Bank Irel13.375 Regulatory News (BOI)

16 Jan 2006 07:00

Biotrace International PLC16 January 2006 For Immediate Release 16 January 2006 BIOTRACE INTERNATIONAL PLC ("Biotrace") Biotrace signs global agreement with Pall Corporation to market microbiological air monitoring technology to the pharmaceutical industry Biotrace International Plc, a leading manufacturer of industrial microbiologyand life science products, announced today that it has entered into an agreementwith Pall Corporation ("Pall") (NYSE: PLL) giving Pall exclusive globalmarketing and distribution rights to the range of Ascotec environmental airmonitoring products for the pharmaceutical industry. As part of the worldwideagreement, the two companies will also work together on the development ofadditional innovative products for the rapid detection of contamination.Microbiological monitoring of manufacturing processes is critical to ensuringcompliance with regulatory requirements and product safety. Biotrace's Ascotec products are used to monitor the quality of the air andcompressed gases in the production environment. They are used wherever cleanrooms are required for manufacturing of pharmaceuticals, personal care productsand cosmetics and in other clinical environments such as hospitals to reliablycapture bacteria in the environment for subsequent monitoring. The agreementwill provide industry with the ability to access the Ascotec air monitoringtechnologies to better enable them to achieve the goals of the U.S. FDA ProcessAnalytical Technology (PAT) initiative. The PAT initiative encouragesmanufacturers to adopt new analytical technologies to better controlmanufacturing processes and provide greater assurances of product safety. Ian Johnson, Chief Executive Officer of Biotrace, said: "This agreement is another important milestone in our strategy to develop abroad business base in industrial microbiology. Our leading position inproprietary microbial testing technologies coupled with Pall's strong customerrelationships worldwide in the pharmaceutical industries will greatly enhanceour presence in this attractive market. The combination of Pall's filtrationtechnologies and know how with our technologies and expertise in rapidmicrobiology will create the next generation of fast testing solutions reducingthe 'time to result' and improving production efficiency." Ken Frank, Corporate Vice President of Pall and President of theBioPharmaceuticals Division, said: "The addition of the Ascotec air sampler to our rapid microbiology platform,including the PallchekTM monitor, gives customers around the globe access to aproven technology that meets the most stringent clean room standards. It is anideal complement to our capabilities in process and environmental monitoringtechnology and aligns with our business strategy to be a total solutionsprovider for the biotech and pharmaceutical industry." - ENDS - For further information, please contact: Biotrace InternationalIan Johnson, Chief Executive Officer Tel : +44 (0) 1656 641 400 Pall CorporationKen Frank, Corporate Vice President Tel: +44 (0) 23 9230 2265 Buchanan CommunicationsTim Anderson / James Strong Tel: +44 (0)20 7466 5000 Notes to editors: Biotrace International Plc is a leading manufacturer and supplier of industrialmicrobiology and life science products. The Company is organised into threebusiness segments: Industrial, Life Sciences and Defence. The Group'sproprietary technologies are used by most of the world's leading food andbeverage manufacturers who rely on Biotrace products as an essential part oftheir quality control procedures. Industrial customers also includepharmaceutical industries, personal care product manufacturers and environmentalwater markets. The Life Sciences business manufactures highly specialisedworkstations for hospital microbiology laboratories and medical researchorganisations. The Defence segment provides systems and consumables for therapid detection of biological weapons. Formed in 1988 and floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1993, Biotrace hadtotal revenues of £27 million in 2004. The Company is headquartered in Bridgend,UK with manufacturing and sales operations worldwide. Visit Biotrace atwww.biotrace.com Pall Corporation is the global leader in the rapidly growing field offiltration, separations and purification. Pall's business is organised aroundtwo broad markets: Life Sciences and Industrial. The Company providesleading-edge products to meet the demanding needs of customers in biotechnology,pharmaceuticals, transfusion medicines, semiconductors, water purification,aerospace and broad industrial markets. Total revenues for fiscal 2005 were $1.9billion. The Company headquarters are in East Hills, New York with extensiveoperations throughout the world. Visit Pall at www.pall.com This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange