DP Diagnostic Products

Diagnostic Products Corporation (NYSE:DP) announced today the release outside the US of its assay for N-terminal prohormone brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP). NT-proBNP is a diagnostic marker of congestive heart failure (CHF) and is a prognostic marker of CHF and acute coronary syndromes (ACS). The assay has received CE approval for sale in the EU and is available immediately on DPC's IMMULITE(R) 2000 and IMMULITE(R) 2500 immunoassay systems. "We are extremely pleased to offer our customers a new assay for NT-proBNP, one of today's most important cardiac biomarkers," said Michael Ziering, DPC CEO. "Labs using the IMMULITE 2500 can now return 15-minute results for NT-proBNP as well as for the other STAT cardiac assays we offer--troponin I, CK-MB and myoglobin--without splitting samples. The lab's productivity benefits by performing STATs along with our extensive menu of routine, esoteric and allergy immunoassays on the same system." More than 22 million people worldwide are afflicted with heart failure. In the US, it is the most costly cardiovascular disease and the only cardiovascular condition whose prevalence continues to rise. The symptoms of CHF resemble those of other conditions, making CHF difficult to diagnose. NT-proBNP is helpful for differentiating CHF from other conditions. B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) is released from the left ventricle when the heart cannot pump blood efficiently. It improves cardiac function by dilating blood vessels and inducing the loss of water and sodium to reduce the fluid burden on the heart. When BNP is cleaved from the precursor molecule proBNP, NT-proBNP is released. NT-proBNP and BNP levels offer similar information but NT-proBNP has the advantage of greater stability in patient samples. About Diagnostic Products Corporation Diagnostic Products Corporation, founded in 1971, is a global leader dedicated to immunodiagnostics. DPC's product menu includes over 75 immunoassays and more than 375 specific allergens and allergy panels. In addition, DPC addresses the chemistry and laboratory automation testing needs of its customers through partnerships with manufacturers of chemistry systems and reagents. The combined chemistry and immunoassay menu is one of the largest and most diversified available, covering most laboratory tests requested. DPC also designs and manufactures automated laboratory instrumentation, which provides fast, accurate results while reducing labor and reagent costs. DPC sells its products to hospitals, clinics and laboratories in more than 100 countries. Additional Company information can be found on DPC's website at www.dpcweb.com. Except for the historical information contained herein, this press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. These factors include governmental or other action relating to the Company's Chinese affiliate; the rate of customer demand for the Company's products; the Company's ability to successfully market new and existing products; its dependence on certain suppliers; domestic and foreign government regulation; its ability to keep abreast of technological innovations and to translate them into new products; competition; political and economic instability in certain markets including the movements of foreign currencies relative to the dollar; and other risks and uncertainties disclosed from time to time in the Company's SEC reports and filings.