Akers Biosciences Signs Distribution Agreement With Medline Industries

(RTTNews) - Akers Biosciences Inc. (AKER, AKR.L), a designer and manufacturer of rapid diagnostic screening and testing products, announced a distribution agreement for the company's PIFA Heparin/PF4 and PIFA PLUSS PF4 rapid tests with Medline Industries Inc., the largest privately held distributor of healthcare supplies in the United States.

As per the terms of the Agreement, Medline is expected to begin marketing the Company's tests to a large network of hospitals and surgery centers across the United States immediately. Medline has a network of 40 distribution centers in the United States and 1,200 sales representatives worldwide.

The company believes that marketing within multiple hospital departments including but not limited to hospital pharmacies will help to increase market penetration of its PIFA Heparin/PF4 and PIFA PLUSS PF4 rapid tests.

PIFA Heparin/PF4 and PIFA PLUSS PF4 are the only FDA-cleared, single-use tests which quickly determine if a patient, being treated with the blood thinner Heparin, may be developing a drug allergy. The resulting clinical syndrome, referred to as Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia or "HIT", reverses the Heparin's intended effect of thinning the blood and transforms it into a clotting agent which can result in death or limb amputation.

Unlike traditional testing methods, which require expensive equipment, specialized laboratory personnel and a turnaround time of approximately 4-72 hours, ABI's PIFA Heparin/PF4 Rapid Assay delivers a result in less than 10 minutes after the blood sample has been prepared.