Sensing technology for large animal breeding enters test phase

Toronto, ON — February 25, 2003 — Biotech company Pheromone Sciences says it is commencing advanced testing of its sensing technology for large animal breeding at the Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, under the direction of Dr Walter Johnson.

The testing is designed to generate core data required to adapt the company’s PSC fertility monitor for use in detecting hormone and ovulation patterns in dairy cows. This work is scheduled for completion later this year.

As part of this effort, the company has hired Dr Linda Rhodes VMD, PhD as consultant to help design and manage the best possible clinical program for the animal breeding technology. Within this ongoing program, the company plans to generate efficacy and economic data for use by the target market.

Dr Rhodes’ 23 years of experience combine work in dairy cattle veterinary practice, research in reproductive physiology, and human and animal drug discovery and development. She also has experience with designing and executing clinical trials and leading product development teams in the veterinary pharmaceutical industry.

“We are very excited about this next stage of the development process for our PSC Fertility Monitor technology and continue tracking toward completion of this agricultural program next year,” says Christopher Neuman, president and CEO of Pheromone Sciences.

The program is based on the same core technology employed within the FDA approved PSC fertility monitor for human use. The company says that successful completion of the agricultural program next year would create a non-invasive, safe and easy to use fertility and ovulation detection device for use in cattle breeding operations. It also says that some US$400 million is lost each year in North America due to timing issues in breeding dairy herds.

Pheromone Sciences Corp. is a biotechnology and medical diagnostics device research and development company that focuses on commercializing technologies in the field of human reproduction and sexuality.