NEW YORK, April 26 /PRNewswire/ -- HealthShares(TM) Inc., an investment company with a series of 20 underlying fund portfolios, today announced it has been informed by Standard & Poor's, the calculating agent for the HealthShares(TM) Indexes, that effective at the opening of trading on Monday April 30, 2007, Integra Life Sciences will replace Merck Serono in the HealthShares(TM) Dermatology and Wound Care Index; and XOMA Ltd. will replace Merck Serono in the HealthShares(TM) Emerging Cancer Index. Additionally, Dendreon Corp. will replace Merck Serono in the HealthShares(TM) Composite Index. The remaining public interest in Merck Serono was acquired by its parent company Merck KGaA.
Companies included in the Dermatology and Wound Care Index are engaged in the research, clinical development and/or commercialization of therapeutic agents for the treatment of a wide variety of skin disorders by topical or systemic means.
Companies included in the Emerging Cancer Index are engaged in the research, clinical development and/or commercialization of therapeutic agents for the treatment of a wide variety of cancers.
About HealthShares(TM)
XShares Advisors LLC, a financial services company based in New York, is the creator of the HealthShares(TM) family of Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs). HealthShares(TM) ETFs are organized into therapeutic 'Verticals' and represent specific areas of the healthcare, life science and biotechnology industries. Each Vertical addresses a distinct sub-segment of healthcare, such as the diagnosis and treatment of specific therapeutic areas (e.g. cardiology, cancer, infectious disease, etc.) and the development of medical devices (e.g. orthopedic repair, cardio devices, etc.). Each ETF tracks an index of 22-25 stocks and offers institutional and individual investors a more precise financial instrument that leverages the potential of healthcare investing while mitigating the risks of single stock picking. For more information, visit the company's website at: http://www.healthsharesinc.com/.
About XShares
XShares Advisors LLC, a subsidiary of XShares Group LLC, is a registered investment 2 advisor that provides investment advisory services to Exchange Traded Funds. XShares also partners with major institutions and index providers seeking to bring innovative Exchange Traded Funds to market using its administrative platform. In addition, XShares creates and licenses distinctive intellectual property for its ETFs, developing products that allow for innovative trading strategies and alternative investments for the financial community. For more information, visit the company's website at http://www.xsharesadvisors.com/.
An Investor should consider the fund's investment objective, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing. For this and more complete information about the fund call 800.925.2870 or visit the website http://www.healthsharesinc.com/ for a prospectus. Please read the prospectus carefully before investing.
There are risks involved with investing in ETFs including possible loss of money. HealthShares(TM) are not actively managed and are subject to risks similar to stocks, including those related to short selling and margin maintenance. HealthShares(TM) ETFs are subject to increased risks associated with investing in a specific sector compared to a more diversified investment, as well as unique risks associated with the healthcare and biotechnology sector (i.e., government regulation, patent regulation, etc.).The prospectus is not an offer to buy or sell the portfolio shares, nor is the fund soliciting an offer to buy its shares in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. HealthShares(TM) Exchange Traded Funds are distributed by ALPS Distributors, Inc.
