Bioquell Regulatory News (BQE)

26 Oct 2007 10:13

Bioquell PLC26 October 2007 TO: CITY EDITORSFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 26 October, 2007 BIOQUELL PLC "Superbug" (including C.diff) eradication technology for NHS hospitals Upgrade of BIOQUELL's unique hydrogen peroxide vapour decontamination technology by the Department of Health's Rapid Review Panel to Category One status First "superbug" technology to be upgraded to Category One status BIOQUELL PLC ("BIOQUELL") (LSE: BQE), the UK leader in specialistdecontamination technology and testing/compliance services, announces that its"superbug" eradication technology has been upgraded by the Department ofHealth's Rapid Review Panel ("RRP") to Category One status. Background * The RRP was set up by the Government in 2004 to facilitate the rapid review by an independent panel of leading UK infection control experts of the products / technologies which could be used to combat hospital acquired infections - or "superbugs" - in NHS hospitals. * BIOQUELL's hydrogen peroxide vapour ("HPV") decontamination technology was one of the first technologies to be reviewed by the RRP. On 1 December, 2004, following a review of the scientific data available at the time, the RRP awarded BIOQUELL's technology Category Two status, which meant that "basic research and development has been completed and the product may have potential value; in use evaluations / trials are now needed in an NHS clinical setting" Promotion to RRP Category One status * Earlier this year BIOQUELL submitted extensive scientific data to the RRP relating to its research activities and the deployment of its unique HPV decontamination technology against "superbugs" in hospitals in the UK, US and continental Europe. * Having now completed its assessment, the RRP has upgraded BIOQUELL's HPV technology to Category One status, which means that: "Basic research and development, validation and recent in use evaluations have shown benefits that should be available to NHS bodies to include as appropriate in their cleaning, hygiene or infection control protocols." * To date the RRP has reviewed 42 products or technologies to combat "superbugs" in the 'Cleaning, Disinfection and Decontamination' category and has awarded Category One status to only two - one being BIOQUELL. * BIOQUELL's technology is the first product to be promoted to a new category by the RRP - which is indicative of the quality and volume of scientific efficacy data generated by BIOQUELL to support the use of its technology to eradicate "superbugs" in hospitals. * Further information on the promotion of BIOQUELL's technology to Category One status is available on the Health Protection Agency's website at: http:/ /www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/rapid_review/new_reports.htm BIOQUELL's technology against Clostridium difficile * A significant proportion of the scientific data submitted by BIOQUELL to the RRP relate to the eradication of Clostridium difficile ("C.diff") from sensitive electronic medical devices as well as rooms and wards in hospitals. For example, BIOQUELL has had a team permanently based at a leading US hospital for more than two years carrying out proactive decontaminations against C.diff. - and research from this hospital suggested that the use of BIOQUELL's technology directly contributed to a statistically significant 53% reduction in C.difficile associated disease. NHS / Department of Health "Clean, Safe Care" best practise website * Abstracts of BIOQUELL's technology have recently been uploaded to an NHS / Department of Health website highlighting case studies relating to best practise involving the eradication or management of hospital acquired infection. (See http://www.clean-safe-care.nhs.uk/Public/default.aspx?level= 2&load=ArticleViewer&ArticleID=465) * The best practise website includes a description of the use of BIOQUELL's technology to eradicate C.diff at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust following a C.diff outbreak (which has been the subject of an independent report which was recently made public) (See http:// www.clean-safe-care.nhs.uk/cms/ArticleFiles/ j240t245bbqizw2mjsqrek4501102007103844/Files/ 061121%20Maidstone%20and%20Tunbridge%20Wells_approved.pdf) Commenting on the promotion by the Rapid Review Panel of BIOQUELL's unique"superbug" eradication technology to Category One status, Nick Adams, ChiefExecutive of BIOQUELL PLC said: "Clostridium difficile, MRSA and other "superbugs" remain a real, increasing andsensitive problem for hospitals in the NHS and around the world, as wasunderscored by the Prime Minister's announcement of a deep-clean for every NHShospital last month. Further, there have been a number of recent reportshighlighting the major clinical issues caused by C.diff in hospitals. Despitethe sensitivity of these problems, we are pleased that BIOQUELL is being askedto help more and more NHS hospitals combat Clostridium difficile. We are also delighted that the top UK experts on the Rapid Review Panel haveconcluded that the use of BIOQUELL's unique decontamination technology to combat"superbugs" is now supported by robust scientific data - and it has now beenawarded Category One status. We are also pleased to be the first technology tobe upgraded to Category One status by the Rapid Review Panel." Enquiries Nick Adams BIOQUELL PLC 01264 835 900Mark Bodeker www.bioquellplc.com Emma Kane Redleaf Communications 020 7822 0200 Sam Robbins ********************************** Notes to Editors / further information Clostridium difficile ("C.diff") is a spore forming bacteria. Spore formers,including for example anthrax (Bacillus anthracis), are extremely tough and ableto survive for years in the environment (including the hospital environment). The alcohol handgels used in many hospitals as a key part of infection controlare ineffective against spore formers. In addition, the use of bleach cleaningdoes not eradicate C.diff from the hospital environment. In 1978 it was discovered that C.diff was responsible for causing disease inpatients in hospitals and hence was considered to be a hospital acquiredinfection or "superbug". In 2003 a new strain of C.diff appeared which: (i) was much more virulent - withhospitals experiencing significantly higher levels of sickness and death - and(ii) was significantly more resistant to certain classes of antibiotics. Thisnew strain of C.diff, commonly referred to as BI/NAP1 or the 027 strain, wasfirst identified in Canada and over the last four years appears to have spreadto healthcare facilities down the East coast of the US. It has also beendetected at a number of hospitals in the UK. "Environmental contamination makes an important contribution to hospitalinfection." J.M. Boyce, Journal of Hospital Infection June 2007; 65:50-54. "The New Clostridium difficile - What does it mean?", J.G. Bartlett and T.M.Perl, New England Journal of Medicine, 8 December 2005, 352;23; 2503-2505 "Toxin production by an emerging strain of Clostridium difficile associated withoutbreaks of severe disease in North America and Europe", M. Warny et al., TheLancet, 24 September 2005, Vol 366; 1079-1084 "Severe Clostridium difficile - associated disease in populations previously atlow risk - four states, 2005". CDC, MMWR, 2 December 2005, 54(47); 1201-1205 This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange