EPA approves new anti-microbial surface coating found effective against more than 20 life-threatening bacteria, viruses and fungi
April 21, 2006 — NEW YORK, N.Y. — Alistagen Corp., a New York City-based biotechnology company, announced today that Caliwel(tm), a non-toxic, natural mineral-based, anti-microbial surface coating, has received U.S. retail market clearance from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Caliwel had demonstrated through independent laboratory tests that it is 99.9 percent effective against more than 20 microbes that cause diseases such as asthma, allergies, staph infection, influenza, polio, hepatitis, cholera and Legionnaires’ disease. The product has also been found effective against the bacteria Bacillus subtilus, which are even more resistant to anti-microbial activity than anthrax spores. In all cases, the coating remains active for up to six years.
“This line of products represents a breakthrough in the control and spread of infectious diseases,” according to Bryan Glynson, chairman and CEO of Alistagen. Caliwel’s mode of action is through the Bi-Neutralizing Agent (BNA)(tm), whose active ingredient is calcium hydroxide. In collaboration with Alistagen Dr. William Mallow conducted most of the research and development of the BNA technology as an institute scientist at the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, Texas. BNA kills most airborne microbes soon after they come in contact with a Caliwel-treated surface. The BNA coating minimizes the number of microbes in the environment so that their disease-causing powers are severely weakened. People exposed to a significantly reduced number of microbial spores are much less likely to become sick, according to the tests performed.
BNA works by harnessing the effective germ-killing power of calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH2)) in a new multi-patented, micro-encapsulated formulation. Calcium hydroxide has been used for centuries to fight disease because its inherently high alkalinity kills microbes. Normally, calcium hydroxide loses its effectiveness within days due to exposure to carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere. The encapsulation process allows the coating to resist degradation for up to six years while maintaining its effective anti-microbial surface.
Based on the test results against the bacteria Bacillus subtilus, Alistagen has filed provisional patent applications with the U.S. Patent Office for new, additional uses of BNA, according to Bryan Glynson, Alistagen CEO.
“Caliwel represents a significant advancement in improving the quality of life of people whose health is severely impaired due to the debilitating effects of respiratory diseases such as asthma and allergies,” said Glynson. He added that some 36 million people in the United States suffer from sinus infections, 17 million from asthma1 and another 50-60 million are affected by allergies.2 These conditions result in annual healthcare costs of some $38 billion dollars in direct and indirect costs. 1,2
Caliwel is available as a pigmented liquid coating that can be applied to walls, floors and other hard surfaces. It is a safe, anti-infective application that kills most microbes within five to 15 minutes and prevents their growth for six years.
“The technology behind this product application represents a whole new category of preventive healthcare,” said Mallow. “Testing has been extensive, and we are confident that Caliwel’s use in preventing disease will offer untold benefits to people everywhere.”
The technology was conceived for use in hospitals, nursing homes and daycare facilities. These institutions frequently harbor microbial infestations that are particularly threatening to children, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems. Hospital-acquired infections alone account for two million infections annually and some 90,000 deaths in the United States.3 Caliwel is also effective in killing mold and fungus on contact in homes and commercial buildings. Mold and fungus are increasingly cited as a contributing cause of “Sick Building Syndrome” and of increased risk of sinus infections, asthma and allergies.
Product testing was conducted by Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio; Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research, San Antonio; Virus-Reference-Esoterix Laboratories, Inc., San Antonio; Quanta Laboratories, Inc., Selma, Texas; and The Coatings Laboratory, Houston, Texas.
Additional information and orders for Caliwel, Caliwel Industrial and Caliwel HVAC can be obtained by calling (1-212-317-0100) or by visiting the company’s Web site at www.caliwel.com
Alistagen is a privately-held biotechnology company founded in 1995. The company was established by CEO Bryan Glynson and President Alis Yeterian, two major shareholders, with the specific objective of developing a non-invasive, therapeutic and preventive treatments for respiratory illnesses that could be broadly applied to hospitals, nursing homes, residences and commercial structures which are susceptible to microbial infestation. Other BNA-based treatments are in the development stage and will be submitted for approval to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) later this year. Alistagen’s mission is to globally market and/or license BNA-based applications that reduce the spread of infectious disease and improve public health care.
MEDIA CONTACTS: Alis Yeterian, (212) 317-0100
1 Source: “Forecasted State-Specific Estimates of Self-Reported Asthma Prevalence, 1998, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dorland’s Biomedical, 1999-2000.
2 “Prevalence of Selected Chronic Conditions: United States, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dorland’s Biomedical, 1999-2000.
1,2 3 Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention