Avitar Launches New Topical Wound Dressing, HYDRASORB Plus(TM)

Added product features open additional market opportunities

May 15, 2002

CANTON, Mass., May 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/-- Avitar, Inc. (Amex: - ) today announced that in conjunction with Kendall, a unit of Tyco Healthcare, the Company has launched HYDRASORB(TM) Plus, an advanced hydrophilic, polyurethane wound dressing product.

Avitar developed HYDRASORB(TM) Plus absorbent dressings for use on moderate to heavily exudating wounds. HYDRASORB(TM) Plus encompasses an occlusive film that allows longer patient weartime, thus providing added protection. These features of the new HYDRASORB(TM) Plus wound dressing make it potentially applicable beyond the core HYDRASORB(TM) dressing markets.

Randy Rossi, President of Kendall's Patient Care Division, stated, "Avitar has been an important supplier to us. We are very pleased with the performance of the HYDRASORB(TM) dressings and its revenue contributions since we began offering it to the market. The HYDRASORB(TM) Plus dressings expand our product offering, helping to further meet the needs of our customers."

Peter P. Phildius, Avitar's Chairman and CEO commented, "We are excited about the launch of our new HYDRASORB(TM) Plus product. Based on the performance of our HYDRASORB(TM) dressings since joining forces with Kendall, we are very enthusiastic about the opportunity for expanding our wound dressing business. We see the HYDRASORB(TM) Plus dressings as a logical next step in the evolution of our polyurethane wound dressing product offering."

ABOUT AVITAR

Avitar, Inc. develops, manufactures and markets innovative and proprietary products in the oral fluid diagnostic market, disease and clinical testing market, and customized polyurethane applications used in the wound dressing industry. Oral fluid diagnostics includes the estimated $1.5 billion drugs-of- abuse testing market, which encompasses the corporate workplace and criminal justice markets. Avitar's products include ORALscreen(TM), the world's first non-invasive, rapid, onsite oral fluid test for drugs-of-abuse, and HAIRscreen(TM), a laboratory-based hair test for detecting long-term drug abuse. Additionally, Avitar manufactures and markets HYDRASORB(TM), an absorbent topical dressing for moderate to heavy exudating wounds. In the estimated $25 billion in vitro diagnostics market, Avitar is developing diagnostic strategies for disease and clinical testing. Some examples include influenza, diabetes and pregnancy. For more information, see Avitar's website at avitarinc.com.

Safe Harbor Statement. 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. In view of such risks and uncertainties, the Company's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward looking statements.