Pubdate: Mon, 19 Jul 1999 Source: PR Newswire Copyright: 1999 PR Newswire Author: Avitar, Inc. AVITAR COMMENCES SHIPPING OF ORALSCREEN(TM) The First Oral Screening Test For Drugs Of Abuse CANTON, Mass., July 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Avitar, Inc., (Nasdaq: AVIT) announced today that the Company has commenced shipping of its OralScreen(TM) product, the first oral screening test for drugs of abuse. The company first introduced OralScreen in April at the American Occupational Health Conference and has been staffing its sales and marketing team to support national product roll-out. The "three-panel" OralScreen product detects cocaine, opiates and marijuana. "With the three-panel test, we plan to focus initial marketing efforts on corporations, law enforcement agencies and correctional institutions, where substance abuse testing programs are not only most in demand, but can result in significant legal challenges and losses in productivity," said Peter P. Phildius, chairman and chief executive officer of Avitar. "However, we anticipate a growing need for and interest in substance abuse screening in schools and in professional athletics," he added. Avitar is also developing an oral fluids based product that will cover the five widely used drug screens in the estimated $1 billion-per-year substance abuse testing market. Currently, the majority of tests are urine-based and are conducted off-site. OralScreen offers the convenience of point-of-care (on-site) testing and eliminates urine handling. Avitar, Inc., designs, develops, manufactures and markets healthcare products including a proprietary line of polyurethane wound care dressings and rapid diagnostic test products. The Company is focusing on the development of oral fluids technology for detecting drugs of abuse. For more information, see Avitar's Web Page at (www.avitarinc.com). This release contains forward looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties, including the development of new applications, that are detailed from time to time in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D