Judge validates both Mannatech Ambrotose patents in case against Glycoproducts International

Magistrate Judge Jeff Kaplan in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division, issued a Memorandum Opinion finding that Glycoproducts International Inc., (Glycobiotics) infringed both Mannatech patents at issue in the case (U.S. Patent No.6,929,807 and U.S. Patent No. 7,157,431). This ruling resolves all issues in this case with Mannatech winning on all patent and trademark infringement claims brought against Glycobiotics.

"We have always firmly believed that this was an unlawful infringement of our patents and we were committed to pursuing this case as far as was necessary to stop this injustice," said Keith Clark, Mannatech's senior vice president and general counsel. "This is a great win for our independent sales Associates who have worked so hard to defend Mannatech's products and their effectiveness against imitators in the marketplace. These affirmations by the judge and the jury should send a message to anyone else infringing our patents that we will do what is necessary to protect our intellectual property and our Associates."

14 Olympians taking Glyconutritional Supplements

Jayson Jones, a Washington, D.C.-based 30-year-old set to compete in the 200-meter race in Beijing next month, is one of 14 athletes using glyconutritional products who have qualified for the Olympics so far. Mr. Jones said he uses a blend of enzymes and plant cell membranes marketed as reducing soreness and stiffness.

Mr. Jones and the 13 other athletes take only Mannatech products, according to Butch Johnson, a former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver who leads Team Mannatech.

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New CEO for Leading Company in Glyconutritionals

Mannatech Inc., the global leader in glyconutritional supplements and skin care products, has tapped retail industry veteran Wayne L. Badovinus as chief executive officer and president.

Beginning June 16, Badovinus will replace Terry Persinger, who was serving as interim CEO. Mannatech founder and Chairman Sam Caster resigned as CEO in August 2007.

Persinger will stay on Mannatech as an employee reporting to the board on projects assigned over the next three years, the Coppell-based company said.

Badovinus has 43 years of experience in consumer brands and has held senior management positions with a number of retail and catalog companies, according to Mannatech. He was president and CEO of Eddie Bauer from 1987 to 1992 and Acme Boot Co. from 1994 to 1997. He also was CEO of furniture retailer Design Within Reach from 2000 to 2005, growing it to a $150 million company in five years and overseeing the company's public stock offering in June 2004. In addition, Badovinus was chief operating officer for Williams-Sonoma in 1986 and 1987. Most recently, Badovinus was senior operating partner for JH Partners, a private equity firm.

"Wayne has proven experience leading and managing consumer companies through dynamic growth," J. Stanley Fredrick, lead director of Mannatech's board, said in a statement. "His track record with high-end brands like Eddie Bauer illustrates his potential to grow market share for Mannatech. Under Wayne's leadership we will enhance our domestic presence and continue expansion efforts in global markets."

HIV is Subject to Sugars

I found a forum called 'The Endowment for Medical Research.' I thought this post was interesting as it stated "Tomorrow, every ailment, every disease, will require improving the immune system with what I call ROYAL SUGARS in my book, Expand Your Mind - Improve Your Brain."

Check out what it says about the connection with HIV and sugars...

Comments by J. C. Spencer

Twenty years ago the science community scoffed at the thought that sugars had any medical value or application. Coming out of France is this abstract on HIV stating that today it is well established that the HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is subject to sugar on the cell surface in the form of glycoprotein receptor sites.

A generation (about forty years) is the normal time for a great new idea or a life changing new discovery to catch on and become accepted. We are half way there and the doctors of tomorrow will embrace glycomics. Glycomics is growing quite rapidly in both knowledge and acceptance. Nearly 450,000 references to published papers can be found in the word search of GLYCOPROTEIN on the NIH (National Institutes of Health) website www.PubMed.gov. Only a few doctors know anything about glycomics and most have not even heard of such sugars.

...Now here is the Abstract from a paper to be published next week.

Sugar Linkage Could Lead To Better Treatment For Autoimmune Diseases

ScienceDaily (May 15, 2008) — Researchers at the University of New Hampshire Glycomics Center have helped identify a specific carbohydrate structure that confers anti-inflammatory activity to a glycoprotein antibody that could lead to improved treatment of autoimmune diseases like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis. The study, reported in a recent edition of the journal Science, was led by immunologist Jeffrey Ravetch of Rockefeller University.

"Carbohydrates are the glue that pulls things together, the cell surface matrix in which cells communicate, and they provide the connections for signal transduction. It's only been within the last decade that we've realized that such structures are critical for all kinds of biological function," says Reinhold. "Now that we can define precise structures, we can begin to understand their function. This structure-functional relationship will have a huge impact on our health in respect to immune regulation."

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