Ventria's Child Health Product Recognized for its Promise

Sacramento, CA. – November 12, 2007 – A review article published in the Journal of Infection entitled, “Advances in defining etiology and new therapeutic approaches in acute diarrhea” [1], recognized Ventria’s Child Health Product for its benefit to children who are suffering from acute diarrhea. The review was published online and is also available in the November print version.

Ventria’s product is a medical food which can be added to standard electrolyte solutions to help children get better faster. The product was designed by researchers studying the advantages of breastfeeding for children. Ventria developed a method to affordably manufacture the important nutritional components of breast milk in rice. By replenishing these nutritional components, children suffering from diarrhea recovered quicker by one and a half days compared to the current standard electrolyte product used for rehydration during diarrhea.

William Greenough III, MD, Professor of Medicine at Johns Hopkins University and a world-renowned expert in pediatric diarrhea said “I am hoping that Ventria’s product might be the first improvement that would be widely added to oral hydration solutions, which are consumed by at least half of the world’s children”.
In the United States there are an estimated 4.5 million hospital visits for childhood diarrhea. Globally, childhood diarrhea is the second leading killer of children under the age of 5, claiming 2 million lives annually.

“ Diarrheal illnesses are a major reason for children seeing their physician and a major cause of emergency room visits,” said Robert Wittler, MD, Professor, Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Kansas University School of Medicine at Wichita. “Oral rehydration is a safe and effective way to treat most diarrheal illnesses and this study confirms the advantages of adding proteins contained in breast milk to oral rehydration solution. This is an important study as decreasing the duration of diarrhea lessens the likelihood of children becoming significantly dehydrated and allows children to return to daycare and school quicker and their parents who work outside the home can return to work sooner.”

“ Ventria has been developing this product for several years and we are pleased with the recognition from leaders in the medical community. We anticipate a successful market introduction of this product so that we can make a positive contribution to child health on a global basis.” said Scott Deeter, President and CEO, Ventria Bioscience.

[1] Marcos, L, Dupont, H
Advances in defining etiology and new therapeutic approaches in acute diarrhea.
Journal of Infection. 2007 55, 385-393

For more information, see our website at Ventria Bioscience
http://www.ventria.com

Or contact:
Brandy Sargent, Corporate Communications
BSargent@Ventria.com
(916) 921-6148 ext. 27

Statements in this announcement other than historical data and information constitute forward looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those stated or implied by such forward-looking statements. Potential risks and uncertainties may include, but are not limited to, recent changes in senior management, fluctuations in operating results, market conditions and changes in technology and increased competition.