The Company's fifth WNV product
WEST BRIDGEWATER, Mass., July 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Boston Biomedica, Inc. (Nasdaq: BBII), a world leader in quality control products for infectious disease tests, today announced the introduction of a new quality control designed to monitor quality of laboratory testing for West Nile Virus infections. This new Quality Control Product, ACCURUN 165 West Nile IgM & IgG Positive control, enables hospital and clinical laboratory personnel performing diagnostic tests to efficiently check the validity of tests results that detect antibodies to West Nile Virus. Boston Biomedica also recently launched West Nile Virus Nucleic Acid Positive (ACCURUN 365) and Negative (ACCURUN 865) controls, to be used in blood banks for quality control of blood donor screening tests. At the urging of the US FDA, blood banks began screening donated blood for transfusion for evidence of West Nile Virus infection on July 1, 2003.
Antibody tests are key in the early diagnosis of patients who may be infected with West Nile Virus. Many laboratories are racing to offer West Nile Virus antibody testing in response to the rapid growth of West Nile cases in the US since 1999. BBI's ACCURUN 165 facilitates implementation of an effective quality control program for these critical laboratory results by supplying a positive quality control material for two types of antibody tests in one vial.
"The introduction of ACCURUN 165 is an excellent example of BBI's commitment to providing practical solutions for our customers' quality control needs," said Kevin Quinlan, President and COO, Boston Biomedica, Inc. "This new product joins an extensive roster of quality control materials for infectious disease testing and further demonstrates BBI's leadership in this emerging field. Our entire line of West Nile Virus quality control products represents an exceptional group effort to expedite the development process from design concept to finished product without sacrificing quality or efficiency."
Since November 2002, BBI has supplied quality control materials to researchers and blood banks involved in developing tests to screen donated blood for evidence of West Nile Virus. ACCURUN 165 is BBI's fifth West Nile Virus quality control product and is designed for use by public health, clinical, and hospital laboratories testing patients showing symptoms of West Nile infection.
In 2002, there were over 4,000 reported human cases of WNV human infection resulting in 284 deaths in the US alone. Suspected human cases were submitted for testing from each of the continental states and several Canadian provinces.
About Boston Biomedica, Inc.
BBI provides products and services to the diagnostics and life sciences industry to evaluate, monitor, and ensure the quality of infectious disease test results, to improve the preparation of specimens for genomic/proteomic testing, and to safely store and retrieve rare and valuable biological specimens. The Company also manufactures reagents used in test kits and provides a broad range of routine and esoteric research services to governments and industry. BBI operates in three states, and conducts research in new applications for our patented Pressure Cycling Technology (PCT). In 2000, the Company launched Panacos Pharmaceuticals, and maintains a significant passive investment in this novel antiviral drug development company.
Statements contained in this news release that state BBI's or management's intentions, hopes, beliefs, expectations or predictions of the future are "forward-looking" statements. It is important to note that BBI's actual results could differ materially from those projected in such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ from those projected include the possibility that BBI may not find a significant market for West Nile Virus products in quality control testing. Additional information concerning factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements is contained from time to time in the Company's SEC filings, including but not limited to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2002, and Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2003. Copies of these documents may be obtained by contacting the Company or the SEC.
Visit us at our website http://www.bbii.com
Please email us at IR@bbii.com if you prefer to receive future announcements electronically.
Investor Contacts:
Kevin W. Quinlan, President & COO
Boston Biomedica, Inc.
(508) 580-1900 (T)
SOURCE Boston Biomedica, Inc.