Oct. 26, 2009 (PR Newswire) -- ATLANTA, Oct. 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --

--  Collaboration will help tobacco users nationwide access evidence-based
tobacco cessation services
--  American Cancer Society's Quitline® service to be combined with Free &
Clear's commercially offered Quit for Life® Program

--  Combination of services to provide a single best-in-class,
telephone-based coaching and Web-based learning support service

Alere®, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Inverness Medical Innovations, Inc. (NYSE: IMA) announced a strategic business collaboration that will combine the strength of recently acquired Free & Clear, Inc., the industry leader in tobacco cessation coaching, with the extraordinary brand recognition of the American Cancer Society. The collaboration will more efficiently and effectively help tobacco users nationwide access evidence-based tobacco cessation services. The combination of the former American Cancer Society Quitline service with Free & Clear's commercially offered Quit for Life Program will provide a single best-in-class, telephone-based coaching and Web-based learning support service to tobacco users who want to quit.

The organizations will co-brand and jointly promote tobacco cessation services by offering the Quit for Life Program to tobacco users through employers, health plans and state public health agencies. Under the terms of the collaboration, Free & Clear will apply 25 years of industry leading operational expertise and clinical experience to handle all cessation service delivery, promotional support, account management and reporting. The American Cancer Society will continue to build broad public awareness of the scientific relationship between tobacco use and chronic disease, while also actively promoting the cessation coaching service.

"Alere's focus on personal health support begins with helping people change risky behaviors. This collaboration creates a powerful new force in the fight against tobacco use, one of the most prevalent unhealthy behaviors leading to cancer, debilitating chronic disease and early death," said Ron Geraty, CEO of Alere. "This alliance truly sets our health management programs apart from all others, enabling our customers to offer a program considered the gold standard in the industry to their employees."

"For decades, the American Cancer Society has been leading the fight to reduce tobacco use and limit secondhand smoke exposure," said John R. Seffrin, Ph.D., CEO of the American Cancer Society. "And we're so proud that for the past nine years our own Quitline service has allowed us to directly help more than 500,000 smokers try and quit.