Healthcare Enterprise Group PLC (“HCEG” or “the Group”, AIM: HCEG) is pleased to announce that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Ebiox Limited, has secured U.S. Environment Protection Agency (“EPA”) approval for its patented concentrate and spray disinfectants.

 

TruKleen, the registered trade name of the Ebiox surface hygiene products in the U.S., offers significant advantages over other surface cleaners in the U.S. market. By removing biofilm and cleaning to the molecular level, TruKleen is effective against pathogens including viruses, fungi and bacteria such as MRSA. TruKleen is free of damaging chemicals and skin irritants such as alcohols, phenols, chlorine and aldehydes. It is therefore well suited for repeated use on washable surfaces over protracted periods of time.  

 

Applications for individual U.S. state approvals are being submitted immediately and may take up to six months. These approvals will allow HCEG to distribute TruKleen products in a wide range of markets.

 

Once individual state approvals are secured, HCEG will look to sign further field of use agreements in the healthcare market and exploit additional opportunities within broader markets such as agriculture, food processing and facilities management.

 

HCEG recently announced a $4.5 million agreement over 5 years with Sultan Healthcare Inc. (“Sultan”) for the distribution of Ebiox products in the dental market outside North America. As part of that agreement, the Group will now commence discussions with Sultan to extend its exclusive distribution rights to the dental market within North America with an associated additional financial commitment.

 

Lyndon Gaborit, HCEG Executive Deputy Chairman commented:

 

“Regulatory approval in this world market is a major achievement for the Group. The U.S. approval process for these products has taken longer than expected owing to the unique make up of our products. This approval is a further validation of our technology and products.” 

 

“TruKleen has huge potential in the U.S. as these non-alcohol surface hygiene products have significant practical advantages whilst being more effective in cleaning and decontaminating. 

 

“With a commitment from Sultan already endorsing Ebiox products in other territories, we are confident that U.S. distribution contracts can be secured.“

 

 

Healthcare Enterprise Group                                                 
Lyndon Gaborit, Executive Deputy Chairman
+ 44 (0)20 7351 7500

 

College Hill                                                                             
Adrian Duffield / Corinna Dorward
+44 (0) 20 7457 2020

 

 

 

 

 

HCEG is a business engaged in medical product distribution, occupational health, and first aid markets.  These businesses underpin a range of innovative medical devices. HCEG is listed on the Alternative Investment Market (“AIM”) of the London Stock Exchange.

 

 

Patented decontamination and disinfectant products that are safe and alcohol free, but substantially more effective than conventional methods at removing and destroying embedded micro-organisms. The Ebiox range includes hand hygiene products, surface disinfectants, products to clean and decontaminate surgical instruments, and dental cleaning products. TruKleen is the U.S. equivalent of Ebiox’s Trionic surface hygiene range which is CE marked (Class 11a) for use in the European Economic Area.

 

 

Sultan, founded in 1872, is a leading manufacturer and distributor of Dental Materials, Infection Control Products, Preventives and Oral Pharmaceuticals. Sultan has three distribution centres: Englewood, New Jersey, USA; Ontario, Canada and Amsterdam, The Netherlands, supporting sales through distribution partners into 70 countries. Distribution partners are supported by territory managers in each market worldwide, giving Sultan wide coverage in all dental markets.

 

HCEG already has an agreement with Sultan for the exclusive marketing of the Ebiox range of disinfection products to the dental sector in UK, continental Europe, Latin America, South America, Asia and Africa. Sultan has also been granted a non exclusive right to sell Ebiox into the medical supply market.  The agreement which is for an initial term of five years, requires Sultan to purchase a minimum US$4.5 million (£2.33 million) of Ebiox products over that time, including US$625,000 (£325,000) in 2007, US$875,000 (£455,000) in 2008, and US$1 million (£520,000) in each of the following three years. Sultan has agreed to meet these minimum purchase levels as a contractual obligation, subject only to Ebiox’s capacity to supply.