Brings prior experience as US Representative
to the World Health Organization Executive Board and expertise in
health care delivery, health policy, international affairs and
pandemic influenza planning to FluroTest team
CALGARY, AB, April 6, 2021 /CNW/ - FluroTech LTD.
(TSXV: TEST) (OTCQB: FLURF) and subsidiary FluroTest Diagnostics
Systems ("FluroTest" or The Company), a first-mover in
surge-scale rapid antigen testing for the detection of SARS-CoV-2
and other pathogens, are pleased to announce that former U.S.
Public Health Service and Four-Star Admiral Joxel Garcia, M.D. has
joined FluroTest's advisory board.
An internationally respected healthcare leader in public and
global health administration and education, Dr. Garcia will help
support FluroTest business operations and testing procedures as the
Company prepares for clinical trials of its high-speed,
high-throughput testing platform to support planned
submissions for Emergency Use Authorization ("EUA") from the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") and Interim Order
Authorization from Health Canada.
Dr. García served as the 14th Assistant Secretary for Health of
the United States and as a
Four-Star Admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service, both positions
confirmed by the U.S. Senate. As the highest-ranking medical
officer in the United States, he
operated as the lead advisor on national global public health and
science matters for the Secretary of Health. Dr. García also served
as United States Representative to
the World Health Organization Executive Board, Deputy Director of
the Pan American Health Organization, Regional Office for the
Western Hemisphere for the World Health Organization during the
2003 SARS epidemic and as President and Dean of Medicine for the
Ponce School of Medicine and Health
Sciences.
"I see FluroTest as both a powerful public health tool and a
national security tool. New variant cases are spreading
throughout the world and across North
America at unprecedented levels," said Dr. Garcia. "When you
have a virus that mutates as quickly and aggressively as this one
does, the chances for it to become endemic magnify exponentially.
The reality right now is that we have limited resources, but the
threats are unlimited. The ability to produce a high-speed,
highly-accurate COVID-19 testing platform capable of processing
thousands of tests per hour will be a game changer, and it's
precisely what attracted me to FluroTest."
FluroTest's system is designed to facilitate fast and accurate
on-location testing of individuals by leveraging the disciplines of
robotics automation, biochemistry, fluorescence detection and cloud
computing. High-risk pandemic environments supported will include
schools and colleges, hospitals and large healthcare facilities,
athletic stadiums and performance venues, airline and cruise ship
terminals, corporate campuses, shopping centers, manufacturing
facilities, transportation and distribution hubs and other large
business and retail locations.
"Vaccines are critical, but are only part of any potential
solution. The challenges posed with a dynamic virus such as
SARS-CoV-2 suggest that the vaccine someone takes today could
possibly require boosters every two or three years," Dr. Garcia
added. "Testing is important to determine if a person is or has
been infected - not only for yourself, but also for your family and
communities. On a global scale, I believe FluroTest could be a geo
identification solution to curb outbreaks faster, including
communicable diseases such as Dengue, Zika, MERS, TB and Malaria.
With FluroTest deployed, one could literally make this
determination in a single day instead of two or three months' time.
It literally could change the nature of how we battle these super
viruses."
"Dr. Garcia has led a storied public and private international
healthcare career, and having a recognized leader of his caliber on
board will be a tremendous asset as we head into clinical trials,"
said Bill Phelan, CEO of FluroTest.
"Joxel is an innovative thinker who understands that smart,
purpose-driven ideas can lead to monumental outcomes. We both
believe FluroTest can emerge as the mass testing platform that
helps control viral spread, reduce the burden on the healthcare
system, and facilitates greater social activity and economic
recovery."
Currently, Dr. García serves as Chairman of the Board and Chief
Medical Officer of Ambitna, as well as Chairman of the Board and
Chief Health Strategy Officer of Aegis Health Analytics. Dr. Garcia
also served as Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at American
Express global headquarters in New York
City, Executive Director of the MD Anderson Cancer
Prevention and Control Platform, and as Senior Vice President and
Senior Medical Officer at Maximus Federal Services.
Readers are cautioned that, although FluroTest has achieved
proof of concept prototype, the testing method and device is still
in the pre-approval stage and accordingly, FluroTest is not
currently making any express or implied claims that the technology
can, or will be able to, accurately detect the COVID-19 virus.
About FluroTest Diagnostic Systems
FluroTest, a first-mover in surge-scale rapid antigen testing
for the detection of SARS-CoV2 and other pathogens, is developing a
pandemic defense and economic recovery system purpose-built for
businesses and special-needs populations requiring fast and highly
accurate testing for significant numbers of people. Unlike
individual or low-throughput tests, FluroTest's system is designed
to be well-suited for high-traffic, high-risk pandemic environments
including schools and colleges, hospitals and large healthcare
facilities, athletic stadiums and performance venues, airline and
cruise ship terminals, corporate campuses, shopping centers,
manufacturing facilities, transportation and distribution hubs and
other large business and retail locations. Created to support
executive business continuity efforts, the system combines and
leverages the disciplines of robotics automation, biochemistry,
fluorescence detection and cloud computing -- processing thousands
of tests per hour while delivering accurate, digitally verifiable
results to a test taker's mobile device within 5 minutes. To learn
more, visit FluroTest.com
About FluroTech (TSXV: TEST) (OTCQB: FLURF)
The goal of FluroTech's research and technology is to develop
detection methods which are sensitive, specific and easy-to-use. By
combining FluroTech's proprietary spectroscopy-based technology
with laboratory robotics automation and cloud computing, FluroTech,
through the application of its technology and investment in
subsidiary FluroTest, has created a unique solution addressing the
current and future pandemics. Using technology that was first
developed at the University of Calgary,
the FluroTest SARS-CoV-2 test is designed to identify patients with
active virus infection; this is not necessarily the case for most
of the currently approved tests that are meant to identify patients
with SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking
Information
This news release contains "forward-looking information" within
the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking
information generally refers to information about an issuer's
business, capital, technology or operations that is prospective in
nature, and includes future-oriented financial information about
the issuer's perspective financial performance or financial
position. The forward-looking information in this news release
includes disclosure about the ability of the Company's testing
devices to accurately and quickly detect COVID-19 and to process
large numbers of samples in short time frames, the benefits of and
demand for the Company's testing devices, its efforts to obtain
approval of the FDA and Health Canada, its potential partnership
with a major U.S. based healthcare system and finalizing plans to
conduct clinical trials and its intent to amalgamate with FluroTest
Systems Ltd which owns a 95% interest in FluroTest LLC. The Company
made certain material assumptions, including but not limited to
prevailing market conditions and general business, economic,
competitive, political and social uncertainties, the ability to
obtain FDA and Health Canada approvals, the demand for its COVID-19
testing devices and their ability to perform as expected, its
potential partnership with a major U.S. based healthcare system and
finalizing plans to conduct clinical trials and its intent to
amalgamate with FluroTest Systems Ltd which owns a 95% interest in
FluroTest LLC and to obtain the regulatory approvals required
in connection with the same, to develop the forward-looking
information in this news release. There can be no assurance that
such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and
future events could differ materially from those anticipated in
such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue
reliance on forward-looking statements.
Actual results may vary from the forward-looking information in
this news release due to certain material risk factors described in
the Corporation's Annual Information Form under the heading "Risk
Factors", the failure to develop and commercialize its testing
devices in a timely manner or at all, the failure to recognize the
anticipated benefits from the devices, the failure to obtain FDA or
Health Canada approval for its products, the risk that regulatory
approvals will not be received and the risk that changing
circumstances will result in the decrease in demand for FluroTest's
products. The Company cautions that the foregoing list of material
risk factors and assumptions is not exhaustive.
The Company assumes no obligation to update or revise the
forward-looking information in this news release, unless it is
required to do so under Canadian securities legislation.
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 of this
release.
This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a
solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities. The
securities described herein have not been and will not be
registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, or the securities laws of any state and may not be offered
or sold within the United States
or to or for the benefit or account of U.S. persons, absent such
registration or an applicable exemption from such registration
requirements.
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SOURCE FluroTech Ltd.