MedMira Launches Rapid Vaccinia Antibody Detection Test

HALIFAX -- MedMira Inc. announces the launch of its patent-pending MiraWell Rapid Vaccinia Antibody Detection Test into the international marketplace. This test is the latest commercial development in the Company's increasing line of rapid in vitro diagnostic products.

The MiraWell Rapid Vaccinia Antibody Detection Test detects antibodies to the vaccinia virus (the vaccine against smallpox) in human blood to determine the effectiveness of an individual's vaccination. Vaccination against smallpox has also been shown to provide immunity against other viruses from the orthopox virus family (including monkeypox). The primary function of the MiraWell Rapid Vaccinia Antibody Detection Test is to test for the presence vaccinia antibodies in individuals that do not show a visible response to vaccination against smallpox. MedMira's target market for this product is in clinical settings where smallpox vaccinations are performed.

"The availability of MedMira's MiraWell Rapid Vaccinia Antibody Detection Test will provide a sense of ease in this time of global unrest due to the ever-present potential for biowarfare," said Dr. Spencer Lee, professor of virology in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Dalhousie University in Halifax and co-inventor of this latest technology. "At least 3 percent to 5 percent of individual smallpox vaccinations do not produce a visible response, possibly due to the presence of pre-existing protective vaccinia antibodies, or due to the ineffectiveness of the vaccination. MedMira's test will eliminate the potential danger of an ineffective vaccination, and provide an individual with the peace-of-mind that his or her vaccination was successful", continued Lee.

"The international launch of the MiraWell Rapid Vaccinia Antibody Detection Test is a strong indication of the Company's awareness and dedication to the worldwide battle against bioterrorism," stated Stephen Sham, chairman and CEO of MedMira. "With our recently approved rapid HIV tests, healthcare workers at smallpox vaccination sites can also provide rapid HIV testing to determine an individual's suitability for smallpox vaccination," continued Sham.

MedMira's one-of-a-kind technology platform distinguishes itself in the global in vitro diagnostic marketplace, and is the key to MedMira's exceptional accomplishments, including the receipt of regulatory approvals for products by the Food and Drug Administration and state Food and Drug Administration in the People's Republic of China (April 2003). The adaptability of MedMira's technology is an important feature among all of MedMira's products, and its multi-use capability is evident by today's launch of the MiraWell Rapid Vaccinia Antibody Detection Test.

MedMira is a commercial biotechnology company that develops, manufactures and markets qualitative, in vitro diagnostic tests for the detection of antibodies to certain diseases, such as HIV, in human serum, plasma or whole blood.

Source: MedMira Inc.