UNION CITY, Calif., Feb. 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Abaxis, Inc. , a medical products company manufacturing point-of-care blood analysis systems, announced today that Family Health International (FHI), among the largest nonprofit organizations active in international public health, has purchased ten Piccolo Xpress blood chemistry analyzers.
Family Health International will use the analyzers in research on potential malaria drugs in Africa and Asia. The analyzers will be sent to: Pailin, Cambodia; Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo; Kumasi, Ghana; Maumere, Nusa Tenggara Timur, and Papua, Indonesia; Siaya Town, Kenya; Maputo, Mozambique; Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, Philippines; and Quang Tri and Binh Phuoc provinces in Vietnam. Support for this effort comes from the Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV), a nonprofit organization created to discover, develop and deliver new, safe, effective and affordable antimalarial drugs to treat vulnerable populations around the world afflicted by the disease.
"Malaria remains a principal cause of morbidity and mortality in sub-Saharan Africa and in Asia," said Stephen Wignall, MD, director of research at Family Health International's Asia Pacific regional office in Bangkok. "There is an urgent need to find new approaches for prevention and treatment. We are proud to be contributing to the global research effort to find solutions, and this type of technology is integral to those efforts."
Clint Severson, president and chief executive officer of Abaxis, said, "The Piccolo Xpress was designed to be highly portable, robust and to be able to operate on just about any available power to provide point-of-care diagnostics, regardless of the environment. The accuracy and rapidity of the results that the Piccolo Xpress delivers can be vital in determining immediate and appropriate treatment for patients. As a company, it is our sincere hope that our instruments will continue to be placed into locales where they can truly make a difference. It is extremely gratifying that a highly regarded international health organization of the caliber of Family Health International has chosen our product to help in the execution of this important mission. We look forward to working with FHI in assisting them in their quest to help others."
Malaria is a tropical disease caused by a protozoan parasite transmitted by mosquito bite. It exacts a heavy toll of illness and death -- especially among children and pregnant women. Malaria is a major global health problem, with 300 million to 500 million new cases and more than 2 million deaths each year, 90% of which occur in sub-Saharan Africa. Some two-thirds of the remaining cases occur in just three countries: Brazil, India and Sri Lanka, although malaria is found in nearly 100 countries. Malaria can be cured if promptly diagnosed and adequately treated.
Family Health International
Family Health International (FHI) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving lives, knowledge and understanding worldwide through a highly diversified program of research, education, and services in family health and HIV/AIDS prevention and care. Since its inception in 1971, FHI has formed partnerships with national governments and local communities in countries throughout the developing world to support lasting improvements in the health of individuals and the effectiveness of entire health systems. www.fhi.org
Medicines for Malaria Venture
Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) is a non-profit organization dedicated to reducing the burden of malaria in disease-endemic countries by discovering, developing and delivering new affordable antimalarials through effective public-private partnerships. MMV is currently managing the largest-ever portfolio of malaria drug research with over 20 projects in different stages of drug research and development. MMV's goal is to register up to four new antimalarials by 2010 and maintain a sustainable pipeline of antimalarials to meet the needs of the 3.2 billion people at risk from this deadly disease. www.mmv.org
Abaxis
Abaxis, Inc. develops, manufactures and markets portable blood analysis systems for use in any veterinary or human patient-care setting to provide clinicians with rapid blood constituent measurements. The system consists of a compact, 6.9 kilogram (15 pounds), portable analyzer and a series of single-use plastic discs, called reagent discs that contain all the chemicals required to perform a panel of up to 13 tests on veterinary patients and 14 tests on human patients. The system can be operated with minimal training and performs multiple routine tests on whole blood, serum or plasma samples. The system provides test results in less than 14 minutes with the precision and accuracy equivalent to a clinical laboratory analyzer. www.abaxis.com
This press release may include statements that constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the "Reform Act"). Abaxis claims the protection of the safe-harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Reform Act. These forward-looking statements are often characterized by the terms "may," "believes," "projects," "expects," "anticipates," or words of similar import, and do not reflect historical facts. Specific forward-looking statements contained in this press release may include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties related to the market acceptance of the company's products and the continuing development of its products, required United States Food and Drug Administration clearance and other government approvals, risks associated with manufacturing and distributing its products on a commercial scale free of defects, risks related to the introduction of new instruments manufactured by third parties, risks associated with entering the human diagnostic market on a larger scale, risks related to the protection of the company's intellectual property or claims of infringement of intellectual property asserted by third parties, risks involved in carrying of inventory, risks associated with the ability to attract, train and retain competent sales personnel, general market conditions, competition and other risks detailed from time to time in Abaxis' periodic reports filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date the statement was made. Abaxis does not undertake and specifically disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements.
Contact: Clint Severson Lytham Partners, LLC Chief Executive Officer Joe Dorame, Robert Blum and Joe Diaz Abaxis, Inc. 602-889-9700 510-675-6500
Abaxis, Inc.CONTACT: Clint Severson, Chief Executive Officer of Abaxis, Inc.,+1-510-675-6500; or Joe Dorame, Robert Blum or Joe Diaz, all of LythamPartners, LLC, +1-602-889-9700, for Abaxis, Inc.
Web site: http://www.abaxis.com/
