| CONTACTS: |
César García,
President and Chief Executive Officer |
|
818-709-1244 x 7123
|
|
-or-
|
|
Ron Stabiner, The Wall Street Group, Inc. |
|
212-888-4848 |
CHATSWORTH, Calif., Jun 28, 2007 - IRIS International, Inc. (NASDAQ GM: IRIS)
today announced that the Iris Diagnostics Business Unit has received a 2007 Purchasing Partners' Supplier Performance Award from Premier Purchasing Partners, L.P., the nation's largest healthcare
Group Purchasing Organization (GPO), for outstanding performance in quality and compliance as a contracted Premier supplier.
The award is given to companies that have demonstrated outstanding quality improvement with Premier. There were 40 award winners out of 720 eligible Suppliers, representing
an elite group of only 6%.
"We thank Premier for this award, and we commend the management and staff of the Iris Diagnostics Business Unit, whose award this is, and who continue to work tirelessly
to ensure that IRIS is a good business partner with Premier," stated IRIS President and Chief Executive Officer César M. García. "It is this partnership that ultimately leads to our part
in helping Premier Members improve their financial performance, and the quality of care they deliver, through our market leading iQ® and iChem™ products and services for urinalysis
testing."
The Supplier Performance Award was presented to Iris Diagnostics at an Awards Ceremony honoring award recipients on the evening of Tuesday, June 19, 2007, as part of
Premier's 2007 Annual Breakthroughs Conference and Exhibition, held through June 22, 2007 at the Swan and Dolphin Hotels in Orlando, Fla.
ABOUT PREMIER, 2006 MALCOLM BALDRIGE NATIONAL QUALITY AWARD RECIPIENT
Serving 1,700 hospitals and more than 44,000 other healthcare sites, Premier Inc. is the largest healthcare alliance in the United States dedicated to improving patient
outcomes while safely reducing the cost of care. Owned by not-for-profit hospitals, Premier operates the nation's largest healthcare purchasing network, the most comprehensive repository of hospital
clinical and financial information and one of the largest policy-holder owned, hospital professional liability risk-retention groups in healthcare. Headquartered in San Diego, Premier has offices in
Charlotte, N.C. and Washington. For more information, visit www.premierinc.com.
THE COMPANY
IRIS International, Inc. (www.proiris.com), based in Chatsworth, Calif., is a leading developer, manufacturer, and marketer of
medical devices, diagnostic systems and consumables. The Iris Diagnostics Division (www.irisdiagnostics.com) is a leader in automated
urinalysis technology with systems in major medical institutions throughout the world. The Company's Sample Processing business unit (formerly the StatSpin® subsidiary)
(www.statspin.com), based in Westwood, Mass., manufactures innovative centrifuges and blood analysis products. The Iris Molecular Diagnostics
(IMD) Subsidiary, based in San Diego, Calif., develops innovative ultra-sensitive diagnostics and sample processing products with applications in the urinalysis, oncology and infectious disease markets.
SAFE HARBOR PROVISION
This news release contains forward-looking statements made in reliance upon the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking
statements include, but are not limited to, the Company's views on future financial performance, market growth, capital requirements, new product introductions and acquisitions, and are generally
identified by phrases such as "thinks," "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "expects," "intends," "plans," and similar words.
Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are inherently subject to uncertainties and other factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from the
forward-looking statement. These statements are based upon, among other things, assumptions made by, and information currently available to management, including management's own knowledge and
assessment of the Company's industry, R&D initiatives, competition and capital requirements. Other factors and uncertainties that could affect the Company's forward-looking statements include,
among other things, the following: identification of feasible new product initiatives, management of R&D efforts and the resulting successful development of new products and product platforms;
acceptance by customers of the Company's products; integration of acquired businesses; substantial expansion of international sales; reliance on key suppliers; the potential need for changes in
long-term strategy in response to future developments; future advances in diagnostic testing methods and procedures; potential changes in government regulations and healthcare policies, both of which
could adversely affect the economics of the diagnostic testing procedures automated by the Company's products; rapid technological change in the microelectronics and software industries; and
competitive factors, including pricing pressures and the introduction by others of new products with similar or better functionality than our products. These and other risks are more fully described in
the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Company's most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, which should be read
in conjunction herewith for a further discussion of important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation
to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
