🚀 go-pugleaf

Thanks to Allie for the heads-up on this!

http://ilena-rosenthal.blogspot.com
http://ilenarose.blogspot.com/2007/06/sicko-brilliant-must-see.html
Health Lover

http://lesliehayes.blogspot.com/2007/08/doctor-buys-334-of-lions-gate-shares-1.html
http://v.mercola.com/blogs/public_blog/Drug-Companies-Suppress-Wider-Release-of-Sicko-31666.aspx
(see below)

Saturday, August 4, 2007
Health Care Investor Buys 33.4% of Lions Gate Shares 1 Week before the
Release of Michael Moore�s SICKO 

Mark H. Rachesky, M.D. purchased 33.4% (over 40 Million) shares of
Lions Gate stock one week prior to the scheduled opening of Michael
Moore's controversial film "Sicko" which happens to be distributed by
Lions Gate and the Weinstein Co. (SEC filing can be found here).
Interestingly, a pre-screening of the film was held on the same day in
New Hampshire for over 600 people including doctors, health care
lobbyists, nurses, political figures and pharmaceutical companies all
from the health care industry.

Dr. Rachesky is the founder and President of MHR Fund Management LLC
and affiliates who are investment managers of various private funds.
Dr. Rachesky is currently on the Board of Directors of Keryx
Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. who focus on the acquisition, development and
commercialization of medically important, novel pharmaceutical
products for the treatment of life-threatening diseases, including
diabetes and cancer. He is also an investment broker for NovaDel
Pharma Inc. (AMEX: NVD), a specialty pharmaceutical company who
targets candidates suffering from nausea, insomnia, migraine headaches
and disorders of the central nervous system (CNS). In addition DR.
Rachesky is the beneficial owner of Medical Nutrition USA, Inc. owning
approximately 29% of the company with 3,786,799 shares. He is also the
Director of Neose Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTEC) which is a
clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of
next-generation therapeutic proteins that are competitive with best in
class protein drugs currently on the market. In 2003, the market for
therapeutic proteins grew by almost 19% to $37 billion, and is
predicted to achieve sales of over $90 billion by 2010. Recently the
Doctor also has invested in Emisphere Technologies, Inc. another bio
pharmaceutical company charting new frontiers in drug delivery.
Emisphere has strategic alliances with world-leading pharmaceutical
companies


Originally, Lion�s Gate had planned a wide release of SICKO in over
1,600 theaters nationwide June 29, 2007 but one week prior to the
release the number was reduced to a mere 400. This decision was made
the same week Dr. Rachesky purchased Lions Gate stock. Could this be
pure coincidence?

Did Dr Rachesky purchase the stock for controlling interests in Lions
Gate? Controlling Interest is when the parent company owns a majority
of the common stock that allows the shareholder major influence on the
company. Normally for one to obtain controlling interests in a company
one would purchase at least 51% of all shares however, in some cases a
single entity can essentially maintain control with only 33.4% of the
outstanding shares. Ironically, this is the exact percentage of shares
purchased by Dr. Rachesky.

In the film SICKO Michael Moore turns his attentions toward the topic
of health care in the United States in this documentary that weighs
the plight of the uninsured against the record profits of the
pharmaceutical industry. Moore interviews a number of people who have
been left broke by medical bills even though they were fully insured,
and explains how the corporate drive for profits has left numerous
people in financial and medical disarray. After hearing that detainees
in Guantanamo have access to free health care, Moore assembles a group
of World Trade Center rescue workers to travel to Cuba in order to get
the medical help they need for ailments they incurred in 2001. Moore's
film debuted at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Perry Seibert, All
Movie Guide

If Dr Rachesky purchased Lions Gate shares for controlling power is it
safe to ask why? There are many debates and arguments as the the
accuracy of Moore�s film. What interests me is if there were no truth
and validity to the documentary why would someone go to so much
trouble to make sure it is not a success and limit the amount theaters
where the film can be seen? Sounds to me like this film has left the
health care industry shaking in their boots and they don't want us to
know the truth.

Article By: Leslie Hayes


http://v.mercola.com/blogs/public_blog/Drug-Companies-Suppress-Wider-Release-of-Sicko-31666.aspx
Subject: Drug Companies Suppress Wider Release of Sicko


One week before Michael Moore�s hotly debated documentary Sicko was
scheduled to open, Mark H. Rachesky, M.D. -- the founder and president
of MHR Fund Management LLC -- purchased 33.4 percent (over 40 million
shares) of Lions Gate stock.

Lions Gate (along with Weinstein Co.), the company distributing Sicko,
had planned to release the film in over 1,600 theaters across the
United States in June 2007. However, one week prior to the release
(the same week that Rachesky made his purchase), the number was
reduced to 400 theaters.

While this could be mere coincidence, some are questioning whether
Rachesky�s stock purchase was made for controlling interests in Lions
Gate. Typically, for a shareholder to gain major influence on a
company, he or she would need to purchase at least 51 percent of the
shares. 

However, in certain instances an individual can maintain control with
just 33.4 percent of shares� which is the exact amount that Rachesky
purchased.

Further, Rachesky is involved with a number of health care companies
who stand to be impacted by Moore�s provocative film. Rachesky is: 
On the Board of Directors of Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. 
An investment broker for NovaDel Pharma, Inc. 
The beneficial owner of Medical Nutrition USA, Inc. 
The Director of Neose Technologies, Inc., a clinical-stage
biopharmaceutical company 
An investor in Emisphere Technologies, Inc., another biopharmaceutical
company 
Sicko examines the financial and medical struggles of Americans to get
proper health care, and chronicles the experience of a group of World
Trade Center rescue workers who travel to Cuba to get medical care,
for free.

Ever since Sicko  was released, it has been pounded by criticism. Some
claim that the rescue workers in the film got �VIP treatment� in Cuba
while others say Moore was �fudging the facts.� 

Clearly, there is a lot at stake when it comes to a film threatening
to expose some of the pervasive problems in the U.S. health care
system, and it would not be a stretch to assume that a big player in
the pharmaceutical industry would attempt to limit viewers� access to
the film, as the article suggests.

If you have not yet seen Sicko, I would highly recommend it, as it
provides an excellent introduction to the flaws plaguing the U.S.
health care system.

I don�t, however, agree with Moore�s solution, which is essentially
for the U.S. government to pick up the tab. What is wrong with this
solution?

Most illness in this country is NOT acute trauma (where a
government-paid system may make sense) but rather chronic degenerative
diseases. If the government took on the costs of theses diseases, the
country would likely become bankrupt rather quickly.

Remember, the United Sates is already paying more than $2 trillion a
year for �health care,� -- and that�s without paying these extra
costs.

What�s even more important, though, is that the majority of chronic
illnesses could be prevented and treated if the country returned to
preventative medicine that treated the cause of disease -- and valued
nutrient-rich foods and exercise over artificial and often dangerous
pharmaceutical products.