CINCINNATI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun. 3, 2009-- Meridian Bioscience, Inc. (NASDAQ: VIVO) today announced that it has received FDA clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a new rapid test for Campylobacter, ImmunoCard STAT!^® CAMPY. This new test provides fast and accurate detection of Campylobacter bacteria, one of the most common causes of diarrheal illness and the most common bacterial cause of foodborne illness in the United States. Approximately 20 million stool culture tests are conducted each year in the U.S. to detect the illness, known as Campylobacteriosis. Campylobacter is most often transmitted by poorly cooked poultry or person-to-person contact.

There is a real need for the ImmunoCard STAT!^® CAMPY because of its simplified, easy to perform procedure that provides patient results in 20 minutes. In addition, ImmunoCard STAT!^® CAMPY provides a solution to several concerns associated with culture testing, currently the most commonly practiced lab technique for detecting the Campylobacter bacteria. With culture, there is a potential for reduction in sensitivity due to variable culturing procedures, specimen viability, and inhibitory antibiotics in culture media. ImmunoCard STAT!^® CAMPY dramatically reduces these concerns with a consistent method that measures the bacterial antigen instead of measuring the viability of this fragile bacteria in an environment that is less inhibitory than current culturing procedures.

John A. Kraeutler, Chief Executive Officer, stated, “ImmunoCard STAT!^® CAMPY is a significant addition to our foodborne category because it provides laboratories with a rapid, accurate and easy to perform platform for the detection of Campylobacter. This innovative assay, along with Meridian's Premier™ CAMPY and toxigenic E. coli tests, demonstrates Meridian’s emerging leadership in foodborne testing. ImmunoCard STAT!^® CAMPY is already in distribution by Meridian Bioscience Europe for the Company’s European markets and was also recently approved for sale in Canada.”

Meridian is a fully integrated life science company that manufactures, markets and distributes a broad range of innovative diagnostic test kits, purified reagents and related products and offers biopharmaceutical enabling technologies. Utilizing a variety of methods, these products and diagnostic tests provide accuracy, simplicity and speed in the early diagnosis and treatment of common medical conditions, such as gastrointestinal, viral and respiratory infections. Meridian’s diagnostic products are used outside of the human body and require little or no special equipment. The Company's products are designed to enhance patient well-being while reducing the total outcome costs of healthcare. Meridian has strong market positions in the areas of gastrointestinal and upper respiratory infections, serology, parasitology and fungal disease diagnosis. In addition, Meridian is a supplier of rare reagents, specialty biologicals and related technologies used by biopharmaceutical companies engaged in research for new drugs and vaccines. The Company markets its products and technologies to hospitals, reference laboratories, research centers, veterinary testing centers, physician offices, diagnostics manufacturers and biotech companies in more than 60 countries around the world. The Company’s shares are traded through NASDAQ’s Global Select Market, symbol VIVO. Meridian's website address is www.meridianbioscience.com.

Source: Meridian Bioscience, Inc.

Meridian Bioscience, Inc.
John A. Kraeutler, Chief Executive Officer, 513-271-3700