Benzinga | Oct 1, 2021 06:40AM EDT

Biomerica Reports Walmart Is Now Selling Its EZ Detect Colorectal Screening Test

* Simple 2 minute at-home test detects early warning sign of colorectal cancer

IRVINE, Calif., Oct. 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Biomerica, Inc. (NASDAQ:BMRA) (the "Company") today announced that it has entered into a General Merchandise Supplier Agreement with Walmart for the sale of the Company's EZ Detect(tm) colorectal disease screening test within the Walmart retail system. The Company has now shipped its first orders of the EZ Detect(tm) product to Walmart, and beginning this week, Walmart has begun selling the product through its online sales channel ( https://www.walmart.com/ip/EZ-Detect-Colon-Disease-Test-Kit/577079744).

Biomerica is also in the final phase of working with Walmart to stock and sell the EZ Detect product on the shelf in their stores. In addition, the Company is in negotiations with several large partners for distribution of the EZ Detect(tm) product in Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

The EZ Detect(tm) colon disease screening test is the simplest at-home test to detect occult (hidden) blood in a person's stool, which can be an early warning sign of colorectal diseases, including colon and rectal cancers. The test does not require handling of stool or dietary restrictions. A person simply places an EZ Detect(tm) test pad into the toilet after a bowel movement. A change in the pad's color to blue/green, which would appear within two minutes, indicates the presence of blood in the stool. The pad is then simply flushed down the toilet.

Colorectal cancer ("CRC") is the second most common cause of cancer death in the United States. In 2020, an estimated 147,950 individuals would be diagnosed with CRC and an estimated 53,200 would die from the disease, including 17,930 cases and 3,640 deaths in individuals under the age of 50 [1].

In a study performed by Johns Hopkins University, EZ Detect(tm) was preferred 10:1 by patients over another fecal occult blood test. Published studies have also indicated that the best colorectal screening test is "the one that gets done." [2] Other colorectal screening tests require handling of the stool and delivering or mailing the stool sample to a lab for processing. Handling of the stool results in a high percentage of these competing tests never being performed by patients[3]. EZ Detect(tm) does not require handling of the stool, is simple to perform and provides results in just two minutes.

"With the current COVID-19 pandemic, consumers have become much more aware of at-home diagnostic testing and are more comfortable performing these tests. For this reason, many global retailers are expanding their focus on selling home health solutions. This growing trend presents many opportunities for our EZ Detect(tm) colorectal disease test, our Aware(tm) breast self-exam product and other products that we make for in-home use. While there are other choices for colorectal disease screening, EZ Detect(tm) offers the only alternative that doesn't require handling of the stool, making our test more appealing and easier to conduct from the consumer perspective. In addition, the agreement for online sales of EZ Detect with Walmart could bring significant exposure to the product here in the US," commented Zack Irani, CEO of Biomerica.

For further information about the EZ Detect Product, please visit ezdetect.com.