Geoff,

As I'm sure you can appreciate, there are studies, and there are "studies".

One can locate any of a number of University professors with independent labs and hire them to do a "study" provided you put up the cash. This is big business and seems to pay well. (Did you happen to notice the photo of the dishy babe sprawled across the hood of the Jaguar? She was identified as the head lab assistant. Nice car.)

It is important to look closely at the study and the data and determine what the study is designed to do. Let me give you an example.

Suppose I sell Ford cars and want to say, Ford's Mustang outperformed all other vehicles in an independent lab test conducted by the Chief Professor of Auto Mechanics at Daytona Community College's Department of Automotive Engineering.

I provide the protocol and a check for $25,000. The protocol calls for a 2009 Ford Mustang to be compared to a 1965 Chevy Corvair, a 1956 Volkswagon beetle and a 1936 Packard. Surprise! The Mustang amazingly outperforms every other car tested. It is a magnificent vehicle! The Professor can heartily endorse the Mustang as the best car tested.

Now, the fact that the protocol did not include a Corvette is highly suspect. But, who's looking that closely anyway?

That is, in a way, what this "study" does. It pits the sponsor's product against a couple of "dogs". Surprise again! The sponsor's product performed the best!

Now, suppose my Mustangs have a patented fuel injection system that I suspect is inferior and I want to be alerted to the first new fuel injection system improvements that are discovered. I get a brilliant idea! I offer a $10,000 bonus to the Independent lab to "invite" other manufacturers to send in their performance vehicles to be included in future testing. If I discover they have a better fuel injection system, I begin reverse engineering it and try to make improvements on my own. If, on the other hand, I find that the competition has merely infringed on my inferior patented system, I file a law suit in an attempt to eliminate the competition. It is an easy and cheap way to monitor the marketplace and come up with new product information and ideas.

I wouldn't expect BIOAGRA, LLC to be sending PureStim samples to Dr. Vetvicka's lab any time soon.

Best regards,

-z