Healthpoint to launch ULTRACEPT Antiseptic Handwash

A new antiseptic handwash, based on a formula previously used only by surgeons and other clinicians, will soon be available to consumers and provides up to six hours of prolonged germ kill with repeated use.

ULTRACEPT™ Antiseptic Handwash kills the vast majority of harmful germs very quickly and continues to provide antimicrobial effects for up to six hours. It is made by Healthpoint Ltd., a specialty pharmaceutical company located in Fort Worth, Texas, and will be available online in mid November at www.ultracept.com.

Other antiseptic hand sanitizers kill germs quickly, but as soon as a contaminated surface is touched, new germs appear. What separates ULTRACEPT™ from other alcohol-based hand sanitizers is its ability, with repeated use, to provide antimicrobial effects for up to six hours without harsh levels of chemicals. Available to consumers, it is a unique alcohol-based handwash with a patented formula that controls germs for up to six hours.

Since 2004, surgeons and other hospital clinicians have used the patented formula because it is extremely effective in not just killing harmful germs, but in providing persistence for hours during surgical and related medical procedures.

"The CDC emphasizes that washing your hands frequently helps stop the spread of various types of germs,” said Dr. Herbert Slade, M.D., chief medical officer at Healthpoint. “Hand sanitizers are a good alternative when soap and water are not available, but they work by simply killing germs that are on your hands at that moment. The ULTRACEPT™ formulation provides up to six hours of persistent germ control, which is why it’s used in hospital operating rooms, where stopping the spread of germs is so critically important," said Slade.

Healthpoint contracted with BioScience Laboratories in Bozeman, Montana to conduct a series of studies on the ULTRACEPT™ formula. Several in vitro studies showed that ULTRACEPT™ kills a wide range of harmful germs that can cause illness and continues controlling these germs for up to six hours with repeated use. Another study evaluated the value of using the product for a total of 11 applications over five consecutive days on several human volunteers. The results showed that the formula provided immediate germ kill, and at the end of the study the germs on the hands of the ULTRACEPT™ volunteers were greatly reduced (>99.9 percent) and remained that way for up to six hours.

In lab tests that simulated touching non-sterile surfaces, such as telephones, keyboards and door handles, other antiseptic hand sanitizers killed germs quickly, but as soon as a non-sterile surface was touched, new germs appeared. That is the nature of how ethyl alcohol works as an antiseptic. It kills germs on contact but quickly loses its effectiveness. ULTRACEPT™ contains ethyl alcohol for immediate kill, but then persists for up to six hours due to its patented Viacydin™ technology.

“BioScience Laboratories has conducted numerous scientific and clinical studies on the ULTRACEPT™ formula, from when it was first evaluated as a surgical scrub in 2005 to more recently when we tested the formula’s prolonged persistence against common germs,” said Dr. Daryl S. Paulson, president and CEO of BioScience Laboratories. “We have followed highly rigorous protocols in testing the product’s six-hour persistence and are confident in the findings.”

ULTRACEPT™ can be used safely on children age 2 and older with adult supervision.

Source: Healthpoint Ltd