’s HawkEye, the highly acclaimed NextGen fraud management solution.

 

B3. Other New Products

 

19. New Technology For Substrate Sterilization Through Electrochemical Treatment Of Water

 

Substrate Technologies, Ltd. (www.substrate-tech.com) has developed a new substrate sterilization system based on the electrochemical treatment of water, which will replace the use of dangerous chemicals and pesticides. The treated water is easily applied to the substrate through the irrigation system. This new technology allows farmers who are using substrate as their growing medium to disinfect the substrate between plantings, without using dangerous chemicals or pesticides. The process of spraying the substrate with the treated water is easy to use, environmentally friendly and safe, with no hazardous emissions or damage to underground aquifers. The process uses minimal equipment and allows farmers to reuse the substrate and replace it less frequently, thus significantly reducing costs. Testing of the substrate has proven that the company’s sterilization system destroys nematods, fungus, bacteria and the TMV Virus in representative substrates, while retaining the substrate’s chemical and physical makeup. Substrate Technologies, Ltd. sterilization system can replace the global use of methyl bromide and other dangerous pesticides used by greenhouse and nursery growers. Substrate Technologies’ sterilization system is providing greenhouse and nursery growers with a new, efficient, cost effective technology for substrate sterilization that also meets the environmental legislation demanding cleaner and safer agricultural disinfecting methods. (Company 11/28/01)

 

20. NUR Macroprinters Announces the Commercial Release of NUR Fabrigraph Wide Format Inkjet Printers for Textile Applications

 

NUR Macroprinters (Nasdaq: NURM), a leading supplier of wide-format and superwide digital printing systems and consumables for out-of-home advertising, announced today that the NUR FabriGraph™ series of production wide format inkjet printers for textile dye sublimation applications are now commercially available.

NUR FabriGraph™ is a series of production-level wide format inkjet printers designed specifically for textile applications. Based on NUR Macroprinters’ market leading wide-format digital printing technology, the product line includes the NUR FabriGraph DS3200 10.5 ft. (3.5m) wide machine and the NUR FabriGraph DS1500 5 ft. (1.5 meters) wide machine.  The NUR FabriGraph printers are capable of delivering an apparent print resolution of up to 600 dpi on all textile fabrics containing a minimum of 50% polyester, as well as a range of rigid and flexible polyester-coated materials.  The NUR FabriGraph series printers can print at up to 430 sq. ft (40 square meters) per hour making it possible for customers to offer cost-effective short-run, on-demand digital print runs.

Erez Shachar, President and Chief Executive Officer of NUR Macroprinters Ltd. stated, “We’re excited by the outstanding success of the NUR FabriGraph’s Beta program which began in September 2001. The results indicate that this new product meets the market’s most stringent demands for productivity and quality.”

Beta testing of the NUR FabriGraph 3200 took place at Fabric Images of Elgin, Illinois, a recognized leader in the production of fabric banners for the exhibition industry and a pioneer in the use of digital textile printing technology.

Both NUR FabriGraph models are sold and supported through NUR Macroprinters’ sales organizations: NUR America, NUR Europe and NUR Asia Pacific and are commercially available. The list prices of the NUR FabriGraph DS1500 and DS3200 are $180,000 and $350,000 respectively.

 

21. Tefron Ltd. Files Patent for Two-Ply Support Garment

 

Tefron Ltd. (NYSE: TFR), one of the world’s leading producers of seamless intimate apparel, today announced that it has applied for a patent for a two-ply support garment.  Long recognized for its innovative technology in the intimate apparel, active wear, sportswear and swimwear industry the Company has filed its most recent patent for a fabric that is made less resistant to stretching by a bonding process.  The resultant fabric can provide increased support and/or shaping properties in selected areas of a garment.  Mr. Yos Shiran, Chief Executive Officer of Tefron commented, “We, at Tefron are always striving to improve upon our innovations in order to provide our clients with highest quality garments for their customers.  As a result of the new technology we are able to produce different degrees of stretch and support in one piece of fabric, providing today’s women with a bra that melds to the body and delivers new dimensions in terms of comfort and fit.” Tefron is introducing this new product to its customers and has been receiving an enthusiastic response to its latest technological advancement.  The Company anticipates the bra being in the market place toward the end of 2002.

Tefron manufactures boutique-quality everyday seamless intimate apparel sold throughout the world by such name-brand marketers as Victoria’s Secret, Gap, Banana Republic, Target, Nuke, DKNY, DIM and Schiesser, as well as three other well-known American designer labels.  The company’s product line includes knitted briefs, bras, tank tops, loungewear, nightwear, T-shirts, bodysuits and active wear primarily for women.

 

22. Electric Fuel to Demonstrate Zinc-Air Bus in Washington, DC

 

Electric Fuel Corporation plans to demonstrate its revolutionary zinc-air fuel cell transit bus in Washington, DC, in mid-March.  The drives, which will be for invited government officials and journalists, are part of Electric Fuel’s efforts to obtain partnerships and funding for its proposed zinc-air electric bus mini-fleet demonstration project.  Electric Fuel’s zinc-air electric bus is the US’ first practical zero-emission transit bus, designed to provide enough energy to power a full-sized city bus for a full day’s driving on a single refueling.  The bus, developed with support from the Federal Transit Administration and the BIRD Foundation, has been extensively track-tested as part of an ongoing FTA demonstration and evaluation program.  With corporate and sales offices in New York and London, England, and manufacturing and R&D facilities in Israel and Alabama, Electric Fuel Corporation (www.electric-fuel.com) is a world leader in primary and refuelable Zinc-Air fuel cell technology, pioneering advancements in consumer electronics, electric vehicles, and defense and safety products.  Electric Fuel’s Instant Power batteries and chargers are based on the Company’s patented Zinc-Air fuel cell technology, and are on sale at retail outlets throughout No. America, Europe and Israel.  (Electric Fuel06.02)

 

PART C: News about Israeli companies

 

C1. Israeli companies with offices in Australia

(See link on our homepage: www.israeltrade.org.au)

 

23. Wizcom Technologies Pens $350,000 Deal With AOL

 

Jerusalem-based WizCom Technologies said on 12/3 that it has received a further order for 3,500 of its electronic Super Pens from America on Line. Market sources estimate the value of the order at $350,000. The deal follows a $500,000 October order for 5,000 of the hand-held optical scanners that enable users to scan text, pictures or bar codes, which can then be transferred to a computer. The pen also comprises a language tool that allows a line of text to be scanned and then immediately translated into another language. AOL is offering the pens exclusively to its members as part its OAOL selects the best’ campaign. The placing of the second order so soon after the first is seen as a positive indicator of the popularity of the Super Pens and WizCom says that a number of the company’s distributors are expressing an interest in the pens. (JP 12/4/01)

 

24. Dovrat And Ofer Families To Invest $50m. In ECI

 

Koor Industries officially confirmed on Dec 4 that it is holding negotiations with a group of investors for an investment of $50 million in ECI Telecom in return for a 12.5 percent stake in Israel’s largest telecommunications equipment manufacturer. In a separate development ECI said that David Ball, former chairman of Nortel Plc, will replace Jonathan Kolber, Koor’s vice chairman and CEO, as chairman of ECI. The new investors include investments company Isal Amlat Investments, which is controlled by financier Aaron Dovrat, his son Shlomo Dovrat, who founded Tecnomatix and a founding general partner of venture capital fund Carmel Ventures, and the Ofer Brothers, who control the Israel Corp. holding company. ECI said that in addition to strengthening the company’s capital base the investors bring significant strategic strengths to ECI Telecom. (JP 12/05/01)

 

25. Precise’s Alon: I presume there’ll be more acquisitions

Thanks to a great deal of skill and a little bit of luck, Precise Software Solutions (Nasdaq: PRSE) managed to end 2001 with over 100% growth. Precise, developer of application performance management software solutions, did not publish a profit warning even once, repeatedly beat analysts’ expectations, and met its business plan targets, which among other things included a move over to profit.

What is behind the company’s success? In a recent review, Credit Suisse explained that Precise provides the peace of mind corporations need by providing them with security and warning systems. Enterprises operating on platforms that include e-commerce have to buy products like the ones Precise delivers.

This is not the whole story, however. Alongside the necessity for its products, Precise is also considered a good company because its products give a quick return on investment, sometimes even within a month of installing the system, and maintain accessibility.

Precise’s gross profit continued to be very high in 2001, reaching 93.5%, sales and marketing expenses were $10.2 million, and development costs accounted for 18.5% of revenue. The percentage of return orders climbed to 59%. Precise received 29 orders for over $100,000 each and 13 orders for over $200,000, indicating a constant growth in order size. The company sold 42% of its products on the US market and 23% in Europe. Deferred revenue grew to 21% ($6.7 million). In a nutshell, the company continues to improve its position in most parameters, despite the still difficult market conditions.

With figures like these, the company can afford to release optimistic statements about the future. Precise forecasts that in the first quarter of this year it will post $17.8-18 million revenue and $600,000-650,000 profit ($0.02 per share), i.e. an average quarterly growth of 5%. For the year, Precise now forecasts $85-89 million revenue (annual growth of 53-60%) and $5.3-6.3 million operating profit.

26. Gilat’s StarBand venture gained 40,000 US subscribers in 2001

Starband, the two-way satellite Internet provider, yesterday announced that in its first full year of operations it had gained nearly 40,000 consumer subscribers in all 50 states in the US.

StarBand was founded in in early 2000. Its investors and strategic partners include Gilat Satellite Networks (Nasdaq: GILTF), EchoStar Communications Corporation, Microsoft Corporation, and FS Investments. StarBand has exclusive rights to offer Gilat’s two-way high-speed consumer Internet technology in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

StarBand Co-Chairman and CEO Zur Feldman said, “No other two-way satellite Internet company has reached as many customers in all 50 states in such a short time.”

StarBand, which is headquartered in McLean, Virginia, says its expansion plans include Puerto Rico, Mexico, Canada and the US Virgin Islands.

StarBand delivers its two-way satellite Internet service by installing small antennas on roofs or walls of customer homes or on poles. The StarBand high-speed modem is then connected to a customer’s computer.

When a customer accesses StarBand Internet service, the signal travels to the rooftop antenna. The antenna then relays the data signals to a satellite. The satellite sends the signal to the StarBand network operations center where it routes the signals to deliver data from the Internet to the customer.

Merrill Lynch today reiterated its “Neutral, Long Term Buy” rating for StarBand partner Gilat Satellite Networks, and expects Gilat to report a $0.61 loss per share for the fourth quarter of 2001, versus a $0.44 loss in the same period of 2000.

Gilat Satellite shares rose 3.3% on Monday on Nasdaq to close at $5.35.

 

27. Telefonica de Espana buys Amdocs billing platform

Billing and telecom service solutions provider Amdocs (NYSE: DOX) announced today that Telefonica de Espana, a provider of fixed telephony services in Spain, had selected Amdocs Ensemble for end-to-end billing.

Telefonica de Espana is Spain’s leading telecom company, serving more than 16 million subscribers, and managing 90% of Spanish voice traffic.

Amdocs said it would allow Telefonica de Espana to use features such as convergent service bundling, on-line price plan tools and customer hierarchy capabilities. The billing platform will support convergent voice and data services, including ADSL services such as video and music on demand.

“The Amdocs solution will enable Telefonica de Espana to consolidate twelve existing rating systems into one, for improved operational efficiencies, enhanced service quality and decreased maintenance costs. In addition, Telefonica de Espana’s customers will benefit from multiple price plan options and reduced time to market for new services, ” Amdocs said.

Amdocs senior vice president Paul Atkinson said, “Today’s competitive marketplace demands that communications providers embrace new technologies and rapidly deliver the most advanced services available. Telefonica de Espana’s decision to choose Amdocs reinforces our growing market position in Iberia and Latin America as a leading provider of convergent customer care and billing.”

Amdocs shares closed on the New York Stock Exchange at $37.37 on Friday.

 

28. Large upside to Lightscape-Telia contract
 

Apex-Mutavim Group co-owner Alex Rabinowitz says $20 million is just the tip of the iceberg of the deal between ECI subsidiary Lightscape, which develops optical communications equipment, and Swedish communications operator Telia. The deal could reach $200 million in the next five years. possibly giving troubled ECI a much-needed boost.
ECI Telecom (Nasdaq: ECIL) subsidiary Lightscape has confirmed that it won a tender to supply the XDM platform and professional support services to Swedish communications operator Telia, as reported two weeks ago in “Globes.” The initial value of the contract for Lightscape, which develops optical communications equipment, is $20 million.

Under the contract, Lightscape will deploy a metropolitan optical network and link it to the existing communications networks in major North American, European, and later, Eastern European cities. The initial stage of the agreement is valued at over $20 million and covers 15 cities.

London will be the first city in which the network will begin operating, within the next few weeks. Deployment in other cities will follow, including New York. “There are actually four important points here for the company,” says Apex-Mutavim Group co-owner Alex Rabinowitz. “The first is the deep penetration of the US market, which is a considerable achievement. The second is that the company involved is Telia, one of the world’s largest ILECs (incumbent exchange carriers). The third is that ECI beat out leading communications equipment companies, such as Alcatel (NYSE: ALA), Nortel Networks (NYSE: NT), and Lucent Technologies (NYSE: LU), which lost the contract it received two years ago. The final point is the large upside of this contract. $20 million is just the tip of the iceberg. It could reach $200 million in the next five years.”  

The deal is certainly an achievement, particularly in view of the paucity of new, large XDM orders and the possibility that the Telia deal could expand to almost $200 million in a few years, but a sense of proportion is in order. “Lightscape is a company with annual sales of $250 million. Despite the potential of the current deal, keep in mind that it comes at the expense of the old product line,” Lapidot explains. “Cannibalization exists in the field. In the transition from the old product line to the new one, XDM sales are increasing, but the fall in the sales of the old generation of products may be steeper, thereby reducing company revenue.”

”In any case, it looks like only Lightscape is capable of bringing high values to ECI. In my opinion, none of its other activity, including Inovia Telecoms, InnoWave, and Enavis, can substantially raise ECI’s value. Lightscape can, so any progress in Lightscape’s activity constitutes an index to ECI’s value.”

 

29. Check Point Expands OPSEC Alliance to Include Security Assessment Tools and Services; Leading Security Assessment Vendors Join New OPSEC Initiative

 

Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. (Nasdaq:CHKP), the worldwide leader in securing the Internet, today launched a new OPSEC™(Open Platform for Security) initiative to address the growing customer interest in integrating security assessment with virtual private networks and security infrastructures. Security assessment tools and services will leverage the OPSEC framework to automatically inform and alert Check Point VPN-1®/FireWall-1®administrators of potential vulnerabilities in their networks, ensuring precise security policies are maintained at all times. Leading security assessment vendors joining the new OPSEC initiative include: Akaba Inc., BindView (Nasdaq:BVEW), eSec A/S, Intranode, Lumeta, NetIQ (Nasdaq:NTIQ), Qualys, Veritect and VIGILANTe.
    “Periodic and continuous vulnerability assessments have increasingly become an area of importance, as organizations incorporate more proactive methods to enhance their IT security posture,” said Allan Carey, senior analyst for IDC. “By adding the security assessment initiative, Check Point’s OPSEC, recognized for its security framework, continues to address customers’ requirements for tightly integrated security solutions that ensure interoperability with VPN-1/FireWall-1.”
    Check Point’s OPSEC program includes a rigorous certification process, ensuring the interoperability of industry-leading security assessment tools and services with Check Point’s Secure Virtual Network (SVN) architecture. Customers can confidently deploy security assessment tools that will interoperate with Check Point’s market-leading VPN-1/FireWall-1 Next Generation software and enhance overall security.
    “With the widespread deployment of VPNs and security, there is a growing customer interest in security assessment,” said Asheem Chandna, vice president of business development and product management for Check Point Software Technologies. “Our new OPSEC initiative uniquely allows customers to be proactively notified regarding potential vulnerabilities, enabling the highest levels of security.”

30. Comverse deal with Verizon estimated at $200m

Comverse Technology (Nasdaq: CMVT) today announced the signing of a contract with Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ), the largest cellular company in the US and the result of the merger between Bell Atlantic and GTE. Under the contract, Comverse will sell Verizon its Trilogue voice mailboxes. Comverse did not report the value of the deal, but previous estimates mentioned $200 million over several years. Verizon has over 28 million subscribers.

Six months ago, we reported here for the first time that Comverse was in advanced negotiations to sell its voice mailbox product to Bell Atlantic (Verizon) and Cingular Wireless. In other words, the company has known for some time that the deals were about to be signed. The big question is when Comverse thinks it will be able to report revenue from them.

The good news is that both the current deal and the one in the pipeline show that Verizon (and Cingular) prefer Comverse’s product to that of Lucent Technologies (NYSE: LU), which has provided their voice mailboxes up until now. Comverse tried for many years to find the key to open Verizon’s locked gates and sell its voice mailbox product, but until recently Verizon went with Lucent.

Keep in mind that revenue from Comverse’s voice mailbox product contituted 70-73% of its sales in the third quarter of 2001. Trilogue sales previously accounted for 75% of sales. The decline was probably due to a fall in voice mailbox sales.

Sources in the sector have previously assessed Comverse’s success in displacing Lucent as probably due to the lower price it offered Verizon. If so, it can be estimated that Verizon agreed to pay Comverse no more than $2-5 per voice mailbox. That means that even if Verizon replaces all its existing voice mailboxes, the value of the deal will be $56-140 million. In any case, if the transaction really amounts to $200 million, the difference would be made up by other added value services offered by Comverse as part of the deal. 

In its recently published report, the Merrill Lynch investment house wrote that the growth in new subscribers is declining sharply. Unless Verizon immediately replaces all its Lucent voice mailboxes with those of Comverse, it is hard to see large revenue resulting in the next few years.

In any case, Comverse stated in its press release that it would provide Verizon with “a Trilogue platform with upgraded IP-based services.” Comverse also announced it would provide Verizon with the opportunity to “leverage their investment in voicemail into other enhanced service areas.”

 

31. Comverse teams with Texas Instruments to develop wireless services

Telecom services provider Comverse (Nasdaq: CMVT) today announced that it would collaborate with Texas Instruments (NYSE: TXN) to quickly deliver key wireless messaging services and accelerate the demand for advanced mobile devices. As part of the collaboration, Comverse has become a member of TI’s OMAP Developer Network, a group of companies writing wireless applications for mobile information devices. In the network, OMAP developers have the opportunity to collaborate in designing applications such as multimedia, security, location based services, advanced speech technology, mobile commerce and gaming. In addition, TI has become a member of the Comverse Spark AllianceSM Program, which promotes cooperation in the development, marketing and delivery of multimedia communication solutions. In addition, Comverse announced that its messaging services would operate on Texas Instruments’ Open Multimedia Application Platform (OMAP) processors for 2.5G and 3G wireless devices. Texas Instruments’ (TI) family of OMAP processors is designed to deliver the performance and power efficiency required for next generation real-time communications-based devices. Comverse said that Nokia, Ericsson, Palm, Sony, Sendo, HTC and others had already selected the open, scalable OMAP platform for their 2.5G and 3G wireless devices. Comverse said the combination of its services platform with the OMAP processors would reduce the deployment time of applications such as mobile email, multimedia messaging (MMS), instant messaging, as well as Comverse’s mobile entertainment services. Comverse chief marketing officer Benny Einhorn said, “We believe TI’s OMAP platform helps to drive audio, voice and video content for multimedia-rich messaging services for 2.5G and 3G wireless devices. Collaborating with TI will aid consumers, network operators and handset vendors in benefiting from the tightest integration of end-to-end solutions.” Dallas-based Texas Instruments provides digital signal processing and analog technologies. The company employs about 42,000 workers and trades on the New York Stock Exchange at a $52 billion market capitalization. Comverse provides software and systems enabling network-based multimedia enhanced communications services. Comverse shares, which are listed on the Nasdaq, closed at $22.55 on Tuesday.

 

C2. Israeli Biotechnology News

 

32. Sanofi to invest up to €600m in IDM

French biopharmaceutical company Immuno-Designed Molecules (IDM) announced today that it had signed a collaboration agreement with the French pharmaceutical company Sanofi-Synthelabo, under which Sanofi would invest up to €600 million in IDM’s technology.

Israeli life sciences investor Clal Biotechnology Industries (held 100% by Clal Industries) owns 10% of IDM.

Under the deal, which spans a period of ten years, Sanofi-Synthelabo will have a right of first refusal to select up to twenty drugs from IDM’s line of immunological treatments in cancer.

Sanofi-Synthelabo will make milestone payments of up to €30 million in the development process of each drug, bringing the potential value of the agreement to €600 million, or $550 million, for the entire program in milestone payments alone.

IDM will be responsible for manufacturing the selected drugs and will supply them to Sanofi-Synthelabo, who will have worldwide exclusive marketing rights.

The agreement includes a written intention from Sanofi-Synthelabo to increase its stake in IDM, as soon as such an opportunity takes place through an IPO or private round of financing.

IDM president and CEO Jean-Loup Romet-Lemonne, MD, said, “This partnership we are engaging in with Sanofi-Synthelabo ushers in a challenging era for IDM, where patients’ access to the benefits of our Cell Drugs is clearly in sight. We are building upon a strong relationship with one of the growing leaders in the pharmaceutical industry, and this new agreement constitutes a rewarding recognition of IDM’s quality of science, technology, clinical data, and business activities.”

IDM was founded in 1993. Its shareholders (apart from Clal) include Medarex , a New Jersey-based biotech company, and Alta Partners of San Francisco.

 

33. Israel develops anti-anthrax vaccine

Israel has completed the development of an anti-anthrax vaccine, “Yediot Ahronot” reported. The Israeli vaccine has significant advantages over the existing vaccine developed by the US.
Hebrew-language daily “Yediot Ahronot” reports that scientific and security sources have confirmed that Israel has completed the development of an anti-anthrax vaccine.

The development of the vaccine, which was a top-secret project for a decade and cost millions of shekels, was recently completed at the laboratories of the Israel Institute for Biological Research (IIBR) in Ness Ziona. The vaccine was proven to be effective in clinical trials. The vaccine, administered by injection, has not yet been mass-produced, but scientific sources believe that when a decision to do so is taken, it will be possible to manufacture vaccines for the entire population within a few months.

This is the third anti-anthrax vaccine developed in the world. Anthrax is considered the most widespread and dangerous biological weapon in the world. The US and Russia have also developed anti-anthrax vaccines, but the US refuses to distribute the vaccine to its citizens. In the past, the US has also refused to hand over vaccine kits for use in other countries, including Israel.

There were several reports on the Israeli vaccine in the Israeli and world media in recent years. According to the reports, the new vaccine is based on genetic engineering methods, and was developed in cooperation with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Ministry of Health.

In its first stages, the vaccine was tested on IDF troops, who volunteered to participate in the clinical trials, but were not exposed to the bacteria. Such clinical trials involve injecting healthy people with the vaccine three times. The level of anthrax antibodies in the bodies of the participants is tested. If antibodies appear or multiply, it is a sign that the vaccine is effective.

Some information on the Israeli anti-anthrax vaccine appeared in a professional publication of the American Academy of Microbiology a few months ago. The report revealed many details on the new vaccine, saying that the project was led by IIBR director Dr. Avigdor Shafferman. The report added that the Israeli scientists developed the vaccine by using a non-virulent strain of anthrax that was genetically engineered to induce the body to create antibodies.

One significant difference between the Israeli and US vaccines is that while the existing, American vaccine provides protection only after the injection of six doses, the Israeli vaccine provides protection against the disease after only a single dose.

The US vaccine, which has side effects and is not considered sufficiently effective, was approved for distribution by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but has never been administered to the public.

The US vaccine costs about $3. It is still impossible to estimate the cost of the Israeli vaccine and the cost of producing it at a high level of quality. One medical source said, however, “If we need to administer the vaccine to Israeli citizens, the price will not be unaffordable for the state.”

 

34. SHL Telemedicine To Acquire Raytel

 

SHL Telemedicine signed a definitive merger agreement to acquire Raytel Medical Corporation, a leading U.S. provider of remote cardiac monitoring and testing.  According to the agreement, a wholly-owned subsidiary of SHL will begin a tender offer for all of Raytel’s outstanding shares at a price of $10.25 per share in cash, for a total of approximately $31.1m, which represents a premium of approximately 28% over the closing price on 7 February 2002.  Following completion of the tender offer, the SHL subsidiary will be merger into Raytel in a transaction in which any Raytel shares not tendered will be converted into the right to receive the same per share cash price paid in the tender offer. The Transaction is not conditioned upon financing.  Raytel is a provider of healthcare services, focusing on the needs of patients with cardiovascular disease.  It is considered to be the leading provider of remote pacemaker monitoring services in the United States, and provides other cardiac diagnostic services utilizing trans-telephonic monitoring technologies.  Israel’s SHL Telemedicine (www.shl-telemedicine.com) develops and markets telemedicine systems and call center services.  It provides remote monitoring systems in cardiology and pulmonology for a variety of patients ranging from high risk and chronically ill patients to healthy individuals who wish to take a more active role in managing their health. Individuals can transmit indications of cardiac or pulmonary functions (e.g. 12-lead EKG, blood pressure and spirometry readings) via phone to a medical call center staffed with trained medical personnel for analysis and instruction.  (SHL TeleMedicine 08.02)

 

35. Local Biotech Sector Could Reach More Than $3b In Sales

The local biotechnology industry has the potential to reach $3-$4b in sales within the next five to seven years, local biotech guru Professor Haim Aviv predicted on Dec 6. Speaking at the bi-annual board of governors meeting in Jerusalem of the Israel-US Binational Industrial and Research Development Foundation (BIRD), Aviv, who is one of the early founders of biotech in Israel said that this growth from the current $800m in annual sales would require an intensive investment of both public and private funds of some $3b. He pointed out the phenomenal growth in the industry in the last decade. Currently there are some 160 biotechnology companies in Israel, employing 4,000 people. In 1990 there was only a fraction of these numbers, with a mere 30 companies employing 600 people, with sales of $50m. Aviv said that Israel had become a center for biotechnology due to a combination of motivated people, a good level of science, an international orientation and a critical mass of companies involved in the field. However countering these opportunities where the lack of financial resources, the lack of managerial skill and experience compounded by political and geographic conditions. Additionally, Aviv, who is the founder, chairman and chief executive of Nasdaq-traded Pharmos, noted the lack of original drug development in Israel, which has been dominated by generic drug makers such as Teva Pharmaceutical Industries and Taro Pharmaceutical Industries. (JP 12/07/01)

36. Technion Launches Medical Technology Transfer

The Rappaport Institute for Medical Research at the Technion has established a daughter company for commercialization of applications from biotechnology research . BioRap, which is 100% owned by the Rappaport Institute, has been established with the purpose of managing the intellectual property of members of the Institute. The company is headed by David Promoff, who has served as Rappaport’s Vice President of Finance and Administration for the past seven years. BioRap will provide professional support to institute members, including legal services, patent registration, business development, recruitment of investors and strategic partners, company set up and operational services. Within this framework BioRap has established two companies: Vaccinogen, headed by Natan Karin, which is developing a DNA vaccine for autoimmune diseases. A second company, Haptoguard, is developing genome-based diagnostic technologies for the management of diabetes The Rappaport Institute was established in 1982, with a grant from the Rappaport family and other benefactors, within the framework of the Faculty of Medicine at the Technion in the name of Baruch Rappaport. Rappaport, which is headed by Dr. Karl Skoretzki, was founded as an organization for outstanding medical researchers, and includes staff from the Technion faculty of medicine. (BioIsrael 12/16/01)

 

C3. Israeli IT&T News

 

37. ECI Signs $80m Contract With EDS Israel

ECI Telecom Ltd. has recently signed a five year $80 million outsourcing agreement with Electronic Data Systems Corp. (EDS) Israel, part of the worldwide EDS group. The deal is believed to be one of the largest outsourcing agreements in Israel in the last few years. According to the agreement, EDS Israel will handle all the activities of ECI-IT, which is responsible for the operation and development of ECI Telecom’s information system. This means that EDS Israel will replace ECI-IT’s 190 employees, of whom the company directly employs 60. EDS Israel will maintain, support and develop ECI’s information technology needs. Texas-based EDS, which is traded on the New York and London Stock Exchanges at a market capitalization of $32.8 billion., was one of the first company’s in the world to provide consulting and outsourcing for some of the largest companies in the world. (JP 11/20/01)

38. Elbit Lands $7m Loc