BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, U.K., Oct. 24, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- Amersham (LSE:AHM) (NYSE:AHM) (OSE:AHM), a world leader in medical diagnostics and in life sciences, and Novation, the supply company of VHA Inc. and University HealthSystem Consortium (UHC), announced today that Amersham Health has been awarded a contract for its nuclear medicine radiopharmaceutical and related products effective January 1, 2004 through December 31, 2006. Amersham Health currently offers these products under a Novation agreement that began January 1, 1999.
"We are pleased to be selected again to provide our full line of nuclear imaging products to VHA and UHC members," stated Daniel L. Peters, president of Amersham Health's Medical Diagnostics business. "This award is consistent with our objective to provide the highest quality imaging products across multiple imaging modalities to VHA and UHC members."
Amersham Health will provide VHA and UHC members with the broadest nuclear imaging product portfolio in the industry, including Myoview(TM) Kit for the Preparation of Technetium Tc99m Tetrofosmin Injection for myocardial perfusion. Other products on the agreement are Ceretec(TM) Kit for the Preparation of Technetium Tc99m Exametazime Injection, Indium In111 Oxyquinoline Solution and Metastron(TM) Strontium-89 Chloride Injection.
The agreement was signed based on the results of Novation's public competitive bid process and input from member surveys and the Novation Nuclear Imaging Task Force, which includes representatives from member hospitals. The decision was based on both financial and non-financial criteria, such as breadth of product line, distribution, service and value-added programs. "This agreement is in keeping with our goal to provide members with products that are available at competitive pricing along with the best non-financial attributes," said Joe McKinley, Director, Diagnostic Imaging at Novation.
Under terms of the agreement, Amersham Health will also supply products to health care organizations that purchase supplies through HealthCare Purchasing Partners International LLC, another group purchasing organization owned by VHA and UHC.
About Novation Based in Irving, Texas, Novation was established in January 1998 through a combination of the supply programs of VHA and UHC, two national health care alliances. Novation serves the purchasing needs of more than 2,300 members and affiliates of VHA and UHC. Novation managed nearly $21 billion in annual purchases for VHA and UHC members in 2002. For more information, go to www.novationco.com.
About Amersham
Amersham is a world leader in medical diagnostics and in life sciences. Headquartered in the UK, the company had annual sales of 1.62 Pounds billion in 2002 and over 10,000 employees worldwide. Its strategy is to build its position as a leading provider of products and technologies enabling disease to be better understood, diagnosed earlier and treated more effectively.
For additional information and full prescribing information, visit the Amersham Health Web site at www.amershamhealth.com or the Amersham corporate Web site at www.amersham.com
About Amersham Health
Amersham Health, a business of Amersham, is a leading global pharmaceutical provider of diagnostic and predictive imaging products and services. Amersham Health is dedicated to providing healthcare professionals with products that expand and improve their diagnostic capabilities and contribute to the treatment of disease. Amersham Health is committed to finding innovative diagnostic and therapeutic solutions with a focus on cardiology, neurology and cancer. Every single second one of Amersham Health's products is used around the world to make a difference in a person's life.