[LOGO] OraSure Technologies, Inc.
       diagnostic solutions for the new millennium

                                                                    Exhibit 99.1
Investor Contact:

Ronald H. Spair
Chief Financial Officer
610-882-1820
Investorinfo@orasure.com
www.orasure.com

Media Contact:

William Bruckner
Vice President, Strategic Marketing
610-882-1820
wbruckner@orasure.com

                         ORASURE APPLIES FOR CLIA WAIVER
                    ON ORAQUICK(R) RAPID HIV-1 ANTIBODY TEST

BETHLEHEM, PA - January 31, 2003 - OraSure Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq NM:OSUR),
the market leader in oral fluid diagnostics, announced today that it has
submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) an application for a
waiver under the Clinical Laboratory Improvements Amendments of 1988 (CLIA) for
its OraQuick(R) Rapid HIV-1 Antibody Test. With an approved CLIA waiver, the
OraQuick(R) test, which provides HIV-1 test results in just 20 minutes, would be
available for use by sites in the United States that are CLIA-waived, including
outreach clinics, community-based organizations and physicians' offices.

On November 7, 2002, the Company received FDA approval to manufacture and market
the OraQuick(R) test in the United States for the detection of HIV-1 antibodies
in finger-stick whole blood samples. Under that approval, the test is
categorized as moderately complex and was restricted to use only in the nearly
40,000 laboratories in the United States certified under CLIA to perform
moderately complex diagnostic tests. At the time of the approval, United States
Health and Human Services Secretary, Tommy G. Thompson, strongly urged OraSure
to submit an application for a CLIA waiver in order to expand the potential use
of the test.

"We are very pleased to be able to quickly respond to Secretary Thompson's
request and submit our application for a CLIA waiver for our OraQuick(R) Rapid
HIV-1 Antibody Test," said Mike Gausling, Chief Executive Officer of OraSure
Technologies. "I believe the study results in our application strongly support a
CLIA waiver, and we look forward to working with the FDA once again as they
review our submission."

The OraQuick(R) test has a sensitivity of 99.6% and specificity of 100% based on
clinical studies performed by OraSure in support of its FDA approval.
Sensitivity is a measure of the accuracy for detecting positive specimens, and
specificity is a measure of the accuracy for identifying negative specimens.

                                     -more-



About OraSure Technologies

OraSure Technologies develops, manufactures and markets oral fluid specimen
collection devices using proprietary oral fluid technologies and diagnostic
products, including immunoassays and other in vitro diagnostic tests and other
medical devices. These products are sold in the United States and certain
foreign countries to government agencies, clinical laboratories, physicians'
offices, hospitals, commercial and industrial entities, and various
distributors.

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-1. In addition, the Company supplies oral-fluid
testing solutions for drugs of abuse testing. For more information on the
Company, please go to www.orasure.com.

Important Information

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements, including with
respect to sales, markets and products. Actual results could be significantly
different. Factors that could affect results include the ability to market
products; impact of competitors, competing products and technology changes;
ability to develop, commercialize and market new products; market acceptance of
oral fluid testing or other products; ability to fund research and development
and other projects and operations; ability to obtain and timing of obtaining
necessary regulatory approvals; ability to develop product distribution
channels; uncertainty relating to patent protection and potential patent
infringement claims; ability to enter into international manufacturing
agreements; obstacles to international marketing and manufacturing of products;
ability to sell products internationally; loss or impairment of sources of
capital; exposure to product liability and other types of litigation; changes in
international, federal or state laws and regulations; changes in relationships
with strategic partners and reliance on strategic partners for the performance
of critical activities under collaborative arrangements; changes in accounting
practices or interpretation of accounting requirements; customer inventory
practices and consolidations; equipment failures and ability to obtain needed
raw materials and components; the impact of terrorism and civil unrest; and
general business, political and economic conditions. These and other factors are
discussed more fully in the Securities and Exchange Commission filings of
OraSure Technologies, including its registration statements, its Annual Report
on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2001, and its most recent Quarterly
Report on Form 10-Q. Although forward-looking statements help to provide
complete information about future prospects, 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.

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