MILPITAS, Calif., Date: April 13, 1998-- The new FastTake^TM Compact Blood Glucose Monitoring System from LifeScan, a Johnson & Johnson company, is the first of its kind designed especially to fit the needs of this country's 5 million baby boomers with diabetes. With its unique, compact styling, the FastTake Meter fits naturally into the palm of the hand, requires the smallest blood drop of any meter available, and has a 15-second test time. It allows active people to test their blood glucose conveniently and discretely anywhere, anytime.

"Frequent self-monitoring is the key to controlling diabetes, but it can be challenging, particularly for busy, active people," explained Mary McEvoy, LifeScan FastTake Product Manager. "By designing a product that actually fits a person's lifestyle, we make the testing experience simpler and more convenient. This also increases the chance that people will follow their diabetes care regimen and stay as healthy as possible."

Reflecting the needs of baby boomers and other on-the-go adults, the FastTake System has a simple test procedure: 1) Insert test strip, meter turns on automatically; 2) Apply sample; and 3) Results appear on a large, easy-to-read display in just 15 seconds.

Other helpful features include: a 150-test memory with date and time to make record keeping easy; automatic 14-day averaging of test results to help spot trends in blood glucose levels; a test strip that can be touched anywhere for easy handling without fear of ruining the test result; automatic warning to check for ketones when results are between 240-600 mg/dL; and the meter’s memory can be downloaded to a personal computer running LifeScan's OneTouch™ Diabetes Management Software for detailed analysis.

The FastTake System comes at a time when more people than ever before are expected to be diagnosed with diabetes at an earlier stage. In June, 1997, the American Diabetes Association announced new, lower guidelines for diagnosing the disease and recommends screening for all adults at three year intervals beginning at age 45. The fourth leading cause of death by disease, 16 million Americans have diabetes, yet approximately 5 million remain undiagnosed. Studies have proven that maintaining blood glucose levels as close to normal as possible can prevent or delay the major complications involving the eyes, kidneys and nervous system by up to 60%. Over the next few years, the new guidelines could result in up to two million more diagnosed cases of diabetes. All of these people will have to adjust to living with diabetes -- including the need for regular blood glucose monitoring. The FastTake Blood Glucose Monitoring System comes complete with everything needed to monitor blood glucose, including test strips. Available at pharmacies nationwide, it is expected to have a retail price of approximately $65-$69. A manufacturer's rebate and trade-in allowance worth up to $65 is available -- potentially reducing the consumer’s purchase price to less than $5.

Committed to improving the quality of life for people with diabetes, LifeScan is the leading maker of blood glucose monitoring systems. The FastTake System joins LifeScan's growing consumer product family that includes: the OneTouch^® Profile^TM Diabetes Tracking System for people who are actively involved in managing their diabetes; the SureStep^® System for people new to testing or who want additional assistance with the challenges of testing; and the OneTouch^® Basic^® Meter for people who just want simple, accurate test results. LifeScan systems are recommended by more doctors, diabetes educators and pharmacists than any other brand. Every day, more than two million people with diabetes rely on LifeScan systems for simple testing and accurate results.

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