Calypte gets large-scale delivery order for HIV-½ oral swabs in Africa

By Elaine Rigoli

Tampa, Fla., July 13 - Calypte Biomedical Corp. has received an initial order for 35,500 units of its Aware HIV-½ oral fluid rapid test.

This initial order has been placed through Gennaria Comercio International Lda. on behalf of MineSeeker Foundation and will be sold through Calypte's exclusive distributors in Africa once final destinations are known.

Calypte currently has approval to sell its rapid oral fluid test in South Africa and Kenya. Based on Calypte's communications with MineSeeker, this is the first firm order of a series of orders totaling 1 million tests that MineSeeker intends placing with Calypte over the next 12 months.

Gennaria represents several humanitarian organizations, including MineSeeker, which plans to launch a large-scale HIV testing initiative in Africa beginning this September.

"We have long believed we have been developing an effective solution in the battle against HIV/AIDS with a non-invasive rapid diagnostic test. Now that we are receiving approvals in HIV-stricken areas in Sub-Saharan Africa, we are targeting humanitarian organizations that want to make significant contributions in the fight against AIDS," chairman and chief executive officer Roger I. Gale said in a news release.

The intended first order of 1 million tests is part of a larger MineSeeker initiative to deliver 5 million HIV oral fluid rapid tests to Africa. The purchase of the initial oral swab rapid tests will be donated for distribution in the field or sold, at cost, officials said.

The MineSeeker Foundation is primarily involved with the removal of land mines. The foundation has a new initiative, the "Sole of Africa" initiative, which includes returning mine free land back to agriculture and an educational and empowerment program that trains local people to farm and vocational training for people unable to find work, including land mine and AIDS victims.

Calypte is a Lake Oswego, Ore.-based health care company focused on the development and commercialization of diagnostic testing products for the detection of sexually transmitted diseases.

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