Myron W. Wentz

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Myron W. Wentz founded USANA Health Sciences, Inc. in 1992, and serves as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of the company.

Contents

[edit] Biography

[edit] Education

Wentz holds a B.Sc. degree in biology from North Central College in Naperville, Illinois, a M.Sc. degree in microbiology from the University of North Dakota, and a Ph.D. degree in microbiology and immunology from the University of Utah.[citation needed]

[edit] Professional history

Joining a pathology group in Peoria, Illinois, Wentz served as infectious diseases specialist and directed the microbiology and immunology laboratories for three hospitals in the Peoria area.[citation needed]

Wentz launched Gull Laboratories as a one-man operation in 1974. He developed the first commercially available test for diagnosing infection with the Epstein-Barr virus. Wentz sold his controlling interests in Gull Laboratories in 1992 and founded USANA Health Sciences.

In June of 2007 Wentz was a recipient of the Albert Einstein Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Life Sciences.[1]

[edit] Shareholder lawsuit

On April 4th, 2007 Wentz was named as a defendant in a class-action lawsuit being brought against his company, USANA, by company shareholders. The suit alleges that USANA presented materially false and misleading information about the company’s financial situation and business practices. Included in the allegations were that USANA’s business model was unsustainable and amounted to a pyramid scheme. The suit cited several allegations from a report released by Barry Minkow and the Fraud Discovery Institute.[2]

This lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice on January 3rd, 2008 by the Utah state court after USANA filed a motion to dismiss and the plaintiff agreed. [1]

[edit] Citizenship

Wentz has been criticized by detractors for having renounced his American citizenship in the mid-nineties, and for now claiming citizenry in Saint Kitts and Nevis. USANA CFO, Gilbert Fuller, responded to this criticism by stating Wentz's decision to renounce his US citizenship had nothing to do with the company.[3]

[edit] Bibliography

[edit] Books

  • Wentz M. "A mouth full of poison". Rosarito Beach, Baja California:Medicis, S.C.;2004.
  • Wentz M. "Invisible miracles". Rosarito Beach, Baja California:Medicis, S.C.;2002.

[edit] Scientific papers

  • Pena A, Wentz M. "Lifestyle modification and intravenous antioxidant therapy for Parkinson's disease: A Case Report". 7th National Parkinson Foundation Symposium 2001;8-9.
  • Preobrazhensky S, Malugin A, Wentz M. "Flow cytometric assay for evaluation of the effects of cell density on cytotoxicity and induction of apoptosis". Cytometry 2001;43(3):199-203.
  • Malugin A, Preobrazhensky S, Wentz M. "Ascorbic acid at physiological concentrations can induce necrosis and apoptosis in lymphoid cells". Free Radical Biol Med 1999 (Oxygen '99);27(Suppl 1):S147.
  • Wentz M, Malugin A, Preobrazhensky S. "Induction of apoptosis in cultured lymphoid cells by genistein, resveratrol curcumin and ascorbic acid". 9th Annual Research Conference, American Institute for Cancer Research 1999;2-3.
  • Preobrazhensky S, Malugin A, Wentz M. "Flow cytometric assay for evaluation of the effects of cell density on cytotoxicity and induction of apoptosis". 1999 ISAC Samuel A. Latt Conference.
  • Preobrazhensky S, Malugin A, Wentz M. "Effect of cell density and serum concentration on induction of apoptosis with ascorbic acid, oxidized low-density lipoprotein and anti-Fas antibody in human lymphoid cells". Keystone Symposia 1999.
  • Rabovsky A, Cuomo J, Wentz M. "Inhibition of fat absorption with grape seed antioxidants". Free Radical Biol Med 1998 (Oxygen '98).
  • Preobrazhensky S, Malugin A, Rabovsky A, Wood T, Wentz M. "Effect of vitamin E supplementation on susceptibility to oxidation of isolated low density lipoprotein and apolipoprotein B-100 in unfractionated blood serum". 11th International Symposium on Atherosclerosis 1997.
  • Preobrazhensky S, Rabovsky A, Goldmacher V, Wentz M. "Comparative study of cytotoxic action of oxidized low density lipoprotein and cumene hydroperoxide on various lymphoid cell lines". 11th International Symposium on Atherosclerosis 1997.
  • Rabovsky A, Preobrazhensky S, Wentz M. "In vitro antioxidant activity of flavonoids measured using different procedures". Free Radical Biol Med 1996 (Oxygen '96).
  • Rabovsky A, Preobrazhensky S, Ivanov V, Wentz M. "Synergistic action of ascorbic acid and bioflavonoids in protecting apolipoprotein B from oxidation". 8th Biennial Meeting, International Society for Free Radical Research 1996.
  • Wilson AJ, Sant H, Van Duser PK, Wentz M. "Enzyme-based methods for IgM serology: Standard Indirect ELISA vs Antibody-Capture ELISA". Lab Med 1992;23(4):259-63.
  • Wiedbrauk DL, Chyang HY, Wentz M. "Evaluation of two Immunoglobulin G removal methods before Immunglobulin M serologies for the human Herpes viruses". Annual Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology 1988
  • Mazumder P, Chuang HY, Wentz M, Wiedbrauk DL. "Latex agglutination test for detection of antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii". J Clin Microbiol 1988;26(11):2444-46.
  • McNeil C, Ladle JN, Helmick WM, Trentelman E, Wentz M. "An antiserum to ovarian mucinous cyst fluid with colon cancer specificity". Cancer Res 1969;29(8):1535-40.
  • Wentz M, Scott RA, Vennes JW. "Clostridium botulinum type F: Seasonal inhibition by Bacillus lichenoformis". Science 1967;155(758): 89-90.

[edit] References

  1. ^ "USANA Founder Dr.Myron Wentz Receives Albert Einstein Award", Biz Yahoo!, 2007-06-27. 
  2. ^ Linda Fantin. "Supplements suit says USANA duped investors", Salt Lake Tribune, 2007-03-28.  See also plaintiff press releases from Milberg Weiss, Brower Piven, and Brodsky & Smith, LLC, March 29, 2007.
  3. ^ Keith J. Winstein. "publisher=Wall Street Journal USANA Sales Plan Draws Fire from Felon Turned Gumshoe", 2007-03-15. 

[edit] External links