RetroSense Therapeutics Completes pre-IND Meeting for RST-001

ANN ARBOR, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

RetroSense Therapeutics, a gene therapy company dedicated to vision restoration, announced completion of a pre-IND meeting with the Center for Biological Evaluation and Research (CBER) division of the FDA that took place on May 22nd 2012 regarding RetroSenses lead biologic, RST-001 for vision restoration in retinal degenerative conditions.

The purpose of the meeting was to obtain CBERs guidance for the clinical path to a Biologics License Application (BLA) for RST-001 in the US, and clarity on the steps required for Investigational New Drug (IND) submission. The discussions included manufacturing criteria, the scope and design of the preclinical studies, and the scope and design of Phase I and IIa clinical trials.

Sean Ainsworth, CEO, noted,"We were quite encouraged by the FDA's feedback and comments and identified nothing that will hinder our path to the clinic. RetroSense remains on schedule to bring RST-001 to the clinic safely and expeditiously.

Peter Francis, MD, PhD, Clinical Director, led the meeting. Dr. Francis stated, It was a successful, productive interaction with the FDA. We were thankful to have representation by Foundation Fighting Blindness, who have been supportive of our novel approach to vision restoration.

We are very excited about the potential for this innovative treatment to restore vision in people who are blind from retinal degenerations, says Stephen Rose, Ph.D., chief research officer, Foundation Fighting Blindness. It is an elegant and powerful approach to overcoming devastating eye diseases.

About RetroSense Therapeutics

RetroSense Therapeutics is a biotechnology company developing a game-changing gene therapy to restore vision in patients suffering from blindness due to retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and advanced dry age-related macular degeneration (advanced dry-AMD). There are currently no FDA approved therapies to improve or restore vision in patients with these retinal degenerative conditions. RetroSense is led by a team of seasoned veterans with deep experience in taking products from the discovery stage through to the clinic. For more information about RetroSense, visit http://www.retro-sense.com/.

About Foundation Fighting Blindness

The Foundation Fighting Blindness is a national non-profit organization driving research that will lead to preventions, treatments and cures for retinitis pigmentosa, macular degeneration, Usher syndrome and the entire spectrum of retinal degenerative diseases that affect more than 10 million Americans. Since 1971, the Foundation has raised over $450 million as the leading non-governmental funder of retinal research. Breakthrough Foundation-funded studies using gene therapy have restored significant vision in children and young adults who were previously blind, paving the way for using this method to treat a variety of retinal degenerative diseases, and proving a cure is in sight. With a network of 50 chapters, the Foundation also provides support, education and resources to affected individuals and their families in communities across the country.

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RetroSense Therapeutics Completes pre-IND Meeting for RST-001

Gene therapy can correct forms of severe combined immunodeficiency

Public release date: 24-May-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Sarah Jackson press_releases@the-jci.org Journal of Clinical Investigation

Severe combined immunodeficiency is defect in the immune system that results in a loss of the adaptive immune cells known as B cells and T cells. Mutations in several different genes can lead to the development of severe combined immunodeficiency, including mutation of the adenosine deaminase (ADA) gene. Traditional treatment options, such as enzyme replacement therapy, are of limited efficacy, but bone marrow transplant from a compatible donor leads to a better response. A recent clinical trial indicated that gene therapy to insert the correct ADA gene in the patient's own bone marrow cells can also lead to a good response.

However, patients were noted to have defects in B cell tolerance, meaning that some B cells that react to antigens from the body fail to be eliminated, leading to an autoimmune response. Dr. Eric Meffre and colleages at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut and Alessandro Aiuti in Milan, Italy joined together to better understand why patients developed B cell tolerance problems. They found that loss of the ADA gene directly contributes to B cell tolerance problems and that these defects are mostly corrected after gene therapy. Their results point to a previously unknown role for ADA in B cell response and support the use of gene therapy as an effective treatment option for ADA-deficient severe combined immunodeficiency patients.

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TITLE:

Defective B cell tolerance in adenosine deaminase deficiency is corrected by gene therapy

AUTHOR CONTACT:

Eric Meffre Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA Phone: 1-203-737-4535; Fax: 1-203-785-7903; E-mail: eric.meffre@yale.edu

ACCOMPANYING COMMENTARY

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Gene therapy can correct forms of severe combined immunodeficiency

New Exhibition: Syd Mead

Syd Mead describes himself as a futurist designer. After all, his perspective of the future is what has come to define that vision for the rest of us.  His work is instantly recognizable in the film ?Tron,? ?Bladerunner,? ?Alien"  for ?Mission Impossible III.? Mead has designed it all ? from Ford cars to  The New Yamato toy characters to commissioned futuristic concept vehicles. He also designed ...

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New Exhibition: Syd Mead

Today's Scuttlebot: Zuckerberg's Hoodie, and Nightmare in Belize

The technology reporters and editors of The New York Times scour the Web for important and peculiar items. Thursday's selection includes Facebook announcing a new camera app, a 19-year-old entrepreneur moving in to AOL to work on his start-up and the software founder John McAfee's story of how his home was raided and he was arrested in Belize.

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Today's Scuttlebot: Zuckerberg's Hoodie, and Nightmare in Belize

Leo forum at de Baron

Leos from SMK Cochrane (from left) Haw Yong Hong, Tan Kah Meng, Lee Boon Keat, Melissa Kee Pei Rou, Cheang Ke Qian and Lee Suit Yee.

That's because "Retro & Futurism" has been picked as the theme of the Forum's Fellowship Night, whereby the Leos are requested to dress appropriately for the occasion.

Among the costumes that the Leos will be donning are from the prehistoric era, ancient Greek period, 1930s Chicago where mobsters and molls prevail, Chinese dynasties and so on.

Among the participants are eight Leos from SMK Cochrane, Kuala Lumpur, led by their club president Melissa Kee Pei Rou. The others are Cheang Ke Qian, Lee Suit Yee, Wong Feng Qing, Liew Jie Yin, Tan Kah Meng, Haw Yong Hong and Lee Boon Keat.

Leos arriving earlier in the day will get to join a tour of the Langkawi Geopark.

Sunday will see the incoming key officers attending schools for new presidents, secretaries, treasurers and members of the boards of directors. This will be followed by the various sub-district Leo Forums where there will be award presentations for outstanding members.

The evening will see all the Leos proceeding to the Langkawi Sports Complex for the banquet dinner, which will be themed "Starry, Starry Night", and where the top awards will also be given out.

Past international director Ellis Suriyati Omar will be speaking on the forum's theme of "Fly Beyond Dreams, We Believe!" to the participants at de Baron Resort on Monday.

This will culminate in the closing ceremony where mementos will be presented. By Ricky Yap

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Leo forum at de Baron

Freedom foremost at Freddys

School wins best musical award and Hannah Arnold is named best actress. Matt Gurniak is chosen as best actor. Freedom High School was the big winner of the night at the Freddy Awards with a total of five awards, including best musical for its toe-tapping production of "Thoroughly Modern Millie."

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Freedom foremost at Freddys

Want Freedom from Vendor Lock-in? Survey Says: Choose Open Source

It's no secret that open source software is playing an increasingly prominent role in businesses around the globe, but a recent survey has uncovered a few surprising findings about adopters' motivations for choosing it.

Specifically, freedom from vendor lock-in is now users' top reason for choosing open source software, according to the 451 Group.

While we had seen vendor lock-in fade as a factor and cost as paramount two or three years ago, today vendor lock-in has become much more of a factor for customers, explains 451 Group analyst Jay Lyman in a Tuesday blog post announcing the results.

We believe this has to do with cloud computing and customers desire to maintain flexibility as they figure out how to best leverage cloud resources, Lyman added.

451 Group participated on the Future of Open Source Survey 2012 with North Bridge Venture Partners and Black Duck Software, garnering 740 responses from a variety of vendors and non-vendors in the industry.

Among the key results of that study was the finding that more than 50 percent of software acquired in the next five years will be open source software. Last year, in fact, was already a record year for open source investment, which increased by 49 percent to $675 million, the study found.

Survey respondents also said that open source is leading rather than following the pack when it comes to the cloud, big data, mobile apps, and enterprise mobility, in particular.

Perhaps most interesting of all, though, is that, when asked what are the top factors that make open source software attractive, a full 60 percent of respondents identified freedom from vendor lock-in as the top motivating factor.

Lower acquisition and maintenance costs (51 percent), better quality (43 percent), and access to source code (42 percent) were also among the top motivators mentioned.

The survey also showed that cost, which we also equate to time and efficiency, is always a strong factor, with 62 percent of respondents identifying reduced cost of development and maintenance as the main reason they use open source or initiate projects, Lyman added.

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Want Freedom from Vendor Lock-in? Survey Says: Choose Open Source

IMF Warning on Oil Prices Shows Urgent Need for Alternative Fuel Sources, Fuel Freedom Foundation Says

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

The Fuel Freedom Foundation says that a new warning from the International Monetary Fund underscores the urgency of opening markets to competition from alternative fuels such as natural gas, ethanol, methanol and electricity. The IMF Working Paper, entitled The Future of Oil: Geology versus Technology, predicts that oil prices could permanently double in the next decade.

The IMF report warns that a doubling in oil prices will send the global economy into uncharted territory, which would spell disaster, said Joseph A. Cannon, President of the Fuel Freedom Foundation. Fortunately, disaster can be averted if we open our markets to competition from cheaper, cleaner, American-made alternative fuels to gasoline. This is the only way to bring down oil prices significantly and structurally, and ensure future economic growth.

The paper combines two opposing positions in the debate to arrive at a more accurate model for predicting oil prices. On the one hand, the peak oil argument holds that the consumption of finite resources will push prices ever higher. On the other, the technological argument says that higher prices will spur new methods for extracting oil, as well as substitutions for petroleum products. These advances, in turn, will lead to greater output and eventually lower prices.

The authorswho emphasized that their findings do not necessarily reflect IMF policyfound the peak oil argument too pessimistic. However, they concluded that geological constraints on production, plus demand shocks such as rapid growth in China and India, best explain the trend in oil prices. At the same time, the researchers found limits to the impact of technological advances in the long run. The result is a near doubling in oil prices, and a pain barrier beyond which there is lasting damage to economic growth.

About The Fuel Freedom Foundation

The Fuel Freedom Foundation is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization based in Irvine, California, which is dedicated to breaking the U.S. economys oil addiction by removing barriers to competition to promote the development of cheaper, cleaner, American-made fuels. Fuel Freedom means that gasoline, diesel, methanol, natural gas, ethanol and electricity compete on equal footing both at the dealership and at the pump. Achieving Fuel Freedom will lower fuel prices, create jobs, spur economic growth, reduce pollution, and improve national and global security. For more information go to the Foundations website at: http://www.fuelfreedom.org.

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IMF Warning on Oil Prices Shows Urgent Need for Alternative Fuel Sources, Fuel Freedom Foundation Says

FREEDOM Study Data: Patients Experience Sustained Quality of Life Benefits with More Frequent Home Hemodialysis with …

LAWRENCE, Mass., May 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --NxStage Medical, Inc. (NXTM), a leading manufacturer of innovative dialysis products, today announced the latest interim findings from its FREEDOM (Following Rehabilitation, Economics and Everyday-Dialysis Outcome Measurements) Study, which found daily home hemodialysis treatments with the NxStage System One are associated with long-term improvements in various physical and mental quality of life measures. These interim FREEDOM Study results, "At-Home Short Daily Hemodialysis Improves the Long-Term Health-Related Quality of Life," were published online on Kidney International's website in advance of its release in print.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110503/MM94799LOGO )

NxStage's FREEDOM Study is the largest prospective study of frequent home hemodialysis to date. The FREEDOM Study reported improvements in several quality of life measures in end stage renal disease (ESRD) patients at 12 months of follow-up, including:

"Today's data shows more frequent home hemodialysis unlocks a variety of clinical and quality of life benefits for ESRD patients that remain over an extended period of time," said Frederic Finkelstein, MD, Chief of Nephrology at the Hospital of St. Raphael in New Haven, Conn. and Clinical Professor of Medicine at Yale University Medical School, as well as the study's primary author. "ESRD patients struggle on a daily basis with maintaining their overall health while trying to better manage their chronic condition. This data shows that more frequent home hemodialysis can have a positive impact on a patient's perception of his quality of life."

"This recent data builds upon an already robust mountain of clinical evidence pointing to the benefits of more frequent home hemodialysis," said Jeffrey H. Burbank, Chief Executive Officer of NxStage Medical, Inc. "FREEDOM continues to show that more frequent home therapy with the NxStage System One transforms patient lives for the better, resulting in healthier, happier patients who are empowered in their own healthcare."

About the NxStage System One

The NxStage System One is the first and only truly portable hemodialysis system cleared for home use by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA). Its simplicity and revolutionary size (just over a foot tall) are intended to allow convenient use in patients' homes and give patients the freedom to travel with their therapy. When combined with the NxStage Pureflow SL Dialysis Preparation System, patients are able to further simplify, using ordinary tap water to create dialysis fluid on demand. Unlike conventional hemodialysis systems, the System One requires no special infrastructure to operate. Under the guidance of their physician, patients can use the NxStage System One, with their trained partners, where, how and when it best meets their needs, at home or on vacation. http://www.nxstage.com/.

About NxStage Medical

NxStage Medical, Inc. (NXTM) is a medical device company, headquartered in Lawrence, Massachusetts, USA, that develops, manufactures and markets innovative systems for the treatment of ESRD and acute kidney failure. For more information on NxStage and its products, please visit the company's website at http://www.nxstage.com/.

Forward-Looking Statements

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FREEDOM Study Data: Patients Experience Sustained Quality of Life Benefits with More Frequent Home Hemodialysis with ...

Sound of Freedom release – Unique Canadian Support Our Troops Fundraising Album

TORONTO, May 24, 2012 /CNW/ - The Canadian Forces Personnel and Family Support Services (CFPFSS) is set to release a fundraising album, Sound of Freedom, on Tuesday, May 29, 2012 (Willow Music / EMI Music Canada). Proceeds from the album will be assigned to the Support Our Troops Fund. The album features a unique collaboration between musician members of the Canadian Forces, and civilian singers featuring Alexandria Beck, Alan Frew, Mark Masri, Luke McMaster and Annie Villeneuve. The band is appropriately titled, MARCH ON. Produced by Glass Tiger's Sam Reid, Sound of Freedom was recorded largely at the Canadian Forces Central Band Studio in Ottawa and at Newmarket, Ontario's SlipOne Digital in 2010 and 2011. Full track listing below.

"I think it may surprise Canadians to hear that the military is the largest employer of musicians in Canada," says Sam Reid. "These guys are trained soldiers, but great musicians as well. The amount of professionalism, talent and dedication they brought to the process was brilliant."

The Support Our Troops Fund is an official resource that provides support to former and serving members of the Canadian Forces and their families. It benefits programs such as the Soldier On Fund and Hospital Comforts Fund, Operation Santa Claus, the Canadian Forces Personnel Assistance Fund and the Military Families Fund. The CFPFSS organization is wholly dedicated to providing morale and welfare programs and services to military families and to serving and former Canadian Forces members, by helping them meet the specific challenges brought about by the conditions of their service. For example, the Military Families Fund offers a wide range of support, including everything from financial assistance for the relocation of those discharged for medical reasons, to funding tutoring and badly needed home renovations for Canadian Forces members with special needs children.

MARCH ON's featured vocalist, former Canadian Forces member Alexandria Beck, was inspired by her family's long involvement with the military and was one of the youngest recruits to the Canadian Forces Reserve Band.Sound of Freedom also features songs by Platinum selling Quebec songstress, Annie Villeneuve, singer/songwriter Luke McMaster, multi-instrumentalist Mark Masri and five-time Juno nominee Alan Frew. Glass Tiger bandmates, Sam Reid and Alan Frew have been supporters of the Canadian Forces since the mid-90's and have toured to entertain troops serving in Bosnia and Afghanistan. Sound of Freedom's eleven tracks reflect the personal challenges often faced by members of the Canadian Forces and their families.

Weblinks: http://www.SoundOfFreedom.ca http://www.SupportingOurTroops.ca http://www.appuyonsnostroupes.ca http://www.facebook.com/CanadaSupportOurTroops

Sound of Freedom Track Listing:

Bonus Tracks:

Image with caption: "Sound of Freedom Release, Unique Canadian Support Our Troops Fundraising Album (CNW Group/Canadian Forces Personnel and Family Support Services)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20120524_C2260_PHOTO_EN_14103.jpg

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Sound of Freedom release - Unique Canadian Support Our Troops Fundraising Album

"Freedom Is Not Free" — Young Americans Remember as Memorial Day Approaches

WASHINGTON, DC--(Marketwire -05/24/12)- Generation Opportunity today launched an online scroll for Americans to sign to thank the brave men and women who have selflessly served the nation and made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure our enduring freedoms. The effort for Memorial Day 2012 -- called "Freedom Is Not Free" -- gained immediate attention and support across the country.

"On Memorial Day, families across the country will remember loved ones and relatives who made the ultimate sacrifice to defend our freedoms. Sharing in that remembrance will be many, many young Americans who honor and deeply respect those from their own generation and previous generations who gave everything for Americans to remain free. We are grateful to those who have taken the time to join our efforts to reaffirm the significance of this day through our 'Freedom Is Not Free' scroll, and we encourage every American, in any way they can, to remember the true meaning of Memorial Day," said Paul T. Conway, president of Generation Opportunity and a former Chief of Staff to Major General Douglas O'Dell, USMC (Ret.) at the United States Department of Homeland Security.

Earlier this year, Generation Opportunity successfully conducted an online initiative entitled "Valentines for Vets" that provided all Americans an opportunity to send a note of appreciation and encouragement to veterans receiving care and or treatment at veterans hospitals and Armed Forces retirement homes across the country.

The Generation Opportunity team delivered the messages to veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces at multiple facilities serving veterans, including Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (Washington, DC); Armed Forces Retirement Home (Gulfport, MS); Veterans in Partnership (VISN) 11 Healthcare Network (Ann Arbor, MI); Miami VA Healthcare System (Miami, FL); VA Southwest Health Care Network (Mesa, AZ); Chalmers P. Wylie VA Ambulatory Care Center (Columbus, OH); and Maine VA Medical Center (Augusta, ME).

Generation Opportunity will scroll the names and states of "Freedom Is Not Free" signers throughout Memorial Day week.

HOW IT WORKS

1. Go to this link - http://generationopportunity.org/memorial-day/ 2. Follow the instructions and write your personal message. 3. After submitting, your first name and the state you are from will appear on the scroll. 4. For questions or other information, please email info@generationopportunity.org

ABOUT GENERATION OPPORTUNITY

Generation Opportunity is a non-profit, non-partisan 501 (c)(4) organization that seeks to engage everyone from young adults, to early career professionals, college students, young mothers and fathers, construction workers, current service men and women, veterans, entrepreneurs, and all Americans who find themselves dissatisfied with the status quo and willing to create a better tomorrow.

Generation Opportunity operates on a strategy that combines advanced social media tactics with proven field tactics to reach Americans 18-29. The organization's social media platforms -- "Being American by GO," "The Constitution by GO," and "Gas Prices Are Too Damn High" on Facebook -- have amassed a total fan base of nearly 3.3 million. All three pages post links to relevant articles and reports from sources ranging from the federal Government Accountability Office (GAO), to The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Brookings Institution, The Wall Street Journal, The Huffington Post, and The Heritage Foundation.

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"Freedom Is Not Free" -- Young Americans Remember as Memorial Day Approaches

Guerrieri takes checkered flag in Freedom 100

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) A bold move late in the Freedom 100 gave Esteban Guerrieri the lead and the Argentine held on to win a crash-marred Indy Lights race Friday in Indianapolis.

The developmental series race was largely run in packs and included a wild early melee that brought out a red flag, stopping the race because of damage to a barrier. Another hard hit late in the race brought out a yellow that did not give rookie Carlos Munoz a chance to catch Guerrieri.

It's the fourth consecutive year Sam Schmidt Motorsports has won the Freedom 100. France's Tristan Vautier, another rookie, was third behind Munoz.

Four drivers went to the infield medical center, including Emerson Newton-John, the nephew of singer Olivia Newton-John. All were cleared and released.

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Guerrieri takes checkered flag in Freedom 100

Eugenics victims to recieve reparation

The Judicial Committee of the General Assembly met Tuesday afternoon to discuss compensation for victims of North Carolinas Eugenics Board.

In 1933 the state legislature officially authorized the practice of sterilization via the Eugenics Board of North Carolina. The board actively sanctioned the forced sterilization of an estimated 7,600 people until 1977, when the program was shut down. According to Department of Administration records, many of these victims were African American and female.

In January, a task force of five members approved the recommendation to compensate affected families with a payment of $50,000. Gov. Bev Perdue allotted $10.3 million in her budget proposal to allow these payments. Tuesdays discussion of the Eugenics Compensation Program bill brought about mixed reactions to the payments, as well as more details on who qualifies to receive them.

Representative Larry Womble of Forsyth County, made a strong appeal when discussing the bill.

It is a bill that separates North Carolina from the rest of the world, Womble said. This is an auspicious time in North Carolina history.

In order to qualify for monetary compensation as stipulated by the bill, sterilizations must have been court-ordered. In addition, families of victims who were alive as of March 1, 2010 can receive compensation on the deceaseds behalf.

Charmaine Fuller Cooper, executive director of the North Carolina Justice for Sterilization Victims Foundation and graduate of N.C. States masters program in public administration, isnt convinced that monetary compensation is enough for every victim.

Some may need mental health services. Everyone has been affected differently, for some the money would be helpful, but then it becomes a question of how much, Fuller Cooper said.

According to Elaine Riddick, an outspoken victim of the Boards actions, the $50,000 doesnt cut it.

This is a huge smack in my familys face, Riddick said.

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Eugenics victims to recieve reparation

Second of three committees advance Eugenics Compensation Bill

By:News 14 Carolina Web Staff

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RALEIGH -- The second of three committees advanced the historic Eugenics Compensation Bill. The proposal would give a $50,000 payout to living victims of this forced sterilization program.

There have been some dissenting opinions on this proposal questioning if the state should be paying out reparations and how the $50,000 figure was agreed upon.

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Second of three committees advance Eugenics Compensation Bill

Hog Hearth Heat Mat (French) – Video

23-05-2012 16:05 Reduce Energy Bills Up To 70% With The Hog Hearth® ECO System The Hog Hearth® ECO System is the most efficient heating system available. The Hog Hearth® averages less than 65 watts per crate providing the perfect surface temperature for the newborn piglet. No heat lamps are necessary with the Hog Hearth® heat mat, even at farrowing time. Please visit us @

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Hog Hearth Heat Mat (French) - Video

Hog Hearth Heat Mat (Spanish) – Video

24-05-2012 08:30 Reduce Energy Bills Up To 70% With The Hog Hearth® ECO System The Hog Hearth® ECO System is the most efficient heating system available. The Hog Hearth® averages less than 65 watts per crate providing the perfect surface temperature for the newborn piglet. No heat lamps are necessary with the Hog Hearth® heat mat, even at farrowing time. Please visit us @

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Hog Hearth Heat Mat (Spanish) - Video