SUNNYVALE, Calif., Oct. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Biocircuits Corporation
(Nasdaq: BIOC) announced today the signing of a sales, marketing and
manufacturing agreement with Becton Dickinson and Company, the worldwide
manufacturer of medical supplies, devices and diagnostic systems,
headquartered in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey.
    The agreement grants Becton Dickinson worldwide exclusive sales and
marketing rights for the IOS(R) system, all cartridges currently available to
be performed on the system, and all future tests to be developed for the
system.  Becton Dickinson plans to begin manufacturing the IOS instrument as
of January 1, 1998.
    Under the terms of the agreement, Biocircuits Corporation will continue to
develop and manufacture new test cartridges for the IOS instrument, and will
retain manufacturing responsibility for all test cartridges.  Becton Dickinson
will formally assume sales and marketing responsibilities through its
Microbiology Systems division in Sparks, Maryland.
    "Teaming up with a much larger sales organization and a company that has a
long standing and substantial position in the market should accelerate market
penetration much faster than we would be able to accomplish on our own," said
John Kaiser, President and CEO of Biocircuits.  He further stated that,
"Becton Dickinson will be able to take the system into international markets
more effectively than we could do ourselves."
    According to Vincent A. Forlenza, President of Becton Dickinson Worldwide
Microbiology Systems, an operating unit of Becton Dickinson and Company, "We
anticipate excellent sales synergy with the IOS system and our portfolio of
immunoassay systems and primary care products."  Zeke Komjathy, Director of
Marketing and New Business Development for Worldwide Point of Care Testing,
states, "IOS perfectly complements our QBC(R) hematology and Affirm(R) VP DNA
Probe point-of-care physician office laboratory systems; and we are excited
about adding IOS to our product offering."
    The IOS system is the first immunoassay system developed expressly for use
in physician offices or other small laboratories.  The system is low cost, and
easy to use, making it the first economically advantageous system for testing
for analytes such as hormones, infectious disease, drugs and cancer markers in
the physician offices.  Currently, all but the very large practices must send
these tests out to laboratories for processing.
    Actual results may differ materially from the above forward-looking
statements due to a number of important factors, and will be dependent upon
Becton Dickinson successfully manufacturing the IOS instrument and marketing
the existing and proposed products, as well as the timely development and
regulatory approval of additional products by Biocircuits.  Additional risk
factors are more fully discussed in the Company's most recent reports on Form
10-K and the Company's resale Registration Statement No. 333-26079.
    NOTE:  IOS is a trademark of Biocircuits Corporation.  Affirm and QBC are
trademarks of Becton Dickinson and Company.  September 1997.

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