Axis-Shield PLC Announces Agreement With Abbott Laboratories

DUNDEE, SCOTLAND and ABBOTT PARK, IL--(Marketwire - April 12, 2010) -


AXIS-SHIELD AND ABBOTT PARTNER TO DEVELOP DIABETES IMMUNOASSAY



Dundee, Scotland and Abbott Park, Illinois, 12 April, 2010 --
Axis-Shield (LSE:ASD, OSE:ASD) and Abbott (NYSE: ABT) announced today
that they have entered into an agreement to develop and commercialize a
haemoglobin (HbA1c) immunoassay to run on Abbott's flagship ARCHITECT®
high throughput analyser system. The test, which will be designed to
be used to monitor treatment efficacy in patients with diabetes, will
incorporate novel Axis-Shield technology from pioneering research at
its Dundee plant.



Recently, an international expert committee of diabetes specialists
recommended that the marker be used as the front line test to diagnose
diabetes in the laboratory for appropriate patients. The International
Expert Committee included representatives from the American Diabetes
Association, the European Association of Diabetes and the International
Diabetes Federation."With an estimated 220 million people worldwide with
diabetes and that
number likely to more than double by 2030 without major intervention,
the development of the ARCHITECT HbA1c immunoassay highlights our
commitment to support physicians in diagnosing the disease and ensuring
patients get the right care as soon as possible," said Mike Warmuth,
Senior Vice President, Diagnostics, Abbott.



The R&D group at Axis Shield has already developed a proprietary HbA1c
test under the AxSYM® xtra programme, allowing measurement of this
important marker on Abbott's widely placed AxSYM immunoassay system."The
agreement with Abbott to provide this important diagnostic test on
its state-of-the-art ARCHITECT system complements our previous
development of an HbA1c assay for AxSYM. The HbA1c test is already
available on our AfinionTM and NycoCard® point-of-care systems and
represents a significant and rapidly growing revenue generator for Axis
Shield, and we are well placed to capitalise on the growing demand for
this important analyte," said Ian Gilham, CEO, Axis-Shield.



Enquiries:



Axis-Shield plc                     Tel: +44 (0)2031787849

Ian Gilham, Chief Executive Officer

Ronny Hermansen, Finance Director


Financial Dynamics                  Tel: +44 (0)207 831 3113

Jonathan Birt / Mo Noonan


Abbott Media                        Tel: (847) 937-3655

Darcy Ross


Abbott Financial                    Tel: (847) 935-9390

Tina Ventura






Notes to Editors:



About Axis-Shield

Axis-Shield is an international 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, sepsis and diabetes.



For more information on Axis-Shield, please refer to
www.axis-shield.com.



About Abbott

Abbott is a global, broad-based health care company devoted to the
discovery, development, manufacture and marketing of pharmaceuticals
and medical products, including nutritionals, devices and diagnostics.
The company employs approximately 83,000 people and markets its
products in more than 130 countries.



Abbott's news releases and other information are available on the
company's Web site at www.abbott.com.



                    This information is provided by RNS
          The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

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