HALIFAX
,
Dec. 10
/CNW/ - MedMira Inc., ("MedMira") (TSX Venture: MIR, NASDAQ: MMIRF), a developer and marketer of rapid diagnostic technology and solutions, announced today that its rapid HIV test has been approved by The National Agency for Food And Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) in
Nigeria
and has been issued with the registration number allowing the product to be marketed within the country.
MedMira's strategic sales and marketing partner, Vitest AG (Vitest) has been working in the region for the past several months pursuing regulatory approval for MedMira's rapid HIV test and developing an appropriate business, marketing and sales strategy for this Country. Vitest is aiming to work with both the public and private sectors in order to provide them with our leading technology. Product orders for
Nigeria
are expected shortly with delivery to customers beginning in 2010.
"Our partnership strategy is proving to be a key vehicle to gain market entry in complex and challenging markets such as
Africa
. We worked directly with our partner Vitest, whose team members have spent a significant amount of time on the ground building key relationships and developing and in-depth understanding of the market needs and opportunities in
Nigeria
," said Hermes Chan, CEO, MedMira Inc. "We are confident that our rapid HIV test will meet and exceed the expectations of Vitest's customers in
Nigeria
and quickly gain market traction becoming the test of choice."
According to UNAIDS there were 2,600,000 million people in
Nigeria
infected with HIV. As a country with the third largest number of people living with HIV, the prevention and treatment of HIV is one of the Nigerian government's primary concerns. A National HIV/AIDS Strategic Framework to create education and testing programs to control the further spread of HIV is in place and as part of this strategy the government aims to provide HIV tests to 80 percent of the population. (www.avert.org)
"We are very excited to have gained regulatory approval in
Nigeria
and have moved a step closer to our goals of delivering a new high quality rapid HIV test to the Nigerian market," said Nicholas Dellaportas, Director of International Business Development and Sales, Vitest AG. "This progress is the result of a great partnership between MedMira and Vitest. The collaboration of both companies in developing global opportunities has allowed for an enhanced focus of each party on their core capabilities which in turn will achieve higher sales and further success."
Vitest AG
Vitest AG is a privately held company based in Wollerau,
Switzerland
(www.vitest.ch) with a corporate subsidiary in
Germany
(Vitest GmbH) and
South Africa
(Vitest Southern
Africa
Ply). Vitest is the manufacturer/distributor of medical rapid tests and known well for their high quality products. The company provides doctors offices, clinics, private companies, NGOs and government institutions with innovative rapid tests. With the introduction of Vitest HIV to the African and German market, Vitest takes the lead in the latest AIDS prevention movement to reduce the number of new HIV infections in the developed and the developing world, by making better diagnostics more widely available. For more information about Vitest, please contact Nicholas Dellaportas ([email protected]), Director of Business Development and Sales, Vitest AG, UK - 33 Thames Point, The Boulevard, Imperial Wharf,
London
, SW6 2 SX, +44 77111 826550, Fax. +4420 7371 5110.
About MedMira
MedMira is a leading developer and manufacturer of flow-through rapid diagnostics. The company's tests provide hospitals, labs, clinics and individuals 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. MedMira's corporate offices and manufacturing facilities are located in
Halifax
, Nova Scotia,
Canada
. 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.
The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this statement.
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For further information: Andrea Young, (902) 450-1588, [email protected]
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