Launch Pad for Roll-out of Additional Tests in Belize and Latin America
HALIFAX, May 28 /CNW/ - MedMira Inc., ("MedMira") (TSX Venture: MIR, NASDAQ: MMIRF), a global market leader in premium rapid diagnostic solutions, announced today that it has shipped the initial order of rapid HIV tests purchased by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) on behalf of the Ministry of Health in Belize. PAHO, headquartered in Washington, D.C., with 35 member states, is an international public health agency working with Latin America and Caribbean countries on priority health issues such as HIV.
"The Belize Ministry of Health is committed to delivering the best in healthcare services to our people and MedMira's rapid HIV test enables us to significantly increase the availability and reliability of testing in our HIV/AIDS prevention programs," said Dr. Marvin Manzanero, Director of National TB, HIV/AIDS and other STIs Programme, Ministry of Health Belmopan, Belize. "PAHO and its approved suppliers enable us to provide our people with advanced quality diagnostics."
MedMira was named as an approved supplier to PAHO in April 2008. As an approved supplier MedMira is able to participate in tender opportunities with many of the complexities inherent in doing business in Latin America simplified. Other organizations operating testing programs in Latin American regularly refer to the PAHO supplier list for procurement.
"PAHO's provision of MedMira rapid HIV tests to the Ministry of Health in Belize further validates our rapid diagnostic solutions and provides us a launch pad to roll out additional rapid tests like Multiplo to the Ministry in the future," said Hermes Chan, president & CEO, MedMira Inc. "We are eager to continue working with PAHO on the HIV/AIDS prevention initiatives underway in Belize and other Latin American countries."
To learn more about PAHO visit www.paho.org.
About MedMira
MedMira is a leading developer and manufacturer of flow-through rapid diagnostics. The company's tests provide hospitals, labs, clinics and individuals around the world with reliable, rapid diagnosis for diseases such as HIV and hepatitis C in just three minutes. The company's tests are sold under the Reveal(R), MiraWell(R), MiraCare(TM) and Multiplo(TM) brands in global markets. MedMira's rapid HIV test is the only one in the world to achieve regulatory approvals in Canada, the United States, China and the European Union.
In January 2006, MedMira launched the Maple Biosciences division to develop and commercialize diagnostic instruments based on two revolutionary biosensor-based technology platforms. The solutions developed by Maple Biosciences will enable routine laboratory tests to be performed in a matter of minutes, increasing laboratory automation, streamlining the diagnosis of multiple conditions and diseases and positioning MedMira to be a leading participant in the emerging fields of personalized medicine and molecular diagnostics. For more information visit www.maplebio.com.
MedMira's corporate offices and manufacturing facilities are located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada with a representative office in China. Maples Biosciences' labs are located in Toronto, Ontario. For more information visit MedMira's website at www.medmira.com.
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.
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