DUNDEE, Scotland, November 14, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Axis-Shield plc
(LSE:ASD, OSE:ASD) ("Axis-Shield" or the "Company"), the
international and innovative in vitro diagnostics company, today
announces its participation in World Diabetes Day, a global
campaign led by the International Diabetes Foundation to engage
people in diabetes advocacy and awareness. Diabetes Education and
Prevention is the World Diabetes Day theme for the period 2009-2013
and the campaign slogan for 2010 is 'Let's take control of diabetes
Now.' The Axis-Shield Point-of-Care ("PoC") offices in Oslo and Dundee will mark the day with a number of
initiatives across its global sites and have encouraged all
Axis-Shield subsidiaries and distributors to do the same.
Axis-Shield is present in 80 countries around the world and
continues to broaden its global presence through the growth of its
important diabetes testing franchise.
Diabetes presents a growing burden on the world's economy and
will shift the drive to PoC testing in emerging markets, regions
where Axis-Shield is well positioned to be part of this change with
its highly innovative Afinion(TM) and NycoCard(R) PoC diagnostic
HbA1c tests for diabetes. HbA1c is clinically recognised as the key
marker for diabetes management[1], reflecting how well the patient
has managed blood glucose levels over the preceding three months
and is the fastest growing segment of the global PoC test
market.
A key driver of growth for Axis-Shield is its presence in
emerging markets where the Company's high-quality and established
NycoCard(R) test platform for HbA1c is extremely well suited to
diabetes management, offering simple, accurate and fast testing at
the PoC. Axis-Shield is investing in developing its brand in
emerging markets and regularly hosts educational workshops,
seminars and other marketing activities with its distribution
partners and via collaborations with pharmaceutical companies in
certain regions to increase awareness of the need for regular
testing and management of diabetes.
At present, Axis-Shield's emerging market strategy is focused on
the establishment and growth of PoC for diabetes in the top five
emerging markets; China,
India, Indonesia, Mexico and Brazil. India
has the highest population of people affected by diabetes
globally[2] and a recent study published in the New England Journal
of Medicine has demonstrated that diabetes has reached epidemic
proportions in China[3]. Axis-Shield is also replicating this
strategy in other areas in which diabetes prevalence is increasing
quickly, notably Argentina,
Brazil, Nigeria, Russia and the Middle East.
Axis-Shield has strengthened its sales team during 2010 to
include a locally-based Area Manager in Latin America with responsibility for
broadening the Company's presence and establishing PoC testing
regimes in nascent territories. In addition, Axis-Shield has also
recruited an Area Manager with an appreciation of the relevant
cultures to spearhead growth in Africa and the Middle East.
China
Axis-Shield opened a representative office in China in 2009 and is committed to the growth
of its regional franchise through the addition of up to 18 regional
dealers in 2011 to utilize NycoCard(R) and Afinion(TM) PoC testing
potential. China's population is
expected to reach 1.4bn by the end of 2010 but it only currently
accounts for 4% of the global in vitro diagnostics ("IVD") market.
The PoC testing market is growing rapidly, driven by the Chinese
Government's decision to provide acceptable healthcare to people
living in small cities and rural areas. The adoption of HbA1c usage
in the diagnosis of diabetes will also push the development of the
HbA1c testing
India
The Indian Government is focused on improving healthcare,
highlighted by its launch in 2005 of the national Rural Health
Mission. Both Axis-Shield's Afinion(TM) and NycoCard(R) systems are
positioned to aid physicians in addressing growing diabetes issues.
NycoCard(R) is already a market leader in PoC diagnostic testing in
India and with increasing demand
for better and effective healthcare particular in the cities,
Afinion(TM) will be a driver in the HbA1c PoC testing.
Latin America
The prevalence of diabetes in Latin
America is increasing and there is a rapidly growing need
for immediate HbA1c results, improved patient care and healthcare
savings due to the impact of realising cost efficiencies and the
awareness of long-term diabetes complications. Axis-Shield will
launch Afinion(TM) in Mexico in
late 2010 and Brazil will follow
in 2011 as part of its strategy to strengthen the current PoC
markets which are in their infancy. NycoCard(R) already has a
strong market position in Mexico
and established successful partnerships with pharmaceutical
companies and healthcare providers through our local partner. This
has focused on addressing the need to offer innovative access to
PoC testing and the Company has had particular success in the
workplace, through the use of mobile testing sites. Axis-Shield and
its partners will continue the roll-out of this strategy throughout
Latin America.
Africa
Africa offers a vast potential
market for Axis-Shield as it seeks to broaden its presence beyond
the Northern region into West
Africa. The political and economic climate is improving in
these regions and there is a growing awareness of the need to offer
greatly improved healthcare solutions.
Middle East
The Middle Eastern healthcare market is showing encouraging
regional signs of improvement and the NycoCard(R) market is already
growing with significant room for growth in this high value market
remaining apparent. Axis-Shield's strategy to market NycoCard(R) in
the Gulf countries is already delivering promising results. The
Company also sees significant market potential for Afinion(TM).
Other emerging markets
Axis-Shield has demonstrated recent sales penetration and the
potential for growth in Bangladesh, Vietnam and Malaysia where there is a high incidence of
diabetes and currently a centralized testing strategy with demand
for PoC testing via NycoCard(R) increasing.
Commenting on today's announcement, Ian
Gilham, Chief Executive Officer of Axis-Shield, said:
"Axis-Shield is pleased to be a provider of diabetes Point of Care
testing in emerging markets where there is a huge unmet medical
need to deliver patient care of the highest quality. Our
established infrastructure and broad product offering via
Afinion(TM) and NycoCard(R) positions us as a pioneer of HbA1c
testing solutions globally and we remain focused on raising
awareness of the need for accurate testing and management.
"Whilst the concept of HbA1c Point of Care testing is still in
its infancy in Latin America,
Asia, Africa and the Middle East, we are committed to investing in
emerging markets and are focused on growth in these important
markets and disease area."
Notes for Editors
About Axis-Shield
Axis-Shield (http://www.axis-shield.com) is an international and
innovative in vitro diagnostics company, headquartered in
Dundee with R&D and
manufacturing bases in Dundee and
Oslo. The Group specialises in the
supply of instruments and tests for the rapidly growing physician's
office testing market and the development, manufacture and
marketing of innovative proprietary diagnostics kits in areas of
clinical need, including cardiovascular and neurological diseases,
rheumatoid arthritis, and diabetes.
About Afinion(TM)
Afinion(TM) is a new concept in Point of Care - a multiparameter
rapid analyser system with minimal user input and sample handling.
Afinion(TM) is designed to enable on-the-spot testing, using whole
blood, plasma or urine samples, and to deliver accurate results
during patient consultation for improved patient management. The
analyser and test cartridges have been precision engineered by
external organisations according to Axis-Shield designs and
specifications, with each test cartridge containing an integrated
sample collection device and all necessary reagents for one single
analysis. By the end of 2010 the Company expects to have placed
10,000 systems globally.
About NycoCard(R)
The NycoCard(R) System is Axis-Shield's most widely distributed
product range particularly suited to countries with developing
healthcare systems. It represents a versatile, low-cost package
designed to deliver reliable testing for certain key markers, in
the presence of the patient. The system offers four selected PoC
tests: CRP, HbA1c, D-Dimer and U-Albumin. They can all be analysed
on the same instrument - the NycoCard Reader II. The Reader is a
small portable battery-powered instrument designed for rapid and
reliable measurement using NycoCard(R) tests. It consists of two
units: the instrument box, which is the operational and calculating
unit, and the Reader pen, which detects the signal. Globally there
are a large number of installed systems and Axis-Shield estimates
over 40,000 units are currently in operation.
---------------------------------
[1] The Diabetes Control and Complications Trial Research Group. The
effect of intensive treatment of diabetes on the development and
progression of long term complications in insulin-dependent diabetes
mellitus. N Engl J Med 1993;329:977-86.
[2] International Diabetes Federation. Diabetes Atlas, 4th edition.
http://www.eatlas.idf.org
[3] New England Journal of Medicine, Prevalence of Diabetes among Men and
Women in China. 362; 12, March 25, 2010
For further enquiries, please contact:
Axis-Shield plc
Ian Gilham, Chief Executive Officer
Ronny Hermansen, Finance Director Tel: +44-203-178-784
M:Communications
Mary-Jane Elliott / Emma Thompson /
Amber Bielecka Tel: +44-207-920-2330
E-mail: axisshield@mcomgroup.com
Geelmuyden Kiese (Norway)
Hakon Ronning Tel: +47-48-18-88-00