AVITAR and Edwards Medical Supply expand distribution agreement.

May 02, 2000

CANTON, MA, May 2, 2000 -- Avitar, Inc. (AMEX:AVR) today announced it has broadened its original distribution agreement with Edwards Medical Supply, Inc. to include the drugs of abuse testing products ORALscreen™ 4 (TCOM) and HAIRscreen™. Avitar estimates sales from this agreement could exceed $1 million annually based on initial orders received. ORALscreen is the first US patent-protected, point-of-contact oral fluid screening test, and HAIRscreen is a laboratory-based test that uses hair to examine 90-days of drug abuse history. This is the first national distribution agreement to deliver the combination of ORALscreen and HAIRscreen into the workplace.

"The synergy of ORALscreen and HAIRscreen gives us the ability to provide a comprehensive menu that satisfies both short and long-term workplace testing needs, including pre-employment and post-accident drug testing," said Peter P. Phildius, chairman and chief executive officer of Avitar. "This agreement allows Avitar to build on its initial success in the law enforcement and public safety markets, and now reach out to corporate America, our primary market. We are pleased to have Edwards Medical Supply, a leader in the corporate and occupational health areas, as our distributor."

"Avitar has established a unique and cutting-edge oral fluid technology and collection device that will have a significant and positive impact on drug testing in the workplace," said Edward C. Jarosz, President of Edwards Medical Supply. "Edwards Medical Supply is excited to offer our corporate and occupational health customers more convenience with this new oral screening device for drugs of abuse."

Edwards Medical Supply, with regional distribution centers in Bolingbrook, Illinois, and Lexington, South Carolina, is the nation’s leading provider of medical products and services to the corporate and occupational health markets. As an authorized distributor for over 500 product lines, Edwards Medical Supply is a one-stop supply source for major national corporations. Clients include the Bayer Corporation, Boeing, DaimlerChrysler, General Motors, Tyson Foods, and the Unisys Corporation.

Avitar, Inc. (AMEX:AVR) headquartered in Canton, Massachusetts, develops, manufactures and markets innovative medical devices based on core technologies in oral fluid diagnostics and customized polyurethane applications. The Company markets a unique portfolio of substance abuse testing products and services that include ORALscreen^TM, the world’s first rapid point-of-contact oral fluid test for drugs of abuse, HAIRscreen^TM, a laboratory-based test for long term drug abuse using hair, and several other specialized tests for drugs of abuse. Avitar also markets an oral fluid collection system for DNA testing as well as a proprietary line of polyurethane-based high tech medical devices. For more information, see Avitar’s website at avitarinc.com .

This release contains forward looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties, including the development and marketing of new applications and other risks that are detailed from time to time in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.