UPPSALA, Sweden, Sept. 18, 2002 (PRIMEZONE) -- Biacore International AB (Biacore) (Stockholm:BCOR) (Nasdaq:BCOR) today announced that its unique food analysis kit, indispensable for the rapid routine testing of the vitamin food supplement folic acid, has now been fully validated and certified as a Performance Tested Method(SM) by the AOAC (Association of Analytical Communities) Research Institute.
This internationally recognized certification of Biacore's Folic Acid kit means that food manufacturers worldwide now have a trusted and effective routine means to rapidly meet legal requirements on vitamin fortification. As the foremost independent body determining food testing standards worldwide, AOAC Performance Tested Methods status assures the user that a totally independent third-party review has been undertaken and the test kit fully meets all performance claims.
The Folic Acid Kit from Biacore routinely measures this important B- vitamin in hours rather than the days that it takes traditional microbiology-based assays (MBA). This enables manufacturers to closely control vitamin dosage and to minimize wastage. Used with Biacore Q, a dedicated system for concentration analysis, the ready-to-use kit provides accurate and reliable measurements of folic acid in a variety of foodstuffs, including: cereals, milk powder, pre-mixes, as well as milk and soya-based infant formulas.
Utilizing the principal of Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) biosensor technology, used widely in the pharmaceutical industry, the Biacore Folic Acid Kit is based on the principle of inhibition assay. In addition to providing faster results, higher productivity and lower costs, this also delivers increased specificity and sensitivity of great benefit for testing in the food industry.
"As a supplier to the food analysis industry, international certification of our technology is of immense importance to us. It provides potential users of our unique high performance, but cost saving methodology, with the confidence that Biacore analysis offers a really effective rapid testing alternative to the traditional methods largely used in the food industry today," said Esa Stenberg, Vice President and Head of Business Unit Food at Biacore.
"Biacore is expanding the number of kits it offers to cover analysis of a range of water soluble vitamins and residues of increasing concern in the area of food safety," he added. "These include tests for biotin, vitamin B12, streptomycin, clenbuterol, and the newly launched ractopamine kit, amongst others."
For further information, please contact:
Esa Stenberg, Biacore AB
Vice President, Head of
Food Business Unit
+46 18 67 57 58
+46 18 15 01 11
+46 70 581 89 07 (mobile)
esa.stenberg@biacore.com
Scientific/Trade Press Enquiries:
Sarah Perceval, HCC De Facto Group
+44 (0) 20 7496 3300
s.perceval@hccdefacto.com
Cautionary Statement
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which, by their nature, involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that will occur in the future. There are a number of factors that could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements.
About Biacore
Biacore is a global market leader in Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) technology based systems with its own sales operations in the U.S., across Europe, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. A strong patent portfolio protects Biacore's SPR technology, which gives unique real-time insights into biomolecular interactions. Target groups for the Company's products consist primarily of medical and life science research laboratories and pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies around the world. Biacore is focusing on drug discovery and development as its prime areas for future growth. The Company currently has seven systems on the market, the most important of which are: Biacore(R)S51 for applications downstream of high-throughput screening (HTS) including rapid characterization of HTS hits, and the comprehensive pre-clinical evaluation of lead compounds, and Biacore(R)3000, which offers flexibility in key life science research and drug discovery applications upstream of HTS. The recently introduced Biacore(R)C is specifically designed for compliant concentration analysis of biopharmaceuticals in GLP/GMP applications. A new SPR array chip system, which will provide higher information content, is expected to reach the market in 2004.
Based in Uppsala, Sweden, the Company is listed on Stockholmsborsen and Nasdaq in the U.S. In 2001 the Company had sales of SEK 544 million and an operating income of SEK 64 million.
Further information on Biacore can be found on the web: www.biacore.com
Address and phone: Biacore International AB Rapsgatan 7, SE-754 50Uppsala, SWEDEN Phone: +46 (0)18-67 57 00 Fax: +46 (0)18-15 01 10e-mail: info@biacore.com
About AOAC Research Institute
AOAC Research Institute was incorporated in December 1991 as a subsidiary of AOAC INTERNATIONAL.
The AOAC Research Institute is an independent nonprofit corporation with a mission to promote and carry out activities related to the development, improvement, and understanding of analytical practices and procedures affecting public health and welfare. The institute is a subsidiary of AOAC INTERNATIONAL (formerly the Association of Official Analytical Chemists) established specifically to independently administer the Performance Tested Methods(SM) program. Further information on AOAC can be found on the web: www.aoac.org
This information was brought to you by Waymaker http://www.waymaker.net
The following files are available for download:
www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2002/09/18/20020918BIT00360/wkr0001.doc www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2002/09/18/20020918BIT00360/wkr0002.pdf