Thursday August 27, 8:42 am Eastern Time
Company Press Release
SOURCE: Biomerica, Inc.
Biomerica Adds Major Retail Chains
For Its Proprietary Colorectal Disease Test
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., Aug. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Biomerica, Inc. (Nasdaq: BMRA - news)
announced today that Ahold USA, a $14 billion company, will distribute the EZ Detect(TM)
colorectal disease home test in Ahold pharmacies, Stores owned by Ahold USA include Stop &
Shop, Tops Markets, Giant Food Stores, Edwards and Bi-Lo retail chains. Ahold USA owns 817
stores with 464 pharmacies, all of which currently carry a wide range of healthcare products.
''This significantly expands the distribution and availability of EZ Detect in the U.S. which is already
being sold at other major chain drug stores such as Walgreens, CVS and Sav-on/Osco,'' said
Zackary Irani, Chief Executive Officer. ''Proprietary products such as EZ Detect pave the way for
revenue growth for Biomerica and follow our strategy of placing our over-the-counter products in
major chain stores worldwide.''
The EZ Detect product is a simple two minute home test to detect occult (hidden) blood in the stool,
an early warning sign of colorectal disease including colorectal cancer and diverticulitis. The test is
conducted by simply placing the biodegradable test pad in the toilet bowel after a bowel movement.
If the test is positive, a blue cross appears on the pad. Unlike other tests, no handling of the stool or
dietary restrictions are required. EZ Detect has a suggested retail price of $7.50.
The American Cancer Society and American Gastroenterological Society recommend annual testing
for colorectal cancer after age 50. Colorectal cancer currently accounts for more than 134,000 new
cases ,annually and is the nation's second leading cause of cancer deaths. It is believed that testing
for occult blood can be as effective in detecting the early warning signs of colorectal disease as
mammograms are for breast cancer detection. There are over 70 million adults over the age of 50 in
the U.S. The population in this age group is growing at 2% annually, compared to 1% for overall
population.
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 1999. 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. |
