Meridian Holdings Inc (MRDH)

[Potse]

MRDH...accumulated a position.....

Finished accumulating a position in MRDH. High-risk type of investment here until the CEO updates the financials, but the risk/reward around this 2-3 cent area looks pretty interesting to me. If the outstanding share count continues to be around that 20M area, and that recent press release is a harbinger of increased investor relations activity, I am anticipating some significant upside movement sometime in this calendar year.

At the time the company stopped filing, the financials looked relatively "clean" with positive shareholder equity, so my hunch/guess is that there will not be anything overly negative/damaging if they start filing again. The CEO/CFO/company got in trouble with the SEC back in 2009 for overstating its earnings (improperly recognized a $30+M lawsuit judgment, which they knew was likely uncollectible).

One thing I will be interested to see is if the company makes any acquisitions or expansions into other areas of business outside its current focus on healthcare management. It is interesting to note that MRDH CEO Anthony C. Dike also is the President/CEO and controlling shareholder of Meridian Health Systems, P.C., which is a privately-held cardiovascular device company that has licensed medical technology from NASA......

Endothelium-Preserving Microwave Treatment for Atherosclerosis

The Endothelium-
Preserving Microwave
Treatment for
Atherosclerosis was
first developed and
patented by engineers
at NASA’s Johnson
Space Center (JSC).
The apparatus and
method enable the
repair of diseased coronary arteries during cardiac
catheterization by delivering microwave energy
to precise arterial locations to selectively target
and heat atherosclerotic lesions. The treatment
preserves the most delicate endothelial cell layer,
which is especially important for preventing
restenosis due to thrombotic, inflammatory, and
proliferative responses that complicate current
treatment procedures.

In the 1990s, JSC engineers were investigating
the use of millimeter waves to collect images
of the human body. They rented an expensive
experimental imaging system, but determined
early on that the millimeter wave technology
was not going to be useful for the original intent.
They brainstormed other uses and theorized that
it could be adapted for use in a miniaturized,
directional antenna attached to a catheter.
Inserted into a diseased artery, the millimeter
wave transmissions could penetrate the artery
wall and destroy atherosclerotic lesions without
damaging healthy tissue and cells. The validity
of this concept was subsequently confirmed by
a local physician. They patented the apparatus
and method in December 2002.

JSC met with Meridian Health Systems, P.C.
of Los Angeles, California, to discuss the
technology’s feasibility and effectiveness. In
July 2011 the two organizations signed a Space
Act Agreement (SAA) to conduct feasibility
studies and further develop the technology
collaboratively. After a successful technology
demonstration in November 2011, NASA
licensed the technology to Meridian through a
partially exclusive patent license agreement.
JSC and Meridian are currently negotiating a
second, novel “umbrella SAA” that will include
separate annexes for different technology areas
to further speed testing and development.

Meridian intends to market the technology as the
Endothelium Preserving Microwave Treatment for
Atherosclerosis (EPMTA™) Angioplasty Device
for the nonsurgical repair of diseased coronary
arteries. The effort at Meridian is championed
by Dr. Anthony C. Dike, President and CEO.
“Cardiovascular disease has been the leading
cause of death in the United States every year
since 1918,” Dike said. “My company believes that
the need has never been greater for a minimal
or noninvasive, low-cost tool such as this for the
management of individuals at risk for coronary
artery disease.”

http://globals.federallabs.org/pdf/2013_AwardsPub_FINAL.pdf