Bio-Plexus Announces Purchasing Contract With Premier.

Business Editors & Health/Medical Writers

BIOWIRE2K

VERNON, Conn.--(BW HealthWire)--Nov. 3, 2000

Bio-Plexus, Inc. announced today that it has been awarded a new purchasing contract with the Premier group purchasing program for its PUNCTUR-GUARD(R) blood collection needles. This contract was developed through a special Premier process intended to identify medical technologies offering the potential for "breakthrough" or superior value in clinical efficacy, safety for patients and workers, and cost effectiveness across the path of care. This contract has been made on the advice of member hospital representatives on Premier committees and is for an initial 18 month period.

"We are pleased that Premier has chosen to feature PUNCTUR-GUARD(R) technology in this contract. By entering into this contract, Premier is showing that it not only is interested in protecting healthcare workers from needlestick injuries but is interested in providing the safest needle technology to its member hospitals. We look forward to demonstrating to Premier members why our customers rely on PUNCTUR-GUARD(R) technology to help protect their workers from needlesticks," said John Metz, president and CEO of Bio-Plexus, Inc. "The recent federal and state legislative activity along with the addition of other group purchasing agreements will create increased momentum for continued Bio-Plexus growth," Metz added.

Premier, Inc., is one of the nation's leading strategic alliances of hospitals and healthcare systems. It is owned by 210 not-for-profit hospitals and healthcare systems across the United States. Together these owners and affiliates operate approximately 1,850 hospitals.

Premier has negotiated phlebotomy safety device products agreements with 4 other companies as well. Premier will sponsor a formal member evaluation of the five contracting companies soon after January 1, 2001. The expanded array of group purchasing contracts for safety devices is intended to support member hospitals' efforts to prevent injuries from sharps, reports Gina Pugliese, director of the Premier Safety Institute.

Wednesday, Governor George Pataki made New York the 17th state to pass needlestick legislation by signing bill A7144. The New York State Sharps Safety Act provides regulations governing the use of sharps in the healthcare industry to prevent and reduce sharp injuries by using safer technologies which include engineered sharps injury protection, like the PUNCTUR-GUARD(R) blood collection needle.

Last week, the Senate passed legislation requiring healthcare facilities to use safety needles in order to prevent needlestick accidents that can transmit infections including HIV and Hepatitis C. President Clinton has stated that he intends to sign this bill.

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 in safety 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.

NOTE: THIS PRESS RELEASE MAY CONTAIN FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS MAY BE IDENTIFIED BY THE USE OF SUCH TERMINOLOGY AS "BELIEVES," "EXPECTS," "MAY," "WILL," "SHOULD," "ANTICIPATES," "PLANS," "ESTIMATES," AND "INTENDS" OR DERIVATIONS OR NEGATIVES THEREOF OR COMPARABLE TERMINOLOGY, OR DISCUSSIONS OF STRATEGY THAT INVOLVES RISKS (KNOWN AND UNKNOWN) AND UNCERTAINTIES. THE COMPANY'S ACTUAL RESULTS MAY DIFFER MATERIALLY FROM THOSE PROJECTED IN THE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AS A RESULT OF, AMONG OTHER FACTORS, GENERAL ECONOMIC CONDITIONS AND GROWTH IN THE SAFETY MEDICAL PRODUCTS INDUSTRY, COMPETITIVE FACTORS AND PRICING PRESSURES, CHANGES IN PRODUCT MIX, PRODUCT DEMAND, RISK OF DEPENDENCE ON THIRD PARTY SUPPLIERS AND FINANCIERS, ABILITY TO OBTAIN FINANCING, AS WELL AS OTHER FACTORS DESCRIBED FROM TIME TO TIME IN THE COMPANY'S PERIODIC REPORTS FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR DISCUSSED IN OTHER PRESS RELEASES ISSUED BY THE COMPANY. THE COMPANY UNDERTAKES NO OBLIGATION TO UPDATE OR ADVISE UPON ANY SUCH FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENT.