Studies show Skinvisible's Chlorhexidine Hand Sanitizer effective against avian flu virus

By E. Janene Geiss

Philadelphia, Jan. 19 - Skinvisible, Inc. said Thursday that a study by Retroscreen Virology of Skinvisible's patent-pending Chlorhexidine Hand Sanitizer, developed by its wholly owned subsidiary, Skinvisible Pharmaceuticals, had a greater than 99% kill on the "Bird Flu Virus" (H5N1) at four time points of 15 seconds, 30 seconds, 1 minute and 5 minutes.

In vitro studies demonstrate a sustained release of the active ingredient over a six-hour period, according to a company news release.

The study's results will be presented by Skinvisible at the upcoming Retroscreen Virology conference, "Bird Flu: The First Pandemic of the 21st Century," which began Thursday at St. Bartholomew's Hospital in London.

The active ingredient in Skinvisible's product is Chlorhexidine, an easily tolerated and effective antiseptic that kills or inhibits the growth of disease-causing bacteria, viruses and other microorganisms and is used for surgical scrub, skin wounds, germicidal hand rinse and antibacterial dental rinse.

This compound is delivered via Skinvisible's patented Invisicare delivery system.

Skinvisible said it has applied for a patent using the combination of Chlorhexidine within the Invisicare polymer delivery system.

"The high probability of a bird flu pandemic underscores the dire need to prevent any opportunities of transmission of the virus between avian species and humans. An effective, long-lasting sanitizer is ideal for use in poultry farms or quarantine units to prevent transmission of the virus," Terry Howlett, president and chief executive officer of Skinvisible, said in the release.

"In addition, health care workers, research scientists and those handling infected animals also would benefit from such a sanitizer against the H5N1 virus," Howlett added in the news release.

The avian flu virus can survive on human hands for several hours, officials said, and the virus can also survive up to 48 hours on non-porous surfaces such as a telephone, computer keyboard, doorknobs, kitchen utensils and toys.

Washing your hands frequently and using a product such as Skinvisible's Chlorhexidine Hand Sanitizer, which stays effective for up to four hours and cannot be rubbed off or washed off, could dramatically reduce the incidence of respiratory disease in general by 40%, officials said.

The World Health Organization has reported that a mutated form of the virus could kill 2 million to 7.4 million people, although some estimates are much higher, officials said.

"We are seeking to broaden our marketing and distribution efforts in order to make our Chlorhexidine Hand Sanitizer available as soon as possible to the broadest market," Howlett said in the release.

Skinvisible's product has been tested against a variety of bacteria of concern to the health care industry, including the Super Bugs VRE and MRSA, as well as Clostridium Difficile, officials said.

The product will be undergoing further tests soon against other viruses, including SARS, Influenza A (H1 and H3), as well as the B viruses.

Skinvisible is a Las Vegas research and development company that has formulated and patented innovative polymer delivery system technology and compositions for topical skin applications.

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