RICHMOND, VA -- (Marketwire) -- 12/31/12 -- ALR Technologies Inc. (OTCBB: ALRT) (the "Company"), a health information technology developer, is pleased to announce the election of William S. Smith to the Board of Directors and the appointment of Mr. Smith as Chief Commercial Officer, effective January 1, reporting to CEO Sidney Chan. Mr. Smith will oversee sales and marketing, investor relations, public affairs and communications, and government affairs.

Mr. Smith was most recently Managing Director, Healthcare at NSI, LLC, a Washington, D.C.-based consulting firm where Mr. Smith advised pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device companies including AstraZeneca, MedImmune, Merck, UCB, and Genzyme. Prior to NSI, Mr. Smith worked for a decade at Pfizer Inc. where he was Vice President of U.S. Public Affairs and Policy. In that role, Smith was the lead advisor on U.S. policy issues to Pfizer's major commercial businesses in the United States. Smith had previously worked in government where he was on the staff of two Governors in Massachusetts, was a leadership aide to the Republican Leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives, and was a senior aide in the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy under President George H.W. Bush.

"I am delighted to welcome Mr. Smith to ALR Technologies," said ALRT CEO Sidney Chan. "He has deep experience in the healthcare marketplace and he has significant experience building and leading a large organization. As a consultant, he provided ALRT with invaluable strategic counsel on our key markets and business model. As we now enter the commercial phase of our key product, he will build a world class organization to support our growth."

"I am very excited to join ALR Technologies," said Mr. Smith. "The company has developed a technology and a business model that is precisely in the space where healthcare is going. The company has huge potential for growth and its future success would represent a great opportunity for patients with diabetes to better control their condition."

About ALR Technologies Inc.

ALRT Health-e-Connect System ("System") is the principal product of the Company. Heath-e-Connect is a web based patient management platform for medical professionals to improve compliance and adherence of care plans of patients in their homes. The System is programmed to assist healthcare providers caring for diabetes patients. The platform will be expanded to cover patients with other chronic diseases. More information on ALR Technologies and its products can be found at http://www.alrt.com.

This release contains certain "forward-looking statements" relating to ALR Technologies' business, and these statements reflect the current views of ALR Technologies with respect to future events and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions. When used, the words "estimate", "expect", "anticipate", "believe" and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. There are many factors that could cause the actual results, performance or achievements of ALR Technologies and its products to be materially different from any future results, performances or achievements that may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Further management discussions of risks and uncertainties can be found in the company's quarterly filings with the Securities Exchange Commission.