Microbix Announces Quality Products Distribution Agreement

Oneworld Accuracy as a Non-Exclusive Distributor for Africa and Other Territories

MISSISSAUGA, Ontario, Feb. 16, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Microbix Biosystems Inc. (TSX: MBX, OTCQB: MBXBF, Microbix), a life sciences innovator and exporter, announces an agreement (Agreement) with Oneworld Accuracy Inc. (1WA) to distribute Microbix’s Quality Assessment Products (QAPs) on a non-exclusive basis across the continent of Africa, in Canada, and in the United States.

Under the Agreement, 1WA will provide physical distribution, sales and marketing, and technical support for Microbix’s growing range of QAPs, notably its ONBOARDx, PROCEEDx, PROCEEDxFLOQ, REDx Controls, and REDxFLOQ brands. Such Microbix QAPs support process accuracy of tests for bacterial and viral diseases by emulating patient samples while being consistent, non-infectious, stable, and compatible across multiple test-instrument platforms. Most notably, Microbix QAPs are helping to support the accuracy both RT-PCR (molecular) and Antigen-based tests for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the cause of the COVID-19 pandemic. At present, there are over 60 Microbix QAPs SKUs, of which ten are fully licensed/registered for use to support test workflows at clinical laboratories (i.e., IVD-labeled).

1WA is based in Vancouver, B.C., Canada and provides over 200 accredited external quality assessment (EQA) programs to over 60 different countries’ governments (www.1wa.org).

The Agreement builds upon the collaboration between Microbix and 1WA to create a global EQA program to provide proficiency testing & accreditation of clinical laboratories conducting COVID-19 testing. That collaboration was announced in April, 2020 and has since enrolled over 200 clinical laboratories in two dozen countries in Africa, the Americas and the Caribbean. The Agreement provides for 1WA to begin selling Microbix’s full range of QAPs to its many clinical lab customers, rather than buying only for itself.

Cameron Groome, CEO & President of Microbix, remarked, “We’re pleased to expand our successful work with 1WA by having them become a distributor of Microbix’s full range of QAPs. The relationships that 1WA has built with governments in Africa and elsewhere will help to ensure that many more countries gain access to Microbix’s innovative and effective test workflow-support products, including, but not limited to, those relating to the COVID-19 pandemic. We thank Daniel and the 1WA team for their continuing support of global public health authorities and Microbix.”