Calypte Receives Initial Order for the Middle East
Tuesday June 24, 9:05 am ET
Additional Orders Expected as Regulatory Approvals Received
ALAMEDA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 24, 2003--Calypte Biomedical Corporation (OTCBB:CYPT - News), the developer and marketer of the only two FDA approved HIV-1 antibody tests for use with urine samples, announced that it has received an initial order from Mistaire LLC for HIV-1 Urine EIA screening tests and Urine HIV-1 Western Blot supplemental tests for use within the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Calypte recently sent representatives to the UAE to undertake demonstrations and training sessions.
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In April, Calypte announced its appointment of Mistaire as its exclusive distribution for the six member states of the Gulf Cooperative Council (GCC), which include Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, and Oman. Additional orders from other GCC states are anticipated as the urine HIV tests gain regulatory clearances.
"We had not been forecasting sales from this region until later in the year, and we are certainly pleased with the quick action and initiative shown by Mistaire," said Tony Cataldo, Calypte's Executive Chairman. "This early success suggests that the benefits of our painless and safer testing option should become readily available throughout the GCC in the foreseeable future."
B.J. Harid, President of Mistaire, stated, "When we took on the Calypte urine HIV tests, we did so in the belief that the potential safety hazards associated with traditional blood tests are a significant concern even in this region where the incidence of AIDS is relatively low, and that urine testing could make a meaningful contribution to improving the safety of HIV testing for all parties concerned. Our early findings support that premise, and we will be actively working to maximize the opportunity."
"The GCC market is an interesting one for us, because it shows that the benefits of urine HIV testing over traditional blood-based approaches apply equally in low-prevalence settings as they do in those regions hardest hit by the epidemic," said Richard VanMaanen, Calypte's Director of International Business Development.
