Healthcare Enterprise Group market a product called "Ebiox" which is one of a very few that can kill most bacteria including the MRSA superbug. HCEG has contracts with some NHS hospitals at present, but given the recent and current news and public attention, HCEG should be a good bet for a steady rise as more places seek to cut the number of casualties from this infection. HCEG also market abroad in USA, so the potential market for this unique product is massive indeed.

Well worth a punt IMHO

Check it out for yourself

cheers

I wonder if anyone can remember any company that played with its share-structure, that subsequently benefited the retail shareholders (ie us punters) maybe over two years before the consolidation, to two years afterwards?

It seems to me to be an act of desperation, to try and get some life into any sp.

As to reducing cost for the company I don't see it - they still have to have audits, send out accounts and hold AGM's - apart from some tiny holdings that are swallowed up (sometimes cashed) the only effect is a perceptional one (as others here have said) -and for that one has to wonder why the shares were so lowly-priced before, or was this a wheeze to give their Brokers an extra job?

HCEG does have Ebiox but it is not true it's the only answer to MRSA, there are competing products from large companies although there are two fundamental problems to overcome //IMHO:-
1) getting everyone in hospitals to use it
2) not letting the superbug grow resistant to our efforts.

I understand the iodine wash (used before Ops) would kill MRSA, except it leaves you looking orange(if applied on Wards). TV Reports of people who have contracted MRSA after Ops seem to have it "internally" perhaps because their natural defenses are suppressed. The MRSA bug is said to originally reside in our noses (without doing harm)- so the whole process is not just hand-washes. Let's hope they send out fresh Certificates so we don't get the problems of selling many that we don't own.

If HCEG has made a profit it will be quite small as their turnover is low compared with capitalisation (prior to buying a distribution company) and shareholders will pay for the many Director Options. Profit is only any good when it is distributed to shareholders - then we can see the return against the risks.

I have sold and moved on as I have had burnt fingers before. eg. Baltimore--I used to own 4500 valued around 8000 I now own 3 !! after two consolidations, just another word for robbery!

Decided to hedge my bets and have sold half my holdings. Sitting on a 30% profit at the moment so may as well free up some money to put elsewhere.

Some while ago it was announced that Ebiox had been sent to the governments Rapid Response Panel for evaluation. Now we know that the governments interpretation of rapid could be slighty different to ours, but it is some while ago and the 'bug' is still about, although publicity about it has waned recently. Must be time soon for the panel to release its results. Unless I have missed the report then I would appreciate being informed of the outcome.
opto

Hi Opto
I seem to recall an article stating that Ebiox had passed the required NHS tests, I will try to trace and post the article.

Opto
Took less time than I thought I would be interested on your evaluation of the intended consolidation with respect to a hold or sell situation.


Healthcare Enterprise Group PLC
01 December 2004


Healthcare Enterprise Group PLC


Ebiox Handrub


Health Protection Agency review confirms effectiveness against Hospital Acquired
Infections


Healthcare Enterprise Group PLC is pleased to report a satisfactory outcome from
the Rapid Review panel of the Health Protection Agency, following tests at the
Hospital Infection Research Laboratory, showing that the Ebiox Handrub conforms
to EN 1500.


EN1500 is the standard by which the efficacy of non-water based products is
tested under practical conditions. In tests earlier this year Ebiox Handrub
exceeded the standards set by EN1500 when tested against e-coli bacteria. The
Handrub has previously passed prEN12054 including efficacy against other
bacteria including MRSA. These earlier tests demonstrated a 99.999% reduction
in all test organisms within 30 seconds, significantly exceeding the one-minute
test target.


HCEG believes that the Ebiox Handrub is the first non-alcohol based product that
is compliant with EU standards and has been developed to be better than alcohol
as a hand hygiene solution. The Ebiox non-alcohol Handrub decontaminates hands
without drying or irritating the skin, and has been specifically designed to be
user-friendly to encourage more hand cleaning than the existing washing protocol
achieves.


An independent survey by Nursix has shown that two thirds of nurses reported
skin problems using alcohol based products and that they would be more compliant
with NHS protocols if a non-alcohol based product were available.


The Rapid Review Panel has concluded that Ebiox hand disinfectant; "may have
potential value as an alternative to alcohol-based gels for hand hygiene: in use
evaluations/trials are now needed in an NHS clinical setting to show
acceptability in routine use".


Stuart Bruck, Executive Chairman, Healthcare Enterprise Group, commented:


"These tests now provide a stamp of approval from the Government taking us to
the next step in our bid to tackle the Hospital Acquired Infections epidemic.


"We will be guided by the Rapid Review Panel which recommends on the ground
tests in an NHS setting."


The Rapid Review Panel was set up by the Health Protection Agency in August 2004
in response to the Chief Medical Officer's Action Area 7 in Winning Ways.


The remit of the Panel is to promptly assess new procedures and products with
regard to their potential effectiveness and ability to prevent, reduce or
control healthcare associated infections (HCAI).



The key element of acceptability is the demonstration of a significant effect on
HCAI in the clinical setting. Ideally, this will be the result of formal
clinical studies reported in peer-reviewed publications.

1 December 2004


Healthcare Enterprise Group PLC 020 7351 7500
Stuart Bruck, Executive Chairman

College Hill 020 7457 2020
Nicholas Nelson/Corinna Dorward

Thank you Loadsadosh, So it appears that we will just have to be patient for a little longer.
About the consolidation, I do not have fond memories of previous companies I have been involved in that have consolidated i.e. Costain, Planestation and Cybit (only recent so we don't know how this will go yet) but the other two have been costly!! However as regards HCEG I am not in selling mode as I do think that this product if it gets taken up with enough authorities would send HCEG into a different league. As you are no doubt aware one American State has began using it, good results from there would open up a vast market..........
The World!
opto

Opto
It would be great if the company were to have a positive statement up their sleeve in order to offset any negativity following the consolidation. I must confess, if it were my company and I had good news, I would hold it for just that eventuality.

well todays the day and expect great activity which will bode well for the share price.consolodation looking around 68/69p and follow consolodation maybe the end of it being a penny share is in site.I believe anything under a 1 is classed as a pennyshare.

Over 1m sells so far this morning and no sells - price holding.

Looks as if I might be able to get some @ my 50p target (2p in old money).

Always seems to be the case after a consolidation - from bitter experience.

Active this AM more than half a milliom shares traded by 8.07

Looking good

3.8 million shares traded now, mostly recorded as sells! now that surely can't be the true picture or they should be down as much as they are up.
As it is nice volume price rising....good sign!!

bid up at 74p some huge buys late on yesterday obviously MM's desperate to buy does that mean large buyers in the background?,

It's not just Ebiox which promises so much,I'm also interested in the range of disposable endoscopes produced by Optiscope Technologies,in which HCEG has increased its holding to 66.25%A first run of 1000 prototypes will be clinically tested within two months.This is almost as interesting as Ebiox.No more cold metal objects ......etc.In today's filthy hospitals everything should be sterilised and disposable.I bought some yesterday...gone rigid today...what should the price be that I can hope for?Shares,not endoscopes,that is.Ethel

Nice to see this one keeps making new highs.

six days and no one has answered my question..is anyone out there a buyer,like me??This has GOT to ROCKET:..

I'm a holder. I don't have a target. This is simply an excellent company with superb growth potential which has already almost doubled the money I put into it. I expect a lot more over the next couple of years.

doug