BICO Receives Order From Walter Reed for Rapid HIV Tests
PITTSBURGH, Aug. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- BICO, Incorporated (OTC Bulletin Board: BIKO) announced today that subsidiary Rapid HIV Detection Corp. has received an order for 14,000 of its InstantScreen(R) Rapid HIV tests from Walter Reed Army Institute of Research for further evaluation by its HIV Research Program in Washington, DC. The additional evaluation of InstantScreen follows results obtained on Walter Reed studies of 592 InstantScreen tests, which demonstrated 100% accuracy. The data from Walter Reed's recent evaluation of rapid HIV tests will be presented on Monday, August 13, 2001 at the National HIV Prevention Conference in Atlanta, Georgia.
The tests will be delivered to Walter Reed by early next week.
BICO recently acquired the exclusive worldwide marketing rights to InstantScreen, which was developed and is manufactured by the German American Institute for Applied Research (GAIFAR) in Potsdam, Germany.
The advantages of the InstantScreen Rapid HIV test are:
100% accurate -- In combined evaluations on nearly 1200 specimens by
institutions such as Walter Reed Army Institute; Noguchi Memorial
Institute for Medical Research in Accra, Ghana; World Health
Organization; and the National Institute for Virology in South Africa,
InstantScreen has shown 100% accuracy in detecting both those infected
with the HIV virus and those not infected when compared to the world
wide accepted laboratory tests known as ELISA (for initial screening)
and Western Blot (for confirmation).
Instant results -- Within 30 seconds or less the results are known
Simple to use -- InstantScreen requires no special training, extra
equipment, or refrigeration, uses only a small amount of finger prick
blood, and anyone who can read at least on an elementary level can
administer the test
Affordable -- $10 or less in most instances
Quick Confirmation -- The positive results of the InstantScreen can be
verified within minutes with InstantConfirm(R), the first and only test
to transform the gold-standard laboratory confirmation test into a rapid
format for use at the test site.
Initially, InstantScreen will be marketed outside the US, especially in Africa, India, South America, the Caribbean and Asia, where HIV/AIDS is rampant. GAIFAR will concurrently seek FDA approval.
BICO has its corporate offices in Pittsburgh, PA and is involved in the development and manufacture of biomedical devices and environmental solutions. Subsidiary Rapid HIV Detection Corp. is also located in Pittsburgh, PA and Washington, DC.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Investors Media
Diane McQuaide Susan Taylor
1.412.429.0673 phone 1.412.429.0673 phone
1.412.279.9690 fax 1.412.279.5041 fax
INVESTOR RELATIONS NEWSLINE NUMBER: 1.800.357.6204
WEBSITE: www.bico.com
This press release contains statements of a forward looking nature. Shareholders and potential investors are cautioned that such statements are predictions and actual events or results may vary significantly.
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SOURCE BICO, Incorporated
/CONTACT: Investors: Diane McQuaide, +1-412-429-0673, or fax,
+1-412-279-9690, or Media: Susan Taylor, +1-412-429-0673, or fax,
+1-412-279-5041, both of BICO/
/Web site: bico.com / |
