MedMira Announces 2nd Caribbean Distributor
February 10 2005 - 9:20AM
PR Newswire (US)
MedMira Announces 2nd Caribbean Distributor Receives Initial Order
for Rapid HIV & Rapid HCV Tests HALIFAX, Feb. 10
/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- MedMira Inc., ("MedMira") (TSX Venture:
MIR, NASDAQ:MMIRF) the global market leader in rapid flow-through
diagnostic technology, today announced it has signed a distribution
agreement with ExporTrade Corporation of Boca Raton, Florida, who
will represent MedMira in selected countries in the Caribbean,
South and Central America, bringing to two the number of active
distributors in the region. With the signing of the agreement,
MedMira received an initial order for MiraWell(TM) HIV and
MiraWell(TM) HCV rapid tests. "Securing a second distributor in the
Caribbean region will provide us with broader market coverage in
one of the most severely HIV-affected regions in the world. In
addition to its long and successful history in this region, the
strength of ExporTrade's government relationships was very
attractive to us," says Giles Crouch, MedMira's vice president of
marketing and business development. He continues, "We are confident
that taking our proven technology into ExporTrade's solid
distribution network will be extremely valuable in expanding our
market share in this region." Says Jeff Firestone, president of
ExporTrade, "In our search for a company that could provide a
reliable, established rapid testing product line in combination
with the technical and marketing support necessary to bring this
critical test to market, MedMira was clearly our number one
choice." ExporTrade has been operating successfully in the
Caribbean for over twenty- five years and has well-established
relationships with island healthcare facilities and governments.
Mr. Firestone continues, "We have found MedMira to be a company
with a social conscience and together, our similar vision will help
to eradicate this deadly disease in this area". In the South and
Central American and Caribbean regions, (population of 440
million), the estimated infection rate has climbed from 0.6% in the
mid 1990's to over 2.6% in 2004. This represents the largest
HIV-infected population outside of Africa. UNAIDS expects the
pandemic to increase in coming years without effective diagnosis
and treatment programs. Over 50% of HIV-infections are in women and
nearly 20% are children, casting serious economic concerns for the
future of the labor force in this region of the world. About
MedMira MedMira is the leading global manufacturer and marketer of
in vitro flow- through rapid diagnostic tests for the clinical
laboratory market. MedMira's tests provide reliable, rapid
diagnosis in just 3 minutes for the detection of human antibodies
in human serum, plasma or whole blood for diseases such as HIV. The
United States FDA and the SFDA in the People's Republic of China
have approved MedMira's Reveal(TM) G2 and MiraWell(TM) Rapid HIV
Tests, respectively. For more information visit MedMira's website
at http://www.medmira.com/. MedMira's Reveal(TM) G2 and
MiraWell(TM) rapid HIV tests are currently used in clinical
laboratories and hospitals where professional counseling and
patient treatment are immediately available. MedMira markets its
rapid tests worldwide in such countries as the United States,
Canada, South Africa and China. Its corporate offices and
manufacturing facilities are located in Halifax, Nova Scotia,
Canada with a representative office in Beijing, China. This news
release contains forward-looking statements, which involve risk and
uncertainties and reflect the company's current expectation
regarding future events. Actual events could materially differ from
those projected herein and depend on a number of factors including,
but not limited to, changing market conditions, successful and
timely completion of clinical studies, uncertainties related to the
regulatory approval process, establishment of corporate alliances
and other risks detailed from time to time in the company quarterly
filings. The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed and does not
accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this
statement. DATASOURCE: MedMira Inc. CONTACT: Media Contact: Please
Contact: Investor Relations, Dr. James Smith: (902) 450-1588 or
e-mail:
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