American Bio Medica Files Second Patent Infringement and Trademark Dilution Lawsuit.

KINDERHOOK, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--October 15, 1999--

American Bio Medica Corp. (NASDAQ: ABMC) today announced that it filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Alabama against Larry Hartselle (and his company Instant Drug Detection), Gulf Supply Co., Inc. of Mobile, Alabama and Drug Detection Devices, Ltd. of Atlanta, Georgia. The suit alleges infringement of a U.S. design patent owned by American Bio Medica, trademark dilution of the Company's Rapid Drug Screen trademark and unfair competition.

The Company claims that Instant Drug Detection is marketing a drug screening test that is a copy of American Bio Medica's Rapid Drug Screen(TM) on-site drug test, resulting in confusion in the marketplace. ABMC also claims that another copy of the Rapid Drug Screen is manufactured by Drug Detection Devices and distributed by Gulf Supply Co., thus resulting in further confusion in the marketplace.

The Company has sought injunctive relief to prevent consumers' confusion, mistake or deception as a result of the defendants' alleged use of the Company's design, trademarks or service marks, as well as to prevent dilution of the Company's trademarks and service marks. The Company also seeks monetary damages.

"American Bio Medica continues to vigilantly defend its proprietary products and rights in the marketplace with lawsuits against parties that we learn are manufacturing and marketing knock off products of our patented drug tests," stated American Bio Medica CEO and Chairman Stan Cipkowski. "We will continue our efforts to block all companies that infringe upon our patent and trademark rights and in the process harm the consuming public by letting people think that they are buying the Rapid Drug Screen instead of an unauthorized copy."

American Bio Medica Corporation develops, manufactures, and markets inexpensive, accurate, on-site drugs of abuse diagnostic kits and support services worldwide. The Company's global distributors target the workplace, clinical, rehabilitation, physicians, corrections, and educational markets. ABMC's Rapid Drug Screen(TM) is proven to correlate 100% with the standard laboratory screening test.

Forward-looking statements in this release are made pursuant to the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Investors are cautioned that such forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainties, including without limitation, continued acceptance of the Company's products, increased levels of competition for the Company, new products and technological changes, the Company's dependence on third-party suppliers, intellectual property rights, and other risks detailed from time to time in the Company's periodic report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission