ABAX Abaxis, Inc. (delisted)

Designed Specifically to Meet the Blood Chemistry Needs of the Equine Practitioner UNION CITY, Calif., Feb. 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- ABAXIS, Inc. (NASDAQ:ABAX), a medical products company manufacturing point-of-care blood analysis systems, today announced the release of the Equine Profile Plus with Electrolytes diagnostic rotor for use with the next generation VetScan VS2(TM) and the VetScan(R) Legacy blood chemistry analyzers. This new VetScan diagnostic test panel now allows for the measurement of Na+, K+ and tCO2 emphasizing increased utility in the assessment of sick animals. From a 100 microliter blood sample, the Equine Profile Plus panel tests sodium, potassium, total carbon dioxide, aspartate aminotransferase, total bilirubin, gamma-glutamyl tranferase, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, creatine kinase, total protein, albumin, globulin, and glucose offering increased versatility and greater accuracy in diagnosis, treatment and prognosis. Dr. Kent Adams, DVM, Appalachian Veterinary Services, comments, "The VetScan system has allowed us to dramatically grow our practice by providing blood chemistry diagnostic services that feature accurate results in minutes at the point of care. As a result, we practice higher quality equine veterinary medicine through better diagnostics, treatments, and improved client communication that allow better utilization of ancillary services." Dr. Adams continued, "Our practice has grown to four full-time ambulatory doctors who utilize the VetScan in-house lab as a cornerstone of both sick horse management and wellness testing. The addition of Na+, K+, and tCO2 to the Equine profile will increase our ability to treat and monitor patients on fluids, effectively triage patients that may require referral, and provide a more rigorous diagnostic matrix that will ultimately improve patient care and outcomes by increasing diagnostic efficiency. The ability to track real-time changes in laboratory values, particularly electrolytes, is essential in the management of difficult cases. Many cases we once referred to a hospital setting due to diagnostic and monitoring issues can now be treated safely and effectively in the field." Clint Severson, chairman and CEO of Abaxis, said, "We are pleased to introduce the enhanced 'Equine Profile Plus' today. Equine practitioners now have an even more versatile diagnostic tool that adds electrolytes to the diagnostic profile and precludes the need to purchase additional diagnostic equipment in order to accurately ascertain these critical values. Equine Profile Plus testing allows greater accuracy in diagnosis, treatment and prognosis; ultimately saving the client money and improving patient care. With the high portability of the VetScan VS2 system in conjunction with the new Equine Profile Plus rotor, equine practitioners now have a state-of-the- art system to better serve their needs." About ABAXIS ABAXIS develops, manufactures and markets portable blood analysis systems for use in any veterinary or human patient-care setting to provide clinicians with rapid blood constituent measurements. The system consists of a compact, 5.1 kilogram (11.2 pounds), portable analyzer and a series of single-use plastic discs, called reagent discs that contain all the chemicals required to perform 23 different assays and 8 different profiles on veterinary patients and 14 tests on human patients. The system can be operated with minimal training and performs multiple routine tests on whole blood, serum or plasma samples. The system provides test results in minutes with the precision and accuracy equivalent to a clinical laboratory analyzer. This press release includes statements that constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the "Reform Act"). ABAXIS claims the protection of the safe-harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Reform Act. These forward-looking statements are often characterized by the terms "may", "believes", "projects", "expects", or "anticipates", and do not reflect historical facts. Specific forward-looking statements contained in this press release include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties related to fluctuations in the Company's share price, the market acceptance of the Company's products and the continuing development of its products, required United States Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") clearance and other government approvals, risks associated with manufacturing and distributing its products on a commercial scale free of defects, risks related to the introduction of new instruments manufactured by third parties, risks associated with entering the human diagnostic market on a larger scale, risks related to the protection of the Company's intellectual property or claims of infringement of intellectual property asserted by third parties, risks involved in carrying of inventory, risks associated with the ability to attract, train and retain competent sales personnel, general market conditions, competition and other risks detailed from time to time in ABAXIS' periodic reports filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date the statement was made. ABAXIS does not undertake and specifically disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements. Contact: Clint Severson Lytham Partners Chief Executive Officer Joe Dorame, Robert Blum, Joe Diaz Abaxis, Inc. 602-889-9700 510-675-6500 DATASOURCE: ABAXIS, Inc. CONTACT: Clint Severson, Chief Executive Officer of Abaxis, Inc., +1-510-675-6500; or Joe Dorame, or Robert Blum, or Joe Diaz, all of Lytham Partners, +1-602-889-9700, for ABAXIS, Inc.

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