Biopool International Appoints ESBE Scientific as Canadian Distributor.

VENTURA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 26, 1998--Biopool International Inc. (Nasdaq:BIPL) Thursday announced that the company has selected ESBE Scientific, located in Markham, Ontario, as the new distributor for Biopool immunohematology and hemostasis products in Canada.

Michael D. Bick, Ph.D., chairman and chief executive officer of Biopool, stated: "In December 1997, the company announced that it would close its Canadian subsidiary, Biopool Canada, by June 1998. We have, therefore, sought new lines of distribution to continue to support our existing customer base in Canada and, more importantly, provide a new marketing focus for our full range of products.

Bick continued: "In the past year, since acquiring the BCA business, we have continued to support the Organon Teknika worldwide network for the distribution of BCA immunohematology products. At the same time, we have been aggressively seeking new distribution relationships capable of pro-actively selling our full range of products.

"With the appointment of ESBE, we expect not only to maintain our current sales base in Canada, but indeed expand sales for both immunohematology and hemostasis products."

ESBE Scientific was founded in 1968 as a clinical laboratory supply house serving southern Ontario. It has since grown through the acquisition of regional and national distributors to be one of the largest 100 percent Canadian-owned distributors serving the clinical, research, industrial and biotech laboratory market. ESBE has sales offices in Ontario, Quebec, Alberta and British Columbia and covers the territory with 15 sales representatives.

Founded in 1987, Biopool International develops, manufactures, and markets a full range of test kits to assess and diagnose disorders of blood coagulation, thrombotic risk factors, fibrinolysis, platelet function and the vascular system; specialty chemistry controls used to monitor and measure the presence of drugs of abuse; and immunohematology products used to screen for antibodies and group and type whole blood. The company's products are sold to hospitals, blood bank facilities, and clinical and reference laboratories on a worldwide basis through an extensive network of distributors. -0-

NOTE: This news release contains forward-looking statements regarding future sales and marketing activities in Canada which are based upon current expectations that involve a number of risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, technological innovations of competitors, changes in health-care regulations, litigation claims, foreign currency fluctuation, product acceptance or changes in government regulation of the company's products, as well as other factors discussed in the company's last report on Form 10-KSB under "Risk Factors."

CONTACT: Biopool International Inc., Ventura

Michael D. Bick or Carol Hill, 805/654-0643