DAYTONA BEACH, FL--(Marketwire - March 20, 2008) - ForHealth Technologies today announced the IntelliFillchemo™ system -- a new and innovative robotic solution to the safety challenges faced by hospital pharmacies preparing intravenous (I.V.) cytotoxic doses for chemotherapy. IntelliFillchemo's new ToxiSafe™ Protection System dramatically reduces the potential for errors in dose preparation while also reducing cytotoxic drug contamination risks to hospital staff and patients. IntelliFillchemo's purchase price is set at $395,000 -- a savings of 50% or more over competing solutions.

"Our customers have been requesting an automation solution for cytotoxic dose compounding from ForHealth Technologies, backed by ForHealth's experience and support. IntelliFillchemo is our direct response to their request," said Steve Thomas, ForHealth Technologies' Chairman and CEO. "IntelliFillchemo breaks new ground in safety for patients and safety for pharmacy staff and nurses -- all at a breakthrough price. 'Innovating for your I.V. room's future' is what we do every day -- IntelliFillchemo is direct evidence of that focus and commitment."

"Chemotherapy is a key weapon in the fight against cancer -- but manual dose preparation with cytotoxic drugs creates serious health hazards for pharmacy staff. Exposure to cytotoxic drugs may be extremely hazardous, and repeated exposure has cumulative toxic impacts. Errors in dose preparation can have serious consequences for cancer patients," according to Dennis Tribble, Pharm.D, ForHealth Technologies' Chief Pharmacy Officer.

Today, intravenous doses of cytotoxic drugs are manually prepared by technicians wearing double- and triple-layer gloves and gowns in special laminar airflow hoods. Each drug used is measured manually, and the risk of error in dose preparation has given rise to procedures that require double- and triple-checking of dose preparation by pharmacists who must take the same extreme precautions against exposure.

IntelliFillchemo and the ToxiSafe Protection System: A Breakthrough in Safety

This combination of risks for patients and risks for hospital personnel demands a new approach that dramatically reduces or eliminates the opportunities for errors in preparing each dose, while simultaneously reducing or eliminating the chances for exposure and contamination. IntelliFillchemo's ToxiSafe Protection System was specifically created to meet these demands.

This new approach targets three key design goals:

  1. Reduce or eliminate potentially harmful dose preparation errors such
     as using the wrong drug, the wrong diluents, or the wrong amount while
     making a patient dose.

  2. Reduce or eliminate hazardous exposure to cytotoxic drugs for I.V.
     technicians, nurses, and pharmacists, and cross-contamination risks
     for patients.

  3. Improve safety and productivity for pharmacists by enabling them to
     perform required dose inspections remotely, eliminating the need to
     enter the I.V. room.

IntelliFillchemo's ToxiSafe Protection System meets all three challenges:

1. Being certain that every dose is correct -- one dose at a time:

The precision of the IntelliFillchemo robotics platform far exceeds the capabilities of human operators, and eliminates the need for technicians to manually handle drugs and sharps. IntelliFillchemo ensures that doses of virtually any format -- bags, a wide range of syringes using needle or needleless systems -- are made correctly:

--  IntelliFillchemo automatically calculates dilutions and dose amounts -- 
    reducing the chances of calculation errors. IntelliFillchemo's robotic
    platform performs all dilutions.
    
--  Robotics + Barcoding + RFID combine to reduce/eliminate opportunities
    for using wrong drugs or wrong diluents or wrong amounts. Every drug and
    diluent used to make every dose is verified by barcode scanning to be the
    correct ingredient for each patient.
    
--  Every component of every dose is measured with robotic accuracy and
    verified by weight.
    

2. Preventing exposure to cytotoxic drugs from preparation to administration:

Protecting operators, caregivers, and patients from exposure requires more than automation -- it requires a new approach to the system enclosure and to how drugs, doses, and waste are managed.

IntelliFillchemo is the first and only solution that provides total containment of cytotoxics from the beginning of dose preparation through delivery to the patient bedside.

--  IntelliFillchemo's true laminar airflow enclosure uses glove ports to
    enable safe operator access and does not require the operator to wear
    multiple layers of gloves and gowns. Even small amounts of cytotoxic drugs
    are hazardous -- and work areas for preparing chemotherapy doses must be
    regularly cleaned with specialized decontaminating agents. The entire
    IntelliFillchemo system can be sprayed with decontaminant without opening
    the enclosure, as compared to other dose preparation systems that must be
    opened to decontaminate. IntelliFillchemo's enclosure also can be used for
    manual cytotoxic dose preparation as needed -- eliminating the need for
    another airflow hood for manual dose prep. The system is smaller than
    competitive designs and easier for hospitals to facilitize because it uses
    less power and generates less heat.
    
--  Technicians never need to directly handle doses or wastes. All
    finished doses, waste, and unused products are individually bagged and
    sealed before leaving the system. Some other systems simply eject doses and
    waste -- which can expose operators, staff, and patients to cytotoxic
    contamination. IntelliFillchemo's sealed dose bags need not be unsealed
    until doses are administered, dramatically reducing contamination risks
    throughout the hospital.
    

3. Enabling pharmacists to perform more thorough inspections without entering the I.V. room

There's little visibility of manual preparation in I.V. rooms today -- and pharmacists must enter the I.V. room to inspect dose preparation steps, requiring time to put on gowns and gloves. IntelliFillchemo brings new visibility to the current work in the I.V. room and enables pharmacists to perform inspections remotely.

All dose preparation steps are recorded, barcodes are verified and captured, and each step is completely auditable. A digital photographic audit trail documents all key dose preparation steps.

IntelliFillchemo's impact on safety:

According to Dennis Tribble, "Our customers trust us to know the I.V. room. They expect that we will translate that knowledge into safer and better products. IntelliFillchemo and its ToxiSafe Protection System is the only fully contained system. It is therefore the safest way to automate cytotoxic dose preparation."

IntelliFillchemo's impact on the bottom line:

Beyond simply breaking new ground in safety, IntelliFillchemo also breaks new ground in value. The cost of making a single chemotherapy dose can be as high as $65 -- and a mid-sized hospital may make thousands of these doses each year. Through a combination of productivity improvements, reductions in drug waste, and the savings achieved by reducing the need for massive amounts of disposable protective clothing and other expensive containment approaches, the system can dramatically reduce the cost of preparing each dose.

According to Steve Thomas, "IntelliFillchemo is the safest product and the lowest-priced product, making it the hands-down winner. Our company has 10 years' experience, and this is our second breakthrough announcement in just 15 weeks. Our commitment to innovation in the I.V. room is attracting many new customers and extending our leadership in I.V. room automation."

IntelliFillchemo will be on display in just 10 weeks at the ASHP Summer 2008 Meeting (June 8-11 in Seattle, WA). ForHealth Technologies will showcase its full line of innovative, leading products in booth 605. Steve Thomas added, "IntelliFlowRx was the hottest new product at the December 2007 ASHP Mid-Year Clinical Meeting in Las Vegas, and IntelliFillchemo will be the hottest product in Seattle." Additional information on IntelliFillchemo will be available at the meeting.

About ForHealth:

Founded in 1998, ForHealth Technologies delivers 21st century technology combined with professional support to uniquely enable hospital pharmacies to stay ahead of the growing challenges faced in preparing injectable medications. ForHealth Technologies solutions deliver quantum-leap improvements in key I.V. room performance metrics: accuracy, patient safety, clinician safety, speed, cost reduction, and regulatory compliance.

ForHealth Technologies: Innovating for Your I.V. Room's Future™

Contact Information: For additional information, please contact: ForHealth Technologies Inc. Nicolas Boillot Hart-Boillot 781-893-0053 ForHealth Technologies Inc. Katie Delach Hart-Boillot 781-893-0053