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Shipping of OraSure Commences in Argentina
BEAVERTON, Ore., Sept. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Epitope, Inc. (Nasdaq: EPTO)
today announced a five-year exclusive distribution agreement with Altrix
Healthcare plc., a UK based healthcare diagnostic service provider.
Under the terms of the agreement, Altrix will be responsible for the
marketing and sales of the OraSure oral fluid collection device to the life
insurance, public health and laboratory markets in the UK and Ireland. The
agreement requires Altrix to meet minimum sales goals in order to maintain
this relationship. Initial orders have been shipped. If successful in the UK
and Ireland, Altrix will have the option to market OraSure to other European
community countries.
John W. Morgan, Epitope's president and chief executive officer,
commented, "We are excited about this agreement because it allows us to enter
the European market with a partner who has strong relationships and excellent
distribution capabilities."
Paul Hunter, Altrix's managing director, commented, "Marketing OraSure in
the UK and Ireland offers us a unique opportunity to expand in the growing
area of non-invasive patient testing."
Separately, Epitope noted that it had shipped initial orders in excess of
$200,000 of its OraSure device to Argentina to use in testing for hepatitis.
Based upon the success of a program initially implemented to test victims of
severe flooding within the country, the Ministry of Health is currently
reviewing the use of OraSure for testing of pregnant women for both HIV and
hepatitis. A decision on this program is expected by the end of the fourth
quarter 1998.
Epitope, Inc. develops and markets medical diagnostic products. The
company's principal products, including the OraSure oral specimen collection
device, focus on the use of oral fluid to detect HIV infection and other
conditions, and are marketed primarily in the life insurance and public health
sectors.
Statements in this press release about future sales levels or other future
events or performance are forward-looking statements. The Company's actual
results could be quite different. Factors that could affect results include
the extent of future use of oral testing and OraSure in the insurance
industry; ability of the company to develop product distribution channels;
development of competing products; changes in federal or state law or
regulations; and loss of key personnel. Although forward-looking statements
help to provide complete information about the company, readers should keep in
mind that forward-looking statements are much less reliable than historical
information.
Source: EPITOPE Inc. Content of this page is copyright and reprinted here for educational and historical information. |
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