SDC-based hard surface disinfectant is effective against the 2009 H1N1

PURE Bioscience (NASDAQ:PURE), creators of the patented silver dihydrogen citrate (SDC) antimicrobial, announced today that its SDC-based hard surface disinfectant is effective against the 2009 H1N1 and is included on the list published by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of antimicrobial products effective against the 2009 H1N1 flu strain based on their effectiveness against other influenza A virus strains. PURE Bioscience’s SDC disinfectant also meets the recommendations established by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) for infection control of H1N1 in both home and healthcare settings.

“President Obama this weekend declared the H1N1 pandemic a national emergency. We are proud to offer government, business and the public a powerful and effective weapon in the battle against H1N1,” said Michael L. Krall, President and CEO of PURE Bioscience.

“Our ionic silver disinfectant formula quickly and completely eliminates bacteria, fungi and viruses, including 2009 H1N1, while using astoundingly small amounts of silver -- only 30 parts per million. We continue to invest heavily to develop, patent and obtain regulatory clearances for SDC, including our EPA-registered hard surface disinfectant,” added Krall.

Based on the EPA toxicity ratings from Category I (high toxicity) down to Category IV, SDC disinfectant is a Category IV antimicrobial for which precautionary labeling statements are not required. This compares with Category II warning statements for most leading brands of disinfectant products. SDC disinfectant has been registered by the EPA specifically for use on children’s toys, cribs, high chairs and other sensitive areas of the home as well as for use on hard surfaces in multitudes of environments, including hospitals, schools and offices.

“Unsubstantiated and unapproved claims to kill H1N1 should not be tolerated in the marketplace, and we applaud the FDA’s recent warnings against companies that are seeking to profit from this pandemic using false claims about their products,” Krall said. “Influenza, including H1N1, continues to be a serious and growing public health threat. Consumers should only trust products that have been reviewed and approved by appropriate regulatory agencies. In addition, regarding environmental antimicrobials in particular, consumers should read labels carefully to understand the differences between products that disinfect versus those that only sanitize.”

Products registered by the EPA as “disinfectants” provide complete elimination of specifically claimed microorganisms; “sanitizers” merely reduce the number of microorganisms.

PURE Bioscience’s broad spectrum SDC-based disinfectant completely eliminates bacteria, viruses and fungi and is registered with the EPA under the trade name Axen30®. Independent lab studies and resulting EPA-registered claims document that PURE’s disinfectant kills resistant strains of bacteria, including MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), CA-MRSA, PVL-MRSA and VRE (Vancomycin resistant Enterococcus faecium) in just 2 minutes. In addition, SDC-based disinfectant provide a 30-second kill time on Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Salmonella enteric and a 24-hour residual kill on standard indicator bacteria. Important viral efficacy claims for PURE’s disinfectant include a 3-minute kill against Human Corona virus (SARS surrogate) and Rotavirus and a 10-minute kill against Norovirus, Human Influenza A and Avian Influenza A (Bird Flu). In addition, SDC- disinfectant is odorless, colorless, non-corrosive, non-flammable and is compatible with other disinfecting and cleaning chemicals.