OraSure Announces Rule 10b5-1 Sales Plans

BETHLEHEM, Pa.--(BW HealthWire)--Aug. 7, 2001--OraSure Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq:OSUR) today announced that several executive officers of the Company have entered into predetermined sales plans for the purpose of selling limited amounts of their Company stock holdings.

The plans, which were entered into pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, will enable these officers to diversify a small portion of their stockholdings in OraSure Technologies, minimize the market effect of the sales by spreading them over a more extended period than the typical trading "window" after the release of earnings information, and avoid being prohibited from trading when the officers are otherwise in possession of material non-public information or subject to a trading blackout.

Participating officers include Robert D. Thompson, Chief Executive Officer, Mike Gausling, President and Chief Operating Officer, Dr. Sam Niedbala, Executive Vice President and Chief Science Officer, and William Hinchey, Senior Vice President, Marketing.

These officers currently hold an aggregate of approximately 6.7 million shares of OraSure Technologies' common stock, including shares available through currently exercisable stock options. Pursuant to the sales plans, a total of 600,000 shares are expected to be sold during the next twelve months, or approximately 8.9% of the aggregate holdings of all four officers.

Messrs. Gausling and Hinchey and Dr. Niedbala also recently entered into block trades pursuant to which an additional 300,000 shares of OraSure common stock was sold. These trades occurred outside of the Rule 10b5-1 sales plans. Other than sales planned under the Rule 10b5-1 plans, no additional sales by these officers are currently expected over the next twelve months.

"These sales should not be construed by our stockholders as a negative indication of what the selling officers believe is the future value of the Company. The executive officers participating in the sales plans are taking the opportunity to diversify their personal financial portfolios by selling limited amounts of their holdings in as predictable and non-disruptive a way as possible. We believe the public disclosure of the sales plans and recent block trades is an open and honest way to communicate these actions to our stockholders," said Mr. Thompson.

Rule 10b5-1 permits employees to adopt written sales plans at a time when they are not in possession of material non-public information and to arrange in advance to sell shares according to the plan on a regular basis (for example, weekly, monthly, or quarterly) at or above a predetermined sales price, regardless of any subsequent material, non-public information they may receive.

About OraSure

OraSure Technologies, Inc. develops, manufactures and markets medical devices and diagnostic products for use by public- and private-sector clients, clinical laboratories, physicians' offices, and workplace testing.

OraSure Technologies is the leading supplier of oral fluid collection devices and assays to the life insurance industry and public health markets for the detection of antibodies to HIV. In addition, the Company supplies oral fluid testing solutions for drugs of abuse testing. For more information on the Company, please visit www.orasure.com.

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements, including with respect to the sale of OraSure Technologies' common stock. Actual results could be significantly different.

Factors that could affect results include the Company's future financial performance, market disruptions, insufficient trading volumes, failure of the Company's stock to trade at sufficiently high market values, legal, regulatory or contractual restrictions, certain transactions involving the exchange or conversion of the Company's common stock, and the public offering of securities by OraSure Technologies.

Other factors that may affect these statements and the Company's future financial performance are discussed more fully in the Securities and Exchange Commission filings of OraSure Technologies, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2000.

Although forward-looking statements help to provide complete information about future events, readers should keep in mind that forward-looking statements may not be reliable. The forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release and OraSure Technologies undertakes no duty to update these statements.

www.orasure.com

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