loader image

HealthTab™ Adds ID NOW™ Molecular Test Device to Abbott Distribution Agreement, Now Offers First Real-Time Reporting of SARS-CoV-2, Flu, Strep and RSV System in Pharmacy

VANCOUVER, BC – (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) – July 26, 2021 – Avricore Health Inc. (TSXV:AVCR, OTC: AVCRF) (“Avricore Health” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce the signing of the first amendment to its supplier distribution agreement between HealthTab™ Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary, and Abbott, the global healthcare company and diagnostics leader, in Canada.

First signed on May 31 st of this year, the agreement allows the HealthTab™ to distribute in Canada Abbott’s Afinion™ 2, and associated tests for diabetes and heart-disease screening in community pharmacies, including HbA1c testing, which lead to the subsequent signing of a Master Agreement with Shoppers Drug Mart to bring this new testing to select locations as an initial pilot program.

This amendment to the Distribution Agreement adds Abbott’s popular ID NOW™ molecular testing device which will add onsite testing and reporting capabilities for SARS-CoV-2 as well as RSV, Influenza A & B and Strep – a powerful combination for detecting infections before they spread.

“A missing link today in the response to COVID-19 and general virus outbreak is the ability to get confirmatory testing and reliable, real-time reporting in a low-barrier setting,” said Hector Bremner, CEO of Avricore Health. “With ID Now™ on the HealthTab™ network in community pharmacy, patients can know what they have and get focused treatment and prevent spread through better information.”

HealthTab™ is currently rolling out its platform with Afinion 2™ in select Shoppers Drug Mart and other pharmacies and looks forward to soon having the first deployments of the ID Now™. The Company also expects to add more analyzers and testing capabilities, along with expanding the number of locations this year.

About HealthTab™ + RASTR

HealthTab™ is a proven point-of-care screening system, designed to support pharmacists evolving role. The system empowers patients to be proactive about their health by directly measuring and monitoring key safety tests and biomarkers of chronic disease. The HealthTab  test is simple, fast, lab-accurate, and requires just a few drops of blood from a finger stick.  Results can be printed in-store or accessed securely online.

As part of this direction for HealthTab™ the Company developed a revolutionary model for utilizing the system’s unique ability to offer real-time evaluations of treated populations and even real-world evaluation clinical trials.

The name for this approach is Rapid Access Safety Test Reporting, or RASTR Network, whereby the network of HealthTab™ systems feedback de-identified data through to electronic health records and data management systems via its API capabilities.  This is the first platform of harmonized analyzers, with fully integrated data-flow, for blood chemistry results to be sent to consumers, their healthcare teams and sponsors; such as researchers, insurance providers and the life-science sector. 

The significance of this approach to the market is the enhanced access to screening and early detection of disease, better data for physicians and pharmacists to support their patients, plus new opportunities to conduct research and ensure patient safety.  

And, with the emergence of COVID-19 and its variants, the HealthTab™ + RASTR platform can now directly report results from the Abbott ID Now™, or manually report results from rapid-tests, dramatically reducing the administration time and increasing the accuracy and speed of information sharing. 

About Avricore Health Inc.

Avricore Health Inc. is committed to becoming a health innovator and applying technologies at the forefront of science to core health issues at the community pharmacy level. The Company’s goal is to empower consumers, patients and pharmacists with innovative technology, products, services and information to monitor and optimize health. www.avricorehealth.com

Contact:

Avricore Health Inc.
Hector Bremner, CEO 604-773-8943               
[email protected]
www.avricorehealth.com 

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements 

Information in this press release that involves Avricore Health’s expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Avricore Health generally uses words such as “outlook,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “might,” “remains,” “to be,” “plans,” “believes,” “may,” “expects,” “intends,” “anticipates,” “estimate,” “future,” “positioned,” “potential,” “project,” “remain,” “scheduled,” “set to,” “subject to,” “upcoming,” and similar expressions to help identify forward-looking statements. In this press release, forward-looking statements include statements regarding: the completion of the placement and the expected timing thereof and the Company’s expected use of proceeds from the placement; the unique features that the HealthTab™ platform offers to pharmacists and patients. Forward-looking statements reflect the then-current expectations, beliefs, assumptions, estimates and forecasts of Avricore Health’s management. The forward-looking statements in this press release are based upon information available to Avricore Health as of the date of this press release. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of the future performance of Avricore Health and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations, including without limitation: failure to meet regulatory requirements; changes in the market; potential downturns in economic conditions; and other risk factors described in Avricore’s public filings. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update them publicly to reflect new information or the occurrence of future events or circumstances, unless otherwise required to do so by law. 

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this statement.