MDY Mdy Healthcare

RNS Number:5285X
Medisys PLC
19 January 2001

                           Medisys PLC
                   ("Medisys" or "the Group")

                      FUTURA SAFETY SYRINGE
                                
    Alliance Medical Selected as Second Distribution Partner
                                
                   Update on Launch Programme
                                
Medisys  is  pleased  to  announce the  appointment  of  Alliance
Medical  Inc. ("Alliance") as its second US distribution  partner
for  the Futura safety syringe.  Alliance will provide sales  and
service  personnel to effect implementation of the safety syringe
mandate,  conversion management and in-service training  for  the
Futura  syringe.   This latest appointment follows  the  recently
announced   distribution  partnership   with   McKessonHBOC   and
underlines  the  Group's  commitment  to  achieving  the   widest
possible market penetration for the product.

Alliance is a leading distributor of medical products in  the  US
market, serving the acute care and alternate care sectors through
a  nationwide network of regional distributors, including a field
sales force of approximately 100 representatives.

Under  the  terms of the appointment, Alliance will distribute  a
range  of  Futura's medical safety products.  These will  include
the   Futura  safety  syringe  as  a  core  product,  the  Futura
needleless connector, safety scalpels and safety lancets as  part
of  a healthcare worker safety initiative.  Alliance's sales  and
service  commitments  will  extend to conversion  management  and
training of the healthcare end user to facilitate rapid migration
to the Futura safety syringe.

Dick  Jones, Chairman of Alliance Medical, said: "We are  pleased
to   be   partnering  Medisys  in  this  medical  safety  product
initiative.   We  believe  the Futura  syringe  will  enable  our
healthcare customers to address the problem of needlestick injury
in the most cost effective fashion and enable them to comply with
federal legislation within their budgetary constraints."

The  Futura needleless connector - which eliminates the  risk  of
needlestick injury by enabling a syringe to be attached to an  IV
fluid  line  without the need for a needle - will be manufactured
by   Medical   Profiles  Inc.  ("MPI"),  the  Group's  specialist
manufacturer of high precision plastic components.

The  Futura  safety  syringe  is  an  innovative  safety  syringe
featuring   an   elastomer  based  retraction   function,   which
automatically  and  passively  retracts  the  needle  upon   full
delivery  of medication, thereby reducing the risk of needlestick
injury.  The  Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act, signed  into
law  in  November 2000, requires all US healthcare  providers  to
evaluate  and  use medical devices with engineered sharps  injury
protection.    The  legislation  is  expected  to   significantly
increase demand for safety devices.

As  previously announced, the Futura safety syringe  is  due  for
market  launch in the US during the first half of 2001.   Medisys
is  working with Nypro, McKessonHBOC and Alliance to complete the
scale-up  of manufacturing and the launch programme.  The  launch
will  commence, no later than 30 June 2001, with distribution  of
product  by  way  of  samples to purchasing  groups  and  opinion
leaders at key teaching hospitals.  As demand for the product  is
built, it is envisaged that this will be followed by shipments of
higher commercial volumes of product by the end of 2001.

Following  the recent announcements regarding the appointment  of
McKessonHBOC  as  US distribution partner, the signature  of  the
manufacturing  agreement with Nypro Inc. the acquisition  of  the
diagnostics  business of MEDgenesis Inc. and the  appointment  of
Alliance,  Medisys is meeting financial analysts  who  cover  the
company to update them on the impact of these developments.

David  Wong,  Medisys Chief Executive Officer,  commented:  "This
partnership  with  Alliance Medical is  the  second  distribution
alliance  we  have  concluded with a  major  US  distributor  and
underlines  our  commitment to establishing the  widest  possible
distribution  infrastructure for the Futura safety syringe.   The
Alliance  network augments and complements that of McKesson,  our
first  distribution  partner. We are  confident  that,  with  the
support of our world-class partners, we will achieve a successful
launch  of  the  Futura  syringe and capture  significant  market
share."


Enquiries:

Medisys  PLC                                        020 7563 5200
Michael Barry, Chief Financial Officer

Square  Mile  BSMG                                  020 7601 1000
Kevin Smith/Becky Jewers

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