SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
January 30, 2006
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported)
PHYTOMEDICAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
NEVADA
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)
000-28790
(Commission File Number)
87-0429962B
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
1628 West 1st Avenue, Suite 216, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6J 1G1
(Address of principal executive offices)
(800) 611-3388
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
[ ] Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
[ ] Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
[ ] Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
[ ] Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))
SECTION 1. Registrant's Business and Operations
None.
SECTION 2. Financial Information
None.
SECTION 3. Securities and Trading Markets
None.
SECTION 4. Matters Related to Accountants and Financial Statements
None.
SECTION 5. Corporate Governance and Management
None.
SECTION 6. [Reserved]
N/A.
SECTION 7. Regulation FD
Except for the historical information presented in this document, the matters discussed in this Form 8-K, or otherwise incorporated by reference into this document, contain "forward-looking statements" (as such term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995). These statements are identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "believes", "plans", "intend", "scheduled", "potential", "continue", "estimates", "hopes", "goal", "objective", expects", "may", "will", "should" or "anticipates" or the negative thereof or other variations thereon or comparable terminology, or by discussions of strategy that involve risks and uncertainties. The safe harbor provisions of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, apply to forward-looking statements made by the Registrant. The reader is cautioned that no statements contained in this Form 8-K should be construed as a guarantee or assurance of future performance or results. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including those identified within this Form 8-K. The actual results that the Registrant achieves may differ materially from any forward-looking statements due to such risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, and the Registrant assumes no obligation to update this information. Readers are urged to carefully review and consider the various disclosures made by the Registrant in this Form 8-K and in the Registrant's other reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission that attempt to advise interested parties of the risks and factors that may affect the Registrant's business.
Note: Information in this report furnished pursuant to Item 7 shall not be deemed to be "filed" for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section. The information in this current report shall not be incorporated by reference into any registration statement pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The furnishing of the information in this current report is not intended to, and does not, constitute a representation that such furnishing is required by Regulation FD or that the information this current report contains is material investor information that is not otherwise publicly available.
On January 30, 2006, PhytoMedical Technologies, Inc. issued a news release to comment on a new three year study carried out by the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia which reported that cinnamon can relieve diabetes by lowering blood sugar levels. This news release, dated January 30, 2006, is attached as Exhibit 99.1 to this Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference.
SECTION 8. Other Events
None.
SECTION 9. Financial Statements and Exhibits
Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits
The following exhibits are furnished as part of this report:
Exhibit 99.1 – Press Release dated January 30, 2006
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
PHYTOMEDICAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
/s/ Harmel S. Rayat
Harmel S. Rayat
President and CEO
Date: February 2, 2006
EXHIBIT 99.1
New Independent Three Year Study Shows That Cinnamon ‘Can Relieve Diabetes’ By Lowering Blood Sugar Levels
PhytoMedical continues the development of a new cinnamon derived compound for type-2 diabetes; Certain compounds in cinnamon lower blood sugar levels by an average of 18 to 29% without side effects.
Vancouver, BC – January 30, 2006 – PhytoMedical Technologies, Inc. (OTCBB: PYTO) (FWB: ET6), an early stage research based biopharmaceutical company focused on the identification, development, and eventual commercialization of innovative plant derived pharmaceutical and nutraceutical compounds, today commented on a new three year study carried out by the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia which reported that cinnamon can relieve diabetes by lowering blood sugar levels. This study confirms previous findings that cinnamon has positive effects on type-2 diabetes, which affects over 18 million people in the US alone.
“The independent research findings of Dr. Mohammad Roji Sarmidi, at the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, reinforces our efforts to develop a new synthetic compound for type-2 diabetes derived from cinnamon,” states Mr. Harmel S. Rayat, President and CEO of PhytoMedical Technologies. “We already know from numerous studies and reports, including those conducted by our own collaborating scientists at the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service, that cinnamon contains certain molecules responsible for reducing blood sugar levels. Our job now is to reproduce mother nature’s handiwork in the lab, without some of the toxic substances she’s added, such as cinnamaldehyde and related compounds, which could be toxic if consumed in high levels or for an extended period of time.”
Mr. Rayat concludes, “Just as Aspirin®, which now generates $29 billion in sales annually, was synthesized from the bark of willow trees, and Taxol® was synthesized from the Pacific yew tree, our goal is to synthesize those select blood sugar reducing cinnamon molecules in the lab and eventually develop a pharmacologically approved compound that could be ingested as a pill or added to foods or beverages, with the end result being lowered blood sugar levels through more efficient use of the body’s naturally produced insulin.”
We are not affiliated with either Dr. Mohammad Roji Sarmidi or the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia.
ABOUT PHYTOMEDICAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
PhytoMedical Technologies, Inc. (OTCBB: PYTO; Frankfurt Stock Exchange: ET6), together with its wholly owned subsidiaries, is an early stage research based biopharmaceutical company focused on the identification, acquisition, development and eventual commercialization of innovative plant derived pharmaceutical and nutraceutical compounds targeting cachexia, obesity and diabetes.
An estimated 300 new drugs of world-wide importance, worth over $150 billion, still remain to be discovered amongst the 250,000 species of higher plants found on earth, of which less than 15% have been investigated for bioactive compounds. Presently, twenty of the best selling drugs come from natural sources and 25% of all prescription drugs contain active compounds originally derived from or patterned after compounds derived from plants.
BDC-03 Successful in Increasing Lean Muscle Mass and Reducing Body Fat Percentage
Named BDC-03, PhytoMedical’s first plant derived compound has pharmacologically active elements that have been successful in reducing body fat percentage, increasing lean muscle mass and lowering cholesterol in studies of growing animals.
For obese or overweight individuals, BDC-03’s potential capacity to decrease the deposition of fat and lower cholesterol would be a vitally important therapeutic outcome. However, its prospective ability to induce overall weight gain in the form of lean muscle mass may well be the difference between life and death for individuals suffering from cachexia.
Cachexia, which is characterized by dramatic weight loss, not only of fatty tissue, but also muscle tissue and bone, is among the most devastating and life-threatening aspects of AIDS and cancer. Once the body loses 30% of its lean muscle mass, major organs are affected, resulting in death.
Sadly, cachexia afflicts 25% of all AIDS patients and upwards of 90% of all advanced cancer patients. In fact, half of all cancer related deaths are a result of cachexia, not the cancer itself.
Polyphenolic Compounds Increase Sugar Metabolism by a Factor of 20
Diabetes, which results from the body’s inability to produce enough insulin or use it efficiently, affects 18.2 million people in the United States, or 6.3% of the population (American Diabetes Association). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expects this number to rise to over 30 million by 2030. As the leading cause of end-stage renal disease, blindness and lower limb amputations, diabetes now costs the health care system over $132 billion each year – nearly one out of every ten health care dollars spent in the United States.
While the causes of diabetes are not entirely clear, it is known that diet plays a key role in the prevention and cure of diabetes. In fact, research studies have shown that aqueous extracts of the most commonly consumed spice, cinnamon, improves the action of insulin and helps to control risk factors associated with diabetes including, glucose, insulin, cholesterol, triglycerides and related variables.
A study published in Diabetes Care, a journal of the American Diabetes Association, showed that as little as one gram a day of cinnamon – one-fourth of a teaspoon twice a day – can lower blood sugar by an average of 18 to 29 percent, triglycerides (fatty acids in the blood) by 23 to 30 percent, LDL (or “bad”) cholesterol by 7 to 27 percent and total cholesterol by 12 to 26 percent. Changes in HDL (“good”) cholesterol were not significant. Amazingly, the study found that the beneficial effects of cinnamon lasted for at least 20 days after people stopped taking it.
Through a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement, PhytoMedical is working towards synthesizing the active components found in cinnamon and characterizing their beneficial health effects in cell cultures systems, animals and ultimately humans.
At present, the Company does not currently have commercial products intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. The statements contained in this press release regarding our ongoing research and development and the results attained by us to-date have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
For additional information, please visit www.PhytoMedical.com
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Legal Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
No statement herein should be considered an offer or a solicitation of an offer for the purchase or sale of any securities. This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are based upon current expectations or beliefs, as well as a number of assumptions about future events. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements and the assumptions upon which they are based are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations and assumptions will prove to have been correct. The reader is cautioned not to put undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, as these statements are subject to numerous factors and uncertainties, including but not limited to adverse economic conditions, intense competition, lack of meaningful research results, entry of new competitors and products, adverse federal, state and local government regulation, inadequate capital, unexpected costs and operating deficits, increases in general and administrative costs, termination of contracts or agreements, technological obsolescence of the Company's products, technical problems with the Company's research and products, price increases for supplies and components, litigation and administrative proceedings involving the Company, the possible acquisition of new businesses or technologies that
result in operating losses or that do not perform as anticipated, unanticipated losses, the possible fluctuation and volatility of the Company's operating results, financial condition and stock price, losses incurred in litigating and settling cases, dilution in the Company's ownership of its business, adverse publicity and news coverage, inability to carry out research, development and commercialization plans, loss or retirement of key executives and research scientists, changes in interest rates, inflationary factors, and other specific risks. We currently have no commercial products intended to diagnose, treat, prevent or cure any disease. The statements contained in this press release regarding our on going research and development and the results attained by us to-date have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. There can be no assurance that further research and development, and /or whether clinical trial results, if any, will validate and support the results of our preliminary research and studies. Further, there can be no assurance that the necessary regulatory approvals will be obtained or that PhytoMedical will be able to develop commercially viable products on the basis of its technologies. In addition, other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially are discussed in the Company's most recent Form 10-QSB and Form 10-KSB filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly release the results of any revisions to these forward looking statements that may be made to reflect the events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
Contact:
PhytoMedical Technologies, Inc.
Ms. Karley L. Smith, Shareholder Communications
Phone: (800) 611-3388
Web Site: www.PhytoMedical.com