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 Press
Release
Antec International, a DuPont
Company, and D-Gen to Collaborate in Developing Disinfection
Products for Inactivating Prions on Surgical Instruments
Sudbury, 9.00 am 10 March 2005--
D-Gen Ltd and Antec International, a DuPont Company, have
entered into an agreement to collaborate in developing rapid, low
temperature products for inactivating Prion and Microbial pathogen
contamination of surgical instruments. A combination of technologies
will be used to allow effective solution sterilisation of surgical,
endoscopy and biopsy instruments and indeed any other similar surfaces
or materials believed to pose an infection risk.
According to health experts, Prion proteins have been linked as the
causative agent of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy (TSE), a
group of fatal human and animal neurodegenerative diseases - for example
variant Creutzfeldt Jacob Disease (vCJD) and bovine spongiform
encephalopathy (BSE) or Mad Cow Disease. Prions are extremely resistant
to heat and chemicals, rendering most existing sterilisation
technologies ineffective in their deactivation. Conditions normally used
for inactivating Prions (including powerful oxidising agents or strong
alkalis) are highly corrosive to the instruments and washing equipment
used in hospital sterilisation units. In the past, Prions have been
shown to bind avidly to surgical stainless steel and act as a source of
infectivity.
"D-Gen and Antec International anticipate that by combining their
respective technologies and expertise, the collaboration will lead to
advances in developing practical, user-friendly disinfection products
that could substantially reduce the risks of iatrogenic transmission of
human prion diseases," said Dr Vince Croud, Technology Manager, Antec
International.
"We have developed technology that has shown excellent performance in
inactivating Prions. This, combined with the Antec technologies and
commercial production capabilities, will allow the collaboration to
quickly develop commercial products to address this lethal pathogen",
commented Professor John Collinge, Head of the Medical Research Council
Prion Unit and D-Gen’s Chairman.
About D-Gen Ltd
Located in London, United Kingdom, D-Gen is a research-based
bio-medical company which innovates in the field of prion-related
disease (BSE, Scrapie, vCJD) by identifying, developing and exploiting
proprietary diagnostic and therapeutic targets and technologies. Formed
in 2000 as a spin-out company, D-Gen’s shareholders include Imperial
College, London, The Medical Research Council, The Wellcome Trust Ltd
and Bristol University. The company exploits its inventions by seeking
complementary partnerships in a global context.
About Antec International
Antec International, founded in 1975, became a DuPont Company in
2003.
Antec International is a world leader in biosecurity technology serving
the needs for infection control in animal husbandry, food production and
human healthcare.
Antec’s® PeraSafe™ (a cold liquid sterilant) and Virkon® (a surface
disinfectant with strong virucidal activity) are well established in
human healthcare markets world-wide and are in routine use in many NHS
hospitals.
The joint developments in Prion deactivation form a marketing synergy
with PeraSafe™, which rapidly sterilises medical devices contaminated by
micro-organisms such as viruses and bacteria, eliminating patient to
patient transmission of infectious diseases.
Based on the platform of established products and distribution networks,
as well as product development and manufacturing expertise, Antec
International is superbly positioned to deliver the results of the D-Gen
collaboration to the healthcare market.
® and TM indicate trademarks or registered trademarks of
DuPontTM or its affiliates.
For further information contact:
Evelyn Vittery, Bloomsbury Communications
Tel: 0207 833 3759
Email: evelyn@bloomsburycommunications.com
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