Bard Launches Catheter - Bio-Plexus to Receive Royalty Income.

Business Editors/Health & Medical Writers

BIOWIRE2K

VERNON, Conn.--(BW HealthWire)--Oct. 11, 2000

Bard Access Systems, a division of C.R. Bard (NYSE:BCR) of Salt Lake City, Utah, has launched a new peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) introducer. The PICC introducer was developed in a partnership with Bio-Plexus of Vernon, Connecticut, and Teleflex (NYSE:TFX) of Jaffrey, New Hampshire. It is manufactured by Teleflex on production equipment designed and built by Bio-Plexus.

Bard is the market leader in the growing PICC market segment and recently launched the new Safety Excalibur(R) Introducer. "As the healthcare workplace shifts to safety devices, we are excited to be among the first to deliver a completely passive product, the Safety Excalibur, to health care workers. The Safety Excalibur, featuring Bio-Plexus patented PUNCTUR-GUARD(R) internal blunting technology, is rapidly gaining popularity among healthcare workers who have used the device," said Amy Paul, Division President, Bard Access Systems. "We expect that the Safety Excalibur Introducer will make PICC insertion procedures dramatically safer for healthcare workers," she added.

The Safety Excalibur Introducer by Bard includes references to Bio-Plexus and PUNCTUR-GUARD(R) internal blunting technology on its packaging and labeling, and Bio-Plexus will receive royalty revenue from the sale of each device.

"Bard's choice of PUNCTUR-GUARD(R) internal blunting technology as the safety platform for its newest PICC Introducer is another example of the market leader recognizing the superior ease-of use of Bio-Plexus technology," according to John S. Metz, Bio-Plexus President and CEO. "Our PUNCTUR-GUARD(R) product is the only safety technology available for I.V. access devices where the safety feature is both completely automatic and is activated in vivo," he continued. "This means the clinician doesn't have to change habits or learn a new technique. Most important, the clinician should never be exposed to a sharp, blood-contaminated needle after removal from the patient. Shielding technologies, offered by many of our competitors, are activated after use -- exposing the clinician to a contaminated sharp until the shield is activated. As PUNCTUR-GUARD(R) technology gets into the hands of healthcare workers, the risk of an accidental needlestick is significantly reduced, and the clinician can more fully concentrate on patient care," he added.

Bio-Plexus, Inc. (NASDAQ:BPLX), designs, develops, manufactures and holds U.S. and international patents on safety medical needles and other products under the PUNCTUR-GUARD(R), DROP-IT(R), and PUNCTUR-GUARD REVOLUTION(TM) brand names. In studies by the Centers for Disease Control (MMWR, January 1997) and ECRI (Health Devices, June 1998 and October 1999) PUNCTUR-GUARD(R) needles ranked highest of all devices studied. Accidental needlesticks number about one million per year in the United States and can result in the transmission of deadly diseases including HIV and Hepatitis B and C.

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