12 Sep 2007 07:00
Embargoed: 0700hrs, 12 September 2007
Akers Biosciences Inc. ("ABI" or the "Company") Major UK Sales Agency Agreement
Akers Biosciences, Inc. which develops, manufactures, and supplies rapid, point of care screening and testing products, is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement with Tiffy UK Limited ("Tiffy") to handle the UK sales and marketing of a range of ABI's core products. The following ABI products, among others, will feature at the centre of Tiffy's UK sales program;
PIFA‚® Heparin / Platelet Factor-4 Rapid Assay ("HPF4") - a rapid antibody test designed to identify patients at risk for developing heparin-induced thrombocytopenia and thrombosis syndrome, a severe allergic-like side effect associated with the use of the anticoagulant heparin.
BreathScan‚® Alcohol Breathalyzers - portable, rapid test for blood alcohol levels with multiple applications in government, commercial and retail markets.
TriCholesterol - a rapid assay that provides a complete cholesterol profile of the patient, with semi-quantitative determinations of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and total cholesterol levels in whole blood obtained from a finger stick.
All of these tests already carry the necessary European regulatory approvals for sale in the UK.
Tiffy personnel, based in Ewell, Surrey, will perform sales and marketing functions, on behalf of ABI, directly to the end-user customers, cutting out distribution expense in the supply chain and allowing ABI to recognize the revenue and profits.
Tiffy is highly experienced in achieving national distribution through both pharmacy wholesalers such as Uni Chem and AAH as well as National Pharmacy and grocery retailers such as Tesco, Waitrose, Sainsbury's, Co-op Pharmacies, Superdrug, Day Lewis and Asda. Experience with the NHS and other UK government departments will enable Tiffy to target hospitals with HPF4 and transport companies with BreathScan.‚®
The new distribution agreement with Tiffy supersedes any previous distribution agreements in the UK, including with Advanced Rapid Diagnostics, whose arrangement has been terminated by Akers Biosciences, Inc.
Thomas A. Nicolette, President &Chief Financial Officer of ABI said,
"The UK market is providing an ideal climate for ABI to upscale its sales and marketing efforts. This is demonstrated in both the increasing consumer demand for certain of our products and the gradual awakening amongst medical practitioners to the importance of our PIFA‚® Heparin / Platelet Factor-4 Rapid Assay. We believe that Tiffy's experienced management, sales approach, track record and customers show them to be the right people to drive forward this increased sales initiative in the UK."
For further information please contact,
Thomas A. Nicolette
President & Chief Financial Officer
Tel. 00 1 856 848 8698Ben SimonsHansard GroupTel. 020 7245 1100Xavier De MolLandsbankiTel. 020 7003 3000Akers Biosciences, Inc.
Akers Biosciences, Inc. develops, manufactures, and supplies rapid, point of care screening and testing products designed to bring healthcare information both rapidly and directly to the patient or healthcare provider. The Company has advanced the science of diagnostics while responding to major shifts in healthcare through the development of several proprietary platform technologies. The company's state-of-the-art rapid diagnostic assays can be performed virtually anywhere in minutes when time is of the essence. Akers has aligned with major healthcare companies and high volume medical products distributors to maximize product offerings, and to be a major worldwide competitor in diagnostics. Additional information on the Company and its products can be found at www.akersbiosciences.com.
Tiffy UK Ltd
Tiffy UK Ltd sources, distributes and promotes innovative healthcare and beauty products to some of the largest retailers in the world. Its success is built on strict product selection criteria based on both our buying and selling experience. We are very excited about the opportunities to present the ABI products to our customer base. We believe there is a significant latent demand for the self diagnosis kits, particularly the Tri Cholesterol assay and the promotion of alcohol safety programs using the BreathScan‚® Alcohol Breathalyzers both at retail and via government health programs. For further information or to contact Tiffy UK Ltd please see www.tiffy.info
AKERS BIOSCIENCES INC