First Oral Fluid Drug Test Available Over the Internet; E-Commerce Option for Intercept; Oral Fluid Drug Test Makes Testing More Accessible to Small and Mid-Sized Businesses.

Business Editors, Health/Medical Writers

LENEXA, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April. 6, 2000

LabOne, Inc. (Nasdaq:LABS) announced today that the Intercept(TM) oral fluid drug test, a laboratory-based test to detect commonly-used drugs of abuse, is now available via the Internet at www.4intercept.com.

This is the first time employers of all sizes can purchase oral fluid laboratory drug tests via the Web.

According to LabOne, this strategy is intended to make a reliable drug testing resource practical for small- to mid-sized businesses -- the fastest growing segment of the U.S. economy. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce reports that most new businesses in America employ less than 500 employees. While drug testing is more common than ever among large corporations (more than 90 percent of Fortune 500 companies have implemented some type of drug prevention program, most of which involve drug testing), only 6,000 companies in the United States employ more than 1,000 people. Drug testing is far less prevalent among firms with fewer than 1,000 employees. The rationale that supports drug testing -- efforts to improve safety, enhance employee health, optimize cost savings, reduce theft, and boost productivity and efficiency -- applies to businesses of all sizes.

Advantages of Oral Fluid Testing for Small- to Mid-Sized Businesses

Vern Jones, president of Alternative Safety Testing Solutions, Inc., thinks technology limitations have been a barrier to wider scale acceptance of drug testing in the small business arena, "A small business can be devastated by issues like liability claims or internal theft, and more and more businesses this size are realizing it is a smart investment to utilize drug testing to help prevent these problems. Until now, standard drug testing was either cost prohibitive or invasive in nature. If an employer had to send staff out of the office during work hours for urine sample collection, or do the urine collection himself or herself, he or she would avoid the issue altogether."

The primary benefits of the Intercept(TM) oral fluid test are that it provides more efficient, dignified and directly-observable collection. By offering "anytime, anywhere" sample retrieval, it allows for faster turnaround and lowers the total cost of drug testing. The Intercept(TM) test significantly reduces the possibility of sample adulteration (tampering or substitution), and clinical studies have shown that the Intercept(TM) oral fluid drug test performs with comparable results to urine-based drug tests.

According to Michael A. Peat, Ph.D., president of LabOne's Substance Abuse Testing Division, the development of the Intercept(TM) service is an example of technology being adapted to correlate with the changing needs of American business.

"The scientific methodology used with the Intercept(TM) oral fluid drug test has a proven 15-year track record," said Peat. "The critical issue was our ability to develop a better collection and testing method that suits the needs of both the employee and the employer. The Intercept(TM) test is easy-to-use, offers a less embarrassing means to collect specimens, and, when issues like collection costs are factored in, provides a significantly less expensive drug testing solution. The bottom line is that this methodology is extremely practical for companies that process fewer than 1000 drug testing samples each year."

"The marketing approach for Intercept(TM)'s Internet initiative will reflect the dynamic of the small- and mid-sized business market -- an underdeveloped drug testing market," said Tom Hespe, executive vice president of marketing and sales for LabOne. "In an era when business is so focused on utilizing technologies that optimize efficiencies, there's no reason why oral fluid drug testing and the Internet can't play a role. The key is having testing that is fair, dignified, easy to use and cost effective."

Ordering the Test Online

LabOne will aggressively market the Intercept(TM)'s Internet availability with integrated online and offline marketing campaigns. Customers can order the Intercept(TM) oral fluid drug test online by accessing a dedicated website -- www.4intercept.com. List price for the Intercept(TM) is $35 per test with shipping included. A minimum quantity of 10 tests must be purchased, and major credit cards will be accepted.

Once ordered, the collection devices are shipped directly to business customers. To collect a sample, a test administrator asks the test subject to place a treated collection pad between his or her lower cheek and gum for at least two minutes. Once saturated, the pad is placed in a vial containing a preservative to protect the sample. The vial is sealed and sent with a completed chain-of-custody form to a clearly marked return address for laboratory analysis. The collection process takes only a few minutes. Negative results can be reported within 24 hours of receipt at the laboratory and positive confirmations within 72 hours. Customers will be able to retrieve confidential results on secure pages of the www.4intercept.com website.

The Intercept(TM) oral fluid drug test was introduced in February as a collaborative effort of LabOne, STC Technologies, Inc., and Epitope, Inc. (Nasdaq:EPTO). All three companies play pivotal roles in the marketing of this new lab service. STC, the leader in oral fluid immunoassay technology, provides reagents as well as marketing support. Epitope produces the Intercept(TM) collection device and provides sales support for the criminal justice and public health markets. Laboratory testing, result report, workplace sales, and account management support are assumed by LabOne.

About LabOne, STC, and Epitope

LabOne is a national laboratory with three divisions: drug testing for employers (Substance Abuse Testing Division); risk appraisal testing for insurers (Insurance Services Division); and, healthcare related testing for benefit providers, physicians, and managed care organizations (Healthcare Division). The company is the leading oral fluid testing laboratory in the United States.

STC Technologies, Inc. is a privately-held company that develops, manufactures and markets proprietary in vitro diagnostic products and medical devices for use in clinical labs, physicians' offices, and workplace testing. The company is the leading supplier of oral fluid assays to the insurance risk assessment testing market and also manufactures and markets the Q.E.D.(R) Saliva Alcohol Test to the workplace testing market.

Epitope, Inc. is an innovative medical device company that develops, manufactures and markets oral fluid collection technology products. Its current oral fluid collection devices and the associated oral fluid diagnostic tests are approved by the FDA for sale in the U.S. market for HIV-1 antibody testing and have been reviewed for detection of drugs of abuse and cotinine (to identify smokers).