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Beckman Coulter Introduces Hemoccult ICT for Colorectal Cancer Screening
The New, Highly Sensitive Immunochemical Fecal Occult Blood Test Requires No Drug or Dietary Restrictions

Fullerton,Calif. (August 15, 2005) – Beckman Coulter, Inc. (NYSE: BEC) today introduced Hemoccult® ICT, an immunochemical fecal occult blood test (iFOBT) used for detecting fecal occult blood as an aid in colorectal cancer screening.  The latest addition to Beckman Coulter's market-leading Hemoccult product family, Hemoccult ICT offers higher clinical sensitivity than traditional, guaiac-based tests, without compromising specificity for lower gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding.  The test requires no drug or dietary restrictions.

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer related deaths in the United States, with approximately 148,000 new cases identified and more than 58,000 deaths attributed to the disease each year.  The American Cancer Society (ACS) recommends regular colorectal cancer screening for persons past the age of 50 and for those at average risk of developing colorectal cancer.  According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, there will be more than 80 million Americans over age 50 by the year 2005; however, according to a study in the December 2004 edition of the Annals of Internal Medicine, more than half of these people have not been screened for colorectal cancer.

"Hemoccult ICT is a simple, safe and affordable, non-invasive test that can assist in the early detection of colorectal cancer.  This type of test is critical in helping physicians determine whether further diagnostic tests, including diagnostic colonoscopy, are required," said Peter Heseltine, M.D., corporate medical director for Beckman Coulter.  "Early detection not only reduces health care costs associated with finding colon cancer at a more advanced stage, it is key to saving the lives that may otherwise be lost to this highly treatable disease."

Hemoccult ICT uses the three-day, six-sample testing method, scientifically proven to increase the odds of identifying hidden blood in the stool sample.  The test employs antibodies that detect the globin portion of human hemoglobin, which is specific to lower-GI bleeding (colon and/or rectum) and can be an early indicator of colon cancer or other gastrointestinal disease.  Unlike a guaiac-based test, Hemoccult ICT will not pick up bleeding from other sources, such as a bleeding ulcer, which can result in unnecessary, invasive follow-up procedures.  In addition, the test does not require diet or medication restrictions, which in the past have hindered patient compliance with testing protocol.

Hemoccult ICT is available now and can be requested by patients through their physician. 

About Beckman Coulter Inc.
Beckman Coulter Inc. is a leading manufacturer of biomedical testing instrument systems, tests and supplies that simplify and automate laboratory processes.  Spanning the biomedical testing continuum — from pioneering medical research and clinical trials to laboratory diagnostics and point-of-care testing — Beckman Coulter's 200,000 installed systems provide essential biomedical information to enhance health care around the world.  The company, based in Fullerton, Calif., reported 2004 annual sales of $2.4 billion with 64 percent of this amount generated by recurring revenue from supplies, test kits and services.

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