Business Wire - November 2, 2005
Retractable received its first contract through the program in August 2004; the new award includes Uganda and Haiti in addition to the original six African countries. Retractable is the only U.S. maker of non-reusable safety syringes to receive a contract under the President's Emergency Plan. Worldwide, it is also the largest supplier of such syringes for the initiative, which was launched by President Bush in 2003 as a rapid intervention strategy to prevent seven million new HIV infections in 14 AIDS-ravaged countries in Africa and the Caribbean. Since 1999, Retractable has also been marketing its safety needle devices to private hospitals and government healthcare facilities in South Africa through a local distributor.
Thomas J. Shaw, president and CEO of Retractable, said that, "This new award demonstrates that VanishPoint(R) syringes are the safety syringe of choice under the President's Global HIV/AIDS initiative. The fact that all of the countries that ordered VanishPoint(R) syringes in significant volumes in Phase I of the program have requested them again in Phase II speaks louder than words about the value of our technology in protecting African patients and healthcare workers from potentially deadly contaminated needles." He added, "Once again, I'd like to thank the Bush Administration and Congress for launching this landmark humanitarian program."
Countries included in the initiative were given the opportunity to evaluate and select the syringes they preferred from among all of those that met the program's bid requirements. International health organizations have long recognized that the reuse of syringes in these countries plays a significant part in the HIV pandemic. VanishPoint(R) safety devices not only prevent reuse, but also virtually eliminate accidental needlestick injuries and minimize hazardous medical waste, a major problem in developing countries.
In a related development, Retractable also announced that the World Health Organization (W.H.O.) has designated its VanishPoint(R) devices as "pre-qualified" under the international agency's PQS (Performance Quality System) program. This important credential paves the way for the possible future selection of VanishPoint(R) syringes for programs sponsored by UNICEF and other United Nations and international agencies.
Retractable Technologies, Inc. manufactures and markets VanishPoint(R) automated retraction safety syringes and blood collection devices, which virtually eliminate healthcare worker exposure to accidental needlestick injuries. These revolutionary devices use a patented friction ring mechanism that causes the contaminated needle to retract automatically from the patient into the barrel of the device, a feature that is designed to prevent reuse. VanishPoint(R) safety needle devices are distributed by various specialty and general line distributors. For more information on Retractable, visit our Web site at www.vanishpoint.com.
Forward-looking statements in this press release are made pursuant to the safe harbor provision of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and reflect the Company's current views with respect to future events. The Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are accurate. However, the Company cannot assure you that such expectations will materialize. The Company's actual future performance could differ materially from such statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to: the impact of dramatic increases in demand; the Company's ability to quickly increase its production capacity in the event of a dramatic increase in demand; the Company's ability to access the market; the Company's ability to decrease production costs; the Company's ability to continue to finance research and development as well as operations and expansion of production; the increased interest of other larger market players, specifically BD, in providing safety needle devices to their customers; and other risks and uncertainties that are detailed from time to time in the Company's periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
CONTACT: Retractable Technologies, Inc., Little Elm
Investor Contact:
Douglas W. Cowan, 888-806-2626 or 972-294-1010
E-mail: rtifinancial@vanishpoint.com
or
Media Contact:
Phillip L. Zweig, 212-490-0811 or 214-912-7415 (cell)
E-mail: plzweig@aol.com
SOURCE: Retractable Technologies, Inc.
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