WASHINGTON, April 15 /PRNewswire/ -- It has been nine years since the 2001 anthrax attacks sickened twenty-three people and killed five. Since that time, the U.S. government has spent hundreds of millions of dollars in remediation and billions in their search for a disinfectant that can reliably kill anthrax spores and other pathogens that might be used as weapons.
The search is over. sBioMed®, a self funded biotechnology firm located in Orem, Utah, has been recently awarded Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approval of STERIPLEX® Ultra for anthrax spore decontamination, the world's most deadly biological agent.
Astoundingly, STERIPLEX® Ultra achieves rapid kill against anthrax spores while remaining harmless to the product users and the environment. STERIPLEX® Ultra completely destroys anthrax spores in less than 30 seconds as demonstrated with suspension test methods and destroys anthrax spores in only 30 minutes when used on specialized carriers using full AOAC test protocols as certified by an EPA approved Biosafety Level III laboratory. The U.S. military's bioweapons laboratory at Dugway Proving Grounds in Utah also verified the complete destruction of anthrax spores in less than 30 seconds in a suspension test using STERIPLEX® Ultra.
"The world has long been interested in killing bacterial spores. It's a very difficult task," say the sBioMed® founders. Fortunately, only a few toxic bacteria can form endospores. When their life cycle is threatened by factors such as lack of food or change of temperature, some bacteria can turn themselves into endospores to wait for better conditions. "They become like shriveled microscopic walnuts, wrapping themselves in layers of coating to become almost indestructible," founder Brian Larson said. Spores can lie dormant for thousands of years and then "come back to kill you." Spores found in Egyptian tombs may be the basis for legends about the curses killing those who disturb mummies' tombs.
Anthrax remediation of the Senate Hart building, several postal facilities and other U.S. government and private office buildings showed that decontamination is possible, but it has been, historically, very time-consuming and extremely costly. Clearing the Senate office building of anthrax spores cost $27+ million, according to the Government Accountability Office. Decontaminating the Brentwood postal facility outside Washington cost $189 million with a downtime of 2+ years. The postal facility in Hamilton, New Jersey cost $75+ million, with a downtime of 3+ years. STERIPLEX® Ultra can decontaminate a building in a much shorter time and at a substantially lower cost.
STERIPLEX® Ultra is a liquid solution, which can be applied using standard spray or automated dispersion devices. STERIPLEX® Ultra provides quick and comprehensive anthrax clean up when used by specially trained individuals to decontaminate buildings, vehicles, ships, aircraft, personal protective equipment and other articles infected with anthrax spores.
A cost effective solution, STERIPLEX® Ultra provides rapid and effective anthrax remediation without damaging the treated area, allowing reoccupation of previously contaminated areas within a reasonable time. Beyond the anthrax approval, future amended EPA claims for STERIPLEX® Ultra will ultimately include STERIPLEX® Ultra's proven capability to rapidly destroy other potential weapons-grade microbes that cause diseases such as Smallpox, Bubonic Plague, Tularemia, Brucellosis and others.
sBioMed® has filed sixty-one global patents including eighteen in the United States. The EPA registrations for STERIPLEX® Ultra (84545-8, 84545-9) were granted on April 2nd, 2010. The EPA has also approved the proposed sBioMed® training course materials designed for STERIPLEX® Ultra users.
Governments and private industry around the world have been searching for an effective and viable countermeasure to the bioterrorism threats existing today. STERIPLEX® Ultra provides the answer. In the United States, STERIPLEX® Ultra can only be purchased by sBioMed® trained individuals.
sBioMed® recently received another EPA registration approval on November 2, 2009 for the world's leading hospital grade sterilant and sporicide, STERIPLEX® Health Care (HC) that is able to rapidly sterilize a hard surface up to ten to thirty times faster than other sterilants currently available. Unlike most other sterilants that are toxic or corrosive, STERIPLEX® HC is health-wise, environmentally friendly and non-corrosive.
SOURCE sBioMed
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