Former US Assistant Secretary for Health, Admiral Joxel Garcia, MD, Joins Flurotest Advisory Board to Support COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Testing System for the Masses
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 /PRNewswire/ - 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.
SOURCE FluroTech Ltd.
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