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Medical Services Receives Regulatory Approval for Its VScan Tuberculosis (TB) Rapid Test Kit

Posted on: Thursday, 22 September 2005, 09:00 CDT

EDMONTON, Alberta, Sept. 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Medical Services International Inc. is pleased to announce that it has received regulatory approval for its VScan Tuberculosis (TB) rapid test kit in India. India has one of the highest incidences of Tuberculosis (TB) in the world. The VScan test kit only detects "live" TB and as such gives NO false positives. There is no other test available for Tuberculosis (TB) that is more accurate than the VScan TB test kit. With a single drop of blood, the VScan TB rapid test kit can accurately and quickly detect the specific antibodies which the immune system produces in response to TB infection.

Tuberculosis (TB) is a highly infectious disease caused by bacteria (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) transmitted through the air contaminated with droplets released from the lungs. In 1993, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared TB a global health crisis.

Of the 2 BILLION people infected with Tuberculosis (TB), 200 MILLION worldwide will develop active TB and then be able to infect others. Eight (8) million new TB cases are diagnosed each year. Three million people die from TB every year. TB kills more adults each year than ALL other infectious diseases combined. TB is the leading killer of people infected with HIV worldwide. Published data shows that 35% of HIV patients have undiagnosed TB.

The Company feels that its VScan TB rapid test kit will have a huge impact related to early diagnosis of TB. Fast, accurate and early diagnosis of TB is the cornerstone of worldwide control and prevention. Left untreated or treated inadequately, one person with active TB will infect as many as 15 people in one year.

The Company is currently applying for approval of its VScan TB rapid test kit in 14 countries worldwide. As the test results become available the interest in the VScan TB test kit is increasing dramatically. Medical Services is receiving constant inquiries about its TB test kit. Medical Services feels that the demand for a TB rapid test kit like VScan will ultimately be greater than a rapid test kit for HIV.

Medical Services feels that sales of the VScan TB test kit will have a significant impact on its financial results for fiscal June 30, 2006 as the kit gets approval in several large markets. The VScan TB test kit is already being used in China on an experimental basis while waiting for regulatory approval.

About VScan

The VScan rapid test kit is a single use, disposable, accurate, cost effective, easy to use test for the screening of HIV 1&2, Hepatitis B&C, Tuberculosis (TB), Dengue Fever, West Nile, Syphilis, Malaria and Prostate Cancer. The kits cannot be sold in Canada.

Medical Services International Inc. trades in the United States on the NQB Pinksheets under the symbol "MSITF". For further information, please contact Robert Talbot at (780) 430 6363 or Bill Whitehead Jr. at (416) 822 5883 or http://www.medicalservicesintl.com/ or http://www.minerva-biotech.com/ .

NOTE: Certain statements in this press release are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Act of 1995. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause results to differ materially. Such risks, uncertainties and other factors include but are not limited to new economic conditions, risk in product development, market acceptance of new products and continuing product demand, level of competition and other factors described in Company reports and other filings with regulatory bodies.

Medical Services International Inc.

CONTACT: Robert Talbot, +1-780-430 6363, or Bill Whitehead Jr.,+1-416-822 5883, both of Medical Services International

Web site: http://www.minerva-biotech.com/http://www.medicalservicesintl.com/

Source: PRNewswire-FirstCall

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