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Monday January 12, 12:37 pm Eastern Time
Company Press Release
SOURCE: Biomerica, Inc.
Biomerica Introduces New Test to Detect Type I Diabetes Several Years Before the Onset of the Disease
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., Jan. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Biomerica, Inc. (Nasdaq: BMRA - news) announced today that it will introduce a new diagnostic test for detecting autoantibodies to Glutamic Acid Decarboxylase (GAD), an early warning indicator of type I diabetes. The new GAD test will be first marketed outside the United States and later will be sold in the U.S. after receiving FDA clearance. The product is a part of BIOMERICA's diabetes product line which includes tests for detecting diabetic predisposition.
Diabetes affects over 15.7 million people (5.9% of the population) in the United States, more than six times the number in 1958. The record number of cases is linked to Americans becoming more overweight, less active and living to older ages. An average of 798,000 new cases of diabetes are diagnosed each year and over 5.4 million people remain undiagnosed. Type I diabetes (also called insulin dependent diabetes mellitus or juvenile-onset diabetes) may account for up to 10% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes. Unlike type II diabetes, the risk factors are less defined for type I diabetes, however autoimmune, genetic and environmental factors are involved. Diabetes can be associated with serious complications such as: heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney disease, amputations, high blood pressure, dental disease and nervous system disease. The total direct healthcare costs and indirect costs of diabetes was estimated at $92 billion dollars in the United States during 1992.
The product, which will be marketed under the trade-name, Isletest(R)-GAD, is a clinical laboratory test to detect asymptomatic high risk individuals who would be susceptible to developing type I diabetes. The Isletest(R)-GAD test utilizes an advanced technology and may be performed at almost all clinical laboratories using low cost common laboratory equipment. The test only requires a blood sample and is designed to detect type I diabetes several years before the onset of the disease. Isletest(R)-GAD is a part of Biomerica's line of laboratory tests designed to detect diseases before they become catastrophic.
Biomerica's CEO, Mr. Zackary Irani, stated, ''We believe the new Isletest- GAD product will significantly contribute to our revenues in the years to come. The test will improve patient care while containing healthcare costs by providing healthcare professionals with a tool to identify high risk individuals.'' Mr. Irani also added, ''There are already several companies which have expressed an interest in distributing this product.''
BIOMERICA (Nasdaq: BMRA - news) is a medical company engaged in the development, manufacturing and marketing of advanced medical diagnostic products, including home self-testing.
This press release contains forward-looking information that is based on current expectations and therefore it necessarily involves risk and uncertainties. Although the Company believes that the basis for the forward looking statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that the results anticipated in the forward looking statements will be realized. Many factors could influence the results contemplated and therefore there is no assurance that the company's products will become commercially successful.
SOURCE: Biomerica, Inc. |
