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Bone Evaluation System Receives FDA Clearance LONG ISLAND CITY, NY -- December 3, 1997 -- The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted 510(k) market clearance to Schick Technologies, Inc.'s accuDEXA(TM) Bone Mineral Density (BMD) Assessment System, a low-cost diagnostic tool for assessing BMD in the primary care physician's office. Osteoporosis and certain other metabolic bone diseases are characterized by decreased bone mineral density. BMD may be used as one factor in conjunction with other clinical indicators to diagnose osteoporosis. Among the variety of bone density assessment techniques available, Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry (DEXA) is the most popular and is widely considered the gold standard for osteoporosis detection. DEXA devices are currently used to evaluate BMD in both axial and peripheral testing sites. These devices range in cost from $25,000 to $150,000 and require a trained technician to perform the exam. AccuDEXA utilizes DEXA technology to evaluate the phalange (finger), a proven testing site that has been used to assess bone density for over 20 years. Studies have shown that the phalange is a good predictor for hip fracture risk and for skeletal deformation due to low bone density. For use in osteoporosis diagnosis and treatment monitoring, phalangeal bone density has been shown to have the same relative percentage decrease in bone as both forearm and spinal BMD.