EPA Agrees SilvaClean® Kills MRSA and a Broad Range of Antibiotic-Resistant Pathogens
Company Appoints Mark Neaman,
former Chairman, President and CEO of NorthShore (IL) University Health System
to the Applied Silver Board of Directors
HAYWARD, Calif., March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Applied Silver, Inc. today announced that the company has received Federal Approval from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to make additional public health claims for its patented SilvaClean® commercial laundry additive against an expanded list of pathogenic bacteria and yeast including Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis (VRE), Extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-positive Escherichia coli, Acinetobacter baumanii, and Candida albicans. The company previously received EPA approval for kill claims against Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae.
Antibiotic Stewardship Begins With Infection Prevention, Including Soft Surface (Fabric) Intervention
“Staphylococcus, MRSA, and other life-threatening or -altering pathogens are a clear and present danger to patients, employees and caregivers in hospitals, healthcare facilities, long-term care facilities and sports medicine programs,” said Dr. Priya Balachandran, Applied Silver’s Vice President leading Clinical Programs. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) reported that five to ten percent of hospitalized patients acquire a healthcare acquired infection (1.7 million incidents/year) and that 25 percent of those infected patients/caregivers die in the next 12 months. Healthcare acquired infections (HAIs) cost the industry $20 billion/year. (Source: https://www.cdc.gov/washington/~cdcatWork/pdf/infections.pdf)
The CDC’s Antibiotic Resistance Solutions Initiative now recommends that hospitals and healthcare facilities use both comprehensive infection prevention programs and antibiotic treatments to combat the serious issue of deadly or life-altering antibiotic-resistant pathogens.
A recent report from the CDC indicates that progress against HAIs have stalled in recent years partly because infection control programs were not effective in addressing highly pathogenic superbugs like MRSA commonly found on hospital bed linens, medical equipment and healthcare workers (Source: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 68(9); 214-219).
Balachandran and other public health experts now advise hospital and long-term care facility teams (clinicians and administrators at all levels) to remain vigilant in their fight to reduce the risk of HAIs and add new tools like SilvaClean, that are clinically proven to kill pathogens on soft surfaces and keep killing them well after application. “Infections are a preventable problem throughout healthcare, sports medicine, hotels and restaurants and indeed, in our daily lives,” she said.
The federal government is actively conducting surveillance of antibiotic resistance, healthcare- and community- associated infections using a data-driven approach to target prevention and provide the appropriate recommendations. In support, the CDC is calling for new and novel prevention strategies.
Applied Silver’s Breakthrough Technology for Textiles Is Transformational to Infection Prevention Programs
The EPA approved public health claims for additional microorganisms for Applied Silver’s SilvaClean residual antimicrobial laundry additive. This new approval includes key pathogens and antibiotic-resistant microbes that have been demonstrated to be transmitted by textiles and are responsible for a significant portion of healthcare and community-acquired infections.
Company Adds Renown Hospital Administrator to its Board
“Health system executives play a key leadership role in adopting technological solutions that produce demonstrated improvements in safety and quality of care,” said Mark Neaman, healthcare industry veteran, former Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of NorthShore University Health System (IL) in Chicago. Mr. Neaman has recently been named to the Board of Directors of Applied Silver. Continued Mr. Neaman, “The EPA’s recent approval of SilvaClean creates strong incentives for healthcare facilities to implement SilvaClean protocols, alongside existing hand hygiene and hard surface infection prevention procedures.” Mr. Neaman retired from NorthShore after 27 years of leadership. During this period, NorthShore helped to lead the nation in innovations such as the implementation of electronic record systems and was named 19 times (the most in the nation) as one of America’s Top Teaching Hospitals (by IBM Watson).
“The addition of Mark to the Applied Silver Board further signifies our commitment to thought leadership, innovation and patient care. Mark brings an incomparable wealth of experience and strategic vision to the business and his acceptance of the appointment is a strong endorsement for Applied Silver,“ said Elizabeth Hutt Pollard, Executive Chair of Applied Silver.
SilvaClean Infuses Silver Ions into Fabrics Killing Microbes and Providing Lasting (Residual) Protection
SilvaClean employs a smart patented technology platform that infuses textiles with pure silver ions during the laundry rinse cycle, where they bond fabrics to residually kill pathogens, mold and mildew, eliminating odors, helping remove stains and reduce static. SilvaClean chemistry is an EPA-approved laundry additive product, with public health claims against key pathogens, enabled by an Internet of Things (IoT) dispensing system that leaves fabrics with residual antimicrobial properties even after laundering (e.g. in storage, during handling and in use).
About Applied Silver, Inc.
Hayward, California-based Applied Silver, Inc. develops commercial applications based on technologies that harness the antimicrobial power of silver ions. The Company’s flagship product, SilvaClean® is distributed to Healthcare Facilities in the US and Canada by Medline. Applied Silver sells directly to the Athletic Community and is developing in-home applications for smart-washers.
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