OPKO Health Receives Core Technology U.S. Patent Allowance

MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- OPKO Health, Inc. (NYSE:OPK) today announced the receipt of a patent allowance from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for the patent application titled “Structures for Controlling Light Interaction with Microfluidic Devices”.

These allowed claims cover devices incorporating microchannels and integrated optical features adapted to ensure reliable and sensitive optical analysis in microfluidics. The process of performing accurate optical measurements in microfluidic systems can be very challenging, often requiring expensive optics with delicate alignment and calibration. The invention described in this patent addresses these challenges by integrating three-dimensional optical alignment within the fluidics. As a result, OPKO’s inexpensive disposable microfluidic cassettes incorporating this technology can be easily analyzed utilizing simple optics. Such optics can be provided in a low-cost, low-power analyzer as small as a cell phone and operated in any environment. No expensive alignment features or techniques are required, enabling such a system to be operated by anyone. This technology can be used in conjunction with the OPKO suite of technologies for point-of-care diagnostics.

“This is yet another of the technologies we have developed to make high-performance clinical assays robust and easy to use at the point-of-care. This technology will enable us to make existing lab tests available for use anywhere and rapidly accelerate the adoption of new tests,” said Phillip Frost, M.D., OPKO’s Chairman and CEO.

About OPKO Health, Inc.

OPKO is a multi-national biopharmaceutical and diagnostics company that seeks to establish industry-leading positions in large and rapidly growing medical markets by leveraging its discovery, development and commercialization expertise and novel and proprietary technologies.

This press release contains "forward-looking statements," as that term is defined under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (PSLRA), which statements may be identified by words such as "expects," "plans," "projects," "will," "may," "anticipates," "believes," "should," "intends," "estimates," and other words of similar meaning, including statements regarding the potential benefits of OPKO’s diagnostic technology, whether a patent for OPKO’s technology will issue based on the notice of allowance, whether the technology will provide the expected benefits, including the ability of the technology to enable easy analysis utilizing simple optics in a low-cost, low-power analyzer in any environment, whether expensive alignment features or techniques will be required, our ability to successfully develop tests utilizing the technology and to differentiate our product from those of competitors, and the suitability and ease of use of our product for the point-of care markets, as well as other non-historical statements about our expectations, beliefs or intentions regarding our business, technologies and products, financial condition, strategies or prospects.

Many factors could cause our actual activities or results to differ materially from the activities and results anticipated in forward-looking statements. These factors include those described in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and risks inherent in funding, developing and obtaining regulatory approvals of new, commercially-viable and competitive products and treatments. In addition, forward-looking statements may also be adversely affected by general market factors, competitive product development, product availability, federal and state regulations and legislation, the regulatory process for new products and indications, manufacturing issues that may arise, patent positions and litigation, among other factors. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date the statements were made, and we do not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements. We intend that all forward-looking statements be subject to the safe-harbor provisions of the PSLRA.

OPKO Health, Inc.
Steve Rubin, 305-575-4100

Source: OPKO Health, Inc.

Released May 31, 2012