ADVANCE AID SEALS MEDMIRA PARTNERSHIP
LONDON – April 20th 2010 – MedMira Inc., (“MedMira”) (TSX Venture: MIR, NASDAQ: MMIRF), a developer and marketer of rapid diagnostic technology and solutions, has today announced that it is collaborating with Advance Aid, to improve the supply chain for rapid diagnostics in regions where the products are most needed, in particular Africa. Advance Aid takes a new and unique approach to supplying needed health and aid resources to Africa by setting up manufacturing supply chains within African countries, enabling job creation and self-sustaining economic growth. The NGO’s vision is trade, not just aid, for Africa.
As more governments and aid organizations, initiate large scale HIV awareness and testing campaigns in Africa, a localized supply chain will ensure that the increasing demand for quality diagnostics can be met efficiently and cost-effectively. South Africa’s new HIV Counselling and Testing campaign has a mandate to test 15 million people by June 2011 and Kenya aims to test over eight million of its citizens in 2010. These are just two of the HIV campaigns currently underway in Africa.
“MedMira’s high quality rapid HIV test and excellent diagnostic technology, solid product pipeline, and openness to exploring local manufacturing opportunities makes them an ideal partner for Advance Aid,” says David Dickie, Director, Advance Aid. “The speed of MedMira’s rapid HIV test will give the massive HIV campaigns now underway an even greater opportunity to meet and exceed their mandates. MedMira’s three minute test versus a 20 minute test can deliver significant cost and time savings in programs of this scale, ultimately enabling more people to be tested”. I believe our partnership will clearly demonstrate the difference that businesses and NGOs can make together, by enabling Kenya to grow its economy organically through the local manufacturing and distribution of aid materials in its own country.”
Linked through MedMira’s strategic sales and marketing partner, Vitest AG, the three partners will initially focus their efforts in Eastern African countries such as Kenya, an African hub for humanitarian aid and international organizations, including the World Health Organization, the United Nations, Global Fund, World Bank and many others.
“MedMira was founded with a vision to create powerful diagnostic tools that could be easily used where they are needed most – at the point of care. Joining forces with Advance Aid further strengthens our commitment to bring advanced rapid diagnostics closer to the patient through increased global distribution and localized manufacturing,” says Hermes Chan, CEO, MedMira. “Building affiliations and forging good working relationships with international humanitarian and aid organizations such as Advance Aid, is a key market expansion strategy that MedMira, together with our partner Vitest, is employing to grow our business in Africa and elsewhere.”
About MedMira
www.medmira.com
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®, Multiplo™ and Miriad 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.
