Chinese Blood Centres To Use MedMira's Rapid HIV Tests
03 November 2004 - 1:05AM
PR Newswire (US)
Chinese Blood Centres To Use MedMira's Rapid HIV Tests Increases
Presence in China Public Health Initiative HALIFAX, Nov. 2
/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- MedMira Inc. ("MedMira") (TSX Venture:
MIR, NASDAQ:MMIRF) the global market leader in flow-through
diagnostics for infectious diseases, announced today that it has
shipped 100,000 MiraWell(TM) Rapid HIV Tests to one of its
distributors in the People's Republic of China. The majority of
this shipment is destined for use in blood collection centres in a
province in northeast China, initiating a new application for
MedMira's test that is anticipated to have a strong impact on the
HIV prevention programs and public health initiatives led by the
Chinese national government. HIV testing in Chinese blood
collection centers, similar to those in North America, is
traditionally performed using time-consuming procedures that
require specialized technical training and several days to obtain
test results. Departing from tradition, one key region has made the
decision to reform its HIV testing infrastructure in its blood
collection centres by using MedMira's 3-minute MiraWell(TM) Rapid
HIV Test in place of conventional HIV testing to address the
immediate public health concerns highlighted by national government
initiatives. More complex, supplemental methods will be used by the
centres only to confirm initially positive test results. "Effective
screening of a country's blood supply is a critical public safety
issue", said Hermes Chan, President and COO of MedMira. "We are
extremely pleased that our high-quality, easy to use, 3-minute
rapid HIV test has gained such widespread recognition by the
Chinese government and that it has encouraged such a progressive
step in blood donation practices." Chan continued, "More and more,
our MiraWell(TM) Rapid HIV Test is becoming used in the Chinese
government's public health strategy, and we are beginning to lay a
solid foundation for replacing traditional screening tools. We are
optimistic that other regions will follow suit and implement the
same HIV testing protocol over the coming months." It has been
reported that, since the Chinese Blood Donation Law was adopted in
1998, blood quality has become a top priority in medical management
practices. Four hundred blood centres nationwide collect blood from
volunteers and more than 10,000 hospitals have established blood
transfusion centres in an effort to establish a nationwide network
of safe blood collection and supply. About MedMira MedMira is a
leading global manufacturer and marketer of in vitro rapid
diagnostic tests for the clinical laboratory market. MedMira's
tests issue 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, hepatitis B and hepatitis C. The United
States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the State Food and
Drug Administration (SFDA), in the People's Republic of China, have
approved MedMira's Reveal(TM) G2 and MiraWell(TM) Rapid HIV Tests,
respectively. MedMira has the only rapid diagnostic device to
receive these two prominent government approvals. For more details
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
counselling 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 are located in Halifax, Nova Scotia,
Canada. This news release contains forward-looking statements,
which involves risks 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: MedMira Contact: Dr. James Smith: (902) 450-1588 or
e-mail:
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