Tuesday August 18, 8:42 am Eastern Time
Company Press Release
SOURCE: Biomerica, Inc.
Biomerica Receives New Patent for
Test to Predict Diabetes Years Before Onset
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., Aug. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Biomerica, Inc. (Nasdaq: BMRA -
news) announced today the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued the company a key
patent for its diagnostic kit that provides clinicians a very early warning that a patient is
predisposed to developing type I (insulin dependent) diabetes.
By detecting Islet Cell Autoantibodies (ICA), the test has the ability to identify individuals with a
high risk of developing type I diabetes several years before actual onset of the disease. More than
15 million Americans -- one in 20 -- are impacted by diabetes. The total indirect and direct costs
attributed to diabetes in the U.S. is over $92 billion.
''Biomerica has the most comprehensive product line available to detect individuals predisposed
to developing type I diabetes,'' said Zackary Irani, Chief Executive Officer. Irani added that the
company has a corporate strategy of carefully protecting its intellectual property and that this
patent is an important part of that strategy.
Biomerica's diagnostic test, which is marketed internationally under the trade name
Isletest(R)-ICA, is an important tool in detecting this disease at a very early stage. The
combination of early detection and treatment could greatly increase patient survival while at the
same time reducing health care costs.
The test requires only a blood sample and can be performed at almost any clinical laboratory.
Irani said Biomerica plans to introduce the product to the U.S. market following clinical trials
necessary to receive U.S. Food and Drug Administration clearance.
An average of approximately 800,000 new cases of diabetes are diagnosed each year.
Complications of diabetes include heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, blindness, kidney
disease, and amputation. Type I diabetes is believed to account for up to 15% of all diagnosed
cases of the disease.
BIOMERICA (Nasdaq: BMRA - news) is a global medical company devoted to developing,
manufacturing and marketing advanced medical diagnostic products for the early detection of
diseases. The products are used in hospitals, physician's offices and in the home for self testing.
Except for historical information contained herein, the statements in this Press Release are
forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of The Private
Securities Litigation Reform act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve known and
unknown risks and uncertainties which may cause the Company's actual results in future periods
to differ materially from forecasted results. These risks and uncertainties include, among other
things, the continued demand for the Company's products, availability of raw materials and the
state of the economy. These and other risks are described in the Company's Annual Report on
Form 10-KSB and in the Company's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
SOURCE: Biomerica, Inc. |
