THOROFARE, N.J., Sept. 30, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Akers Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:AKER) (AIM:AKR.L), ("Akers Bio" or the "Company"), a medical device company focused on reducing the cost of healthcare through faster, easier diagnostics, has signed distribution agreements to market its flagship test for heparin‐induced thrombocytopenia ("HIT") in India, Germany, Italy and Scandinavia. The Company's HIT test, based on Akers Bio's proprietary PIFA technology, is now represented in thirty countries worldwide. Akers Bio now has distribution in every major diagnostic market in the world.
Akers has developed the only U.S. and E.U. cleared rapid test to detect a potentially fatal allergy to the widely used blood thinner, heparin. This clinical syndrome known as HIT reverses heparin's intended therapeutic effect and transforms it into a clotting agent. Patients suffering HIT are at risk of developing limb- and life-threatening complications, so the rapid diagnosis provided by the Company's Heparin/PF4 devices is paramount to effective, clinical decision making. Millions of patients are exposed to heparin around the world each year and between 1% and 5% of those patients receive a HIT diagnosis. The largest at-risk populations are patients undergoing major cardiac or orthopedic surgical procedures.
The Company's diagnostic test is not only a valuable tool for HIT diagnosis but also for rapidly ruling out HIT, thus avoiding the need to administer expensive direct thrombin inhibitors in the many cases where HIT is suspected but ultimately not present. While the number of cases differs from country to country, the value proposition of reducing hospital costs is applicable regardless of geography.
"While the U.S. continues to be our main market for the HIT test, other countries where heparin is widely used are beginning to recognize the medical and economic benefits of being able to diagnose – or rule-out – the presence of HIT rapidly," said Raymond F. Akers, Jr. PhD, Co-founder and Executive Chairman. "India, Germany, Italy and Scandinavia are all big potential markets for this test as heparin is the primary anticoagulant used in surgeries in each of them," continued Dr. Akers.
"In just a year Akers Bio has moved from having practically no representation for this product outside of the U.S. to having a network of distributors targeting 29 ex-U.S. markets," continued Dr. Akers.
"We are delighted to welcome our new distribution partners in India, Germany, Italy and Scandinavia and look forward to supporting their efforts to generate sales in their respective regions," added Nicolas Daurel, Vice President, Sales and Marketing for EMEA.
ABOUT AKERS BIOSCIENCES, INC.
Akers Biosciences develops, manufactures, and supplies rapid screening and testing products designed to deliver quicker and more cost-effective healthcare information to healthcare providers and consumers. 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. The Company has aligned with major healthcare companies and high volume medical product 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.akersbio.com. Follow us on Twitter @AkersBio.
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Statements contained herein that are not based upon current or historical fact are forward-looking in nature and constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such forward-looking statements reflect the Company's expectations about its future operating results, performance and opportunities that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. These statements include but are not limited to statements regarding the intended terms of the offering, closing of the offering and use of any proceeds from the offering. When used herein, the words "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "upcoming," "plan," "target", "intend" and "expect" and similar expressions, as they relate to Akers Biosciences, Inc., its subsidiaries, or its management, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on information currently available to the Company and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause the Company's actual results, performance, prospects, and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements.