Microbix Announces Quality Products Distribution Agreement

MISSISSAUGA, Ontario, Feb. 16, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Microbix Biosystems Inc. (TSX: MBX, OTCQB: MBXBF, Microbix®), a life sciences innovator and exporter, announces an agreement (Agreement) with Oneworld Accuracy Inc. (1WA) to distribute Microbix’s Quality Assessment Products (QAPs™) on a non-exclusive basis across the continent of Africa, in Canada, and in the United States.

Under the Agreement, 1WA will provide physical distribution, sales and marketing, and technical support for Microbix’s growing range of QAPs, notably its ONBOARDx™, PROCEEDx™, PROCEEDx™FLOQ®, REDx™ Controls, and REDx™FLOQ® brands. Such Microbix QAPs support process accuracy of tests for bacterial and viral diseases by emulating patient samples while being consistent, non-infectious, stable, and compatible across multiple test-instrument platforms. Most notably, Microbix QAPs are helping to support the accuracy both RT-PCR (molecular) and Antigen-based tests for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the cause of the COVID-19 pandemic. At present, there are over 60 Microbix QAPs SKUs, of which ten are fully licensed/registered for use to support test workflows at clinical laboratories (i.e., IVD-labeled).

1WA is based in Vancouver, B.C., Canada and provides over 200 accredited external quality assessment (EQA) programs to over 60 different countries’ governments (www.1wa.org).

The Agreement builds upon the collaboration between Microbix and 1WA to create a global EQA program to provide proficiency testing & accreditation of clinical laboratories conducting COVID-19 testing. That collaboration was announced in April, 2020 and has since enrolled over 200 clinical laboratories in two dozen countries in Africa, the Americas and the Caribbean. The Agreement provides for 1WA to begin selling Microbix’s full range of QAPs to its many clinical lab customers, rather than buying only for itself.

Cameron Groome, CEO & President of Microbix, remarked, “We’re pleased to expand our successful work with 1WA by having them become a distributor of Microbix’s full range of QAPs. The relationships that 1WA has built with governments in Africa and elsewhere will help to ensure that many more countries gain access to Microbix’s innovative and effective test workflow-support products, including, but not limited to, those relating to the COVID-19 pandemic. We thank Daniel and the 1WA team for their continuing support of global public health authorities and Microbix.”

Daniel Taylor, CEO of 1WA also commented, “This distribution agreement with Microbix and our flexible enterprise-scale software has allowed us to rapidly implement EQA programs with Microbix’s important quality assessment products in many low- and middle-income countries in Africa. In many cases, such countries are being very hard-hit by the pandemic and their national testing programs are benefiting from access to Microbix’s COVID-related QAPs. Some of the greatest benefits will be from Microbix’s PROCEEDxFLOQ and REDxFLOQ swab-based products, which do not require refrigeration and remain stable for 12 months at up to 30 degrees Celsius.”

About Microbix Biosystems
Microbix develops proprietary biological and technology solutions for human health and well-being, with about 90 skilled employees and sales growing from a base of over $1 million per month. It makes a wide range of critical biological materials for the global diagnostics industry, notably antigens for immunoassays and its laboratory quality assessment products (QAPs™) that support clinical lab proficiency testing, enable assay development and validation, or help ensure the quality of clinical diagnostic workflows. Microbix antigens enable the antibody tests of over 100 international diagnostics companies, while its QAPs are sold to clinical laboratory accreditation organizations, diagnostics companies, and clinical laboratories. Microbix QAPs are now available in over 30 countries, distributed by 1WA, Alpha-Tec Systems, Inc., Diagnostic International Distribution S.p.A., Labquality Oy, The Medical Supply Company of Ireland, and R-Biopharm AG. Microbix is ISO 9001 and 13485 accredited, U.S. FDA registered, Australian TGA registered, Health Canada establishment licensed, and provides CE marked products.

Microbix also applies its biological expertise and infrastructure to develop other proprietary products and technologies, most notably viral transport medium (DxTM™) to stabilize patient samples for lab-based molecular diagnostic testing and Kinlytic® urokinase, a biologic thrombolytic drug used to treat blood clots. Microbix is traded on the TSX and OTCQB, and headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.

About Oneworld Accuracy (1WA)
1WA is an independent, social enterprise group headquartered in Vancouver, B.C., Canada. 1WA provides a comprehensive set of more than 200 accredited EQA programs spanning all clinical disciplines. 1WA is also a coordinator of collaborative EQA which seeks to create cost-effective, sustainable, networked EQA in all countries using 1WA’s proprietary OASYS informatics system as a shared resource. Government stakeholders including public health institutes, ministries of health, and national reference laboratories become national EQA providers on a pathway to attain their own ISO accreditation. Upwards of 60 government stakeholders have participated in 1WA collaborative EQA to date. 1WA is accredited to ISO/IEC 17043:2010 by A2LA.

Forward-Looking Information
This news release includes “forward-looking information,” as such term is defined in applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information includes, without limitation, all discussion regarding 1WA and the Agreement, Microbix products, Microbix’s business and business results, goals or outlook, risks associated with financial results and stability, development projects such as those referenced in its corporate presentation, regulatory compliance and approvals, sales to domestic or foreign jurisdictions, engineering and construction, production (including control over costs, quality, quantity and timeliness of delivery), foreign currency and exchange rates, maintaining adequate working capital and raising further capital on acceptable terms or at all, and other similar statements concerning anticipated future events, conditions or results that are not historical facts. These statements reflect management’s current estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations; they are not guarantees of future performance. The Company cautions that all forward looking information is inherently uncertain and that actual performance may be affected by a number of material factors, many of which are beyond the Company’s control. Accordingly, actual future events, conditions and results may differ materially from the estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking information. All statements are made as of the date of this news release and represent the Company’s judgement as of the date of this new release, and the Company is under no obligation to update or alter any forward-looking information.

Copyright © 2021 Microbix Biosystems Inc.
Microbix®, DxTM™, Kinlytic®, ONBOARDx™, PROCEEDx™, QAPs™, and REDx™ are trademarks of Microbix Biosystems Inc.
PROCEEDx™FLOQ® and REDx™FLOQ® are trademarks of Microbix Biosystems Inc. in collaboration with Copan Italia S.p.A.