An SOS From Travelers, Expectant Mothers and Cancer Patients

WOODSIDE BIOMEDICAL COMES TO THE RESCUE

By Sara Pentz

Carlsbad-based Woodside Biomedical Inc. has recently found itself in the enviable position of holding a number of patents regarding the treatment of illnesses based on stimulating nerves with electricity. “These patented products can now be applied to a wide variety of illnesses which are currently only treated with drugs,” explains Dave Swenson, Executive Vice President of Marketing for the company.

Probably the most exciting product is the ReliefBand^® technology, the only drug-free remedy to have received FDA clearance for treatment of nausea and vomiting due to pregnancy, chemotherapy, motion sickness, and for post-operative nausea, according to Swenson.

I was introduced to the ReliefBand recently when I boarded the "Sea Ya", owned by Steve Tarantino, Commodore of Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club. He had made his yacht available to the media covering the Newport to Ensenada International Yacht Race. I was concerned that I would not be able to complete this small voyage without being overcome by motion sickness. I can report that I suffered no seasickness (much to my relief) after having donned the device. Worn like a sports watch, only on the underside of the wrist, the ReliefBand features five settings to ensure the correct amount of stimulation for the individual.

Technically, the device uses gentle electrical signals to stimulate nerves in the wrist. This wrist stimulation, according to the theory of action proposed by some researchers, causes natural nerve impulses to travel up the arm into the spinal cord and brain. It is believed that these natural nerve impulses interfere with the nausea messages going to the stomach. However it works, it is easy to use, does not cause drowsiness and has no drug-like side effects. The effects last as long as the band is worn.

Woodside Biomedical was founded to develop non-drug, non-invasive medical devices, thanks in part to Stanford-trained physical therapist, Larry Bertolucci, an avid deep-sea fisherman with a serious seasickness problem. In the late 1980’s he was trying to find a better way to treat his own bouts of seasickness. He ‘fiddled’ with electrical current stimulation used in other forms of physical therapy, and Voila! the precursor of the ReliefBand was created.

From that point on, Woodside Biomedical has been gaining patents and investor funding in staggering proportions. Woodside is a privately owned, venture-financed company. To date, Woodside has raised approximately $32 million from investors.

In mid-June 2001, Woodside announced that an additional United States patent has been issued for its ReliefBand device, covering the potential application in the regulation of blood pressure.

The ReliefBand device will be available in approximately 10,000 drug stores by the end of this summer. Many insurers nationwide currently cover it, including Aetna/U.S. Healthcare and Blue Shield of California.

“We are always exploring the possibility of additional applications for our innovative nerve stimulation technology, and we believe that our patent strategy will help us, if appropriate, to be well-positioned to do so,” explains Greg Gruzdowich, Woodside’s President and Chief Executive Officer.

The market potential for the device is considerable, with the U.S. prescription chemotherapy and pregnancy markets alone likely to exceed $400 million. Add to that the consumer marketplace -- estimated to be in excess of more than $1 billion -- and Woodside Biomedical is talking about a significant opportunity.

So what spells ‘relief’ in today’s over the counter market? The answer is on your wrist.