Biohit Oyj - Company Announcement

Biohit enhances its liquid handling business with new solution

Biohit Oyj today announced the launch of its new tool for automated liquid
handling, the Biohit Roboline, which is especially suitable for personal use in
laboratories. The new device is largely based on the innovations and technology
for electronic pipettes that Biohit has developed over the years. Biohit
Roboline can be used in handling different samples and reagents and it offers a
new solution to the growing number of safety and cost-effectiveness challenges
in laboratories. 

More efficient R&D and production processes are leading to increased liquid
handling automation in many laboratories. Industrial laboratories in particular
are seeking to move away from handheld pipettes towards computer-controlled
analysis systems and liquid handling equipment that makes use of robotics. 

The market for electronic pipettes is expected to rise by over 10 per cent per
year, while sales of mechanical pipettes will increase by an average of 5 per
cent. Electronic pipettes account for about 6 per cent of the total global
market for pipettes. A significant portion of the electronic pipettes used
worldwide have been developed by Biohit. The company expects the growth of the
market for liquid handling tools to be based in the future on the growth of the
electronic pipettes sector and the easy-to-use and reasonably priced automated
liquid handling instrument sector in particular. According to Biohit's
estimates, the market for automated liquid handling devices is already larger
than for pipettes. 

“The new instrument, including its service concept, broadens Biohit's product
and service portfolio, and opens new segments, where there haven't been similar
solutions before. Thus, the new product launch strengthens Biohit's foundation
for growth in the liquid handling business,” says Jussi Heiniö, President  &
CEO of Biohit. 

A small and compact automated pipetting tool

The small Biohit Roboline is the most compact automatic liquid handling
instrument on the market. It does not require much space and can be easily
placed on the lab desk. The easily adopted software makes the tool easy to use
and suitable for both research and in the routine operations of different types
of laboratories. The inexpensive Roboline is marketed as a personal working
tool for laboratory workers, for example. The Roboline can also be used in
automating the test evaluations of diagnostics companies. 

The Roboline enables the user to simply automate a single work stage or a whole
application. The robotic dispensing module guarantees that results are accurate
and precise without the risk of human error. The automated device is
particularly suitable for low and medium-throughput laboratories. The Roboline
can be equipped with technology that is based on the vertical photometry
innovation made by the founder of Biohit, Professor Osmo Suovaniemi. Thus, the
device is suitable for the automatic evaluation of various laboratory tests
such as Biohit's GastroPanel examination in laboratories and clinics. 

For more information about Roboline go to www.biohit.com/roboline

See also www.biohit.com/about-us/history.



Further information:

Jussi Heiniö, President and CEO
Tel: +358 (0) 9 773 861
jussi.heinio@biohit.com

Distribution:

NASDAQ OMX Helsinki Oy
Central storage facility (www.oam.fi)
Press
www.biohit.com



About Biohit Oyj:

Biohit Oyj is a globally operating Finnish biotechnology company that was
established in 1988. The company's mission is to improve human health and
quality of life. The company follows a goal-directed and long-term innovation
and patenting strategy. 

Biohit works with scientific communities to produce new technologies, products
and services based on research results and innovations that can be used to
develop safe and cost-effective liquid handling solutions for laboratory work
as well as diagnostic tests for the early detection and prevention of diseases
of the gastrointestinal tract. 

Biohit has two business segments: liquid handling and diagnostics. Liquid
handling products include electronic and mechanical pipettes, disposable tips
as well as pipette maintenance and calibration services for research
institutions, healthcare and industrial laboratories. 

The diagnostics business comprises products and analysis systems for the early
diagnosis and prevention of gastrointestinal diseases, such as the blood-sample
based GastroPanel examinations for the diagnosis of stomach illnesses and
associated risks, quick tests for the diagnosis of lactose intolerance and H.
pylori infection in connection with gastroscopy, and the ColonView examination
for the early detection of intestinal bleeding that indicates a risk of
colorectal cancer. Acetium reduces the amount of carcinogenic acetaldehyde in
an anacidic stomach. 

The Biohit Group employs around 420 people. The company is headquartered in
Helsinki, Finland, and has subsidiaries in France, Germany, the UK, Russia,
India, China, Japan and the USA. The company also has a representative office
in Singapore. Biohit's products are also sold through about 200 distributors in
70 countries. 

Since 1999, Biohit's Series B share has been quoted on NASDAQ OMX Helsinki in
the Small cap/Healthcare group and is traded under the code BIOBV. 

Read more at www.biohit.com

Attachments:

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