ASP Announces Acquisition of Gloster Europe to Help Reduce Infections in Healthcare Facilities

    New Area Decontamination Technology Broadens ASP's Portfolio of Infection
    Prevention Solutions by Providing Patients with Assurance that Their
    Hospital Environment is Disinfected

IRVINE, Calif., Nov. 23 /CNW/ -- Advanced Sterilization Products (ASP), a leading global infection prevention solution provider, announced today the acquisition by its French affiliate, Apsis S.A.S., of Gloster Europe, a privately held developer of innovative disinfection processes and technologies to prevent healthcare-acquired infections. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

Gloster Europe designs and markets an innovative area decontamination technology that provides disinfection of patient environments such as hospital and operating rooms. This technology generates a dry mist of hydrogen peroxide on all surfaces for broad and efficient disinfection. Gloster Europe's products have gained significant momentum in Europe and the Middle East and have achieved scientific recognition for their effectiveness against superbugs, such as MRSA and C.difficile, as well as many other viruses and fungi.

"Area decontamination technology is a perfect strategic complement to ASP's existing portfolio of surgical instrument sterilization, high-level disinfection and hand hygiene solutions," said Chuck Austin, Worldwide President of ASP. "Healthcare-acquired infections are a growing global concern. ASP is proud to offer patients who need hospital care greater peace of mind, knowing their room has the added infection protection benefit of this advanced and automated disinfection technology."

Never has the need been greater for novel area decontamination technologies with healthcare-acquired infection rates rising across the globe. Healthcare-acquired infections are at unacceptable rates with an incidence of 4.5 percent of hospital admissions in the U.S. and Western Europe and as high as 15 percent in emerging markets.(1)

Gloster Europe's technologies, marketed under the STERINIS® brand name, are currently available in Europe, the Middle East and select countries in Africa and Asia with rapid expansion to other markets planned for 2010 and beyond, pending country-specific regulations.

    About Advanced Sterilization Products (ASP)

Advanced Sterilization Products (ASP) division of Ethicon, Inc., a member of the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies, is a leading developer of innovative instrument sterilization, high level disinfection and cleaning technologies. The company is dedicated to protecting patients, healthcare workers, and the environment with products that focus as much on safety as they do on efficacy and cost-effectiveness. Utilizing advanced instrument processing technologies, these products help customers to promote positive patient outcomes while controlling costs, increasing productivity and enhancing safety. The company is based in Irvine, California, with offices around the world.

    © Ethicon, Inc. 2009

(1) Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. Estimates on HealthCare Associated Infections. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/hai.html. Accessed October 2007.

For further information: Media, U.S., Katie Sweet, +1-949-789-3945, ksweet@its.jnj.com, or EMEA, Teresa Mueller, 33-1-55-00-44-33, tmueller1@its.jnj.com, both of ASP; or Investors, Stan Panasewicz, +1-732-524-2524, spanase1@its.jnj.com, or Louise Mehrotra, +1-732-524-6491, lmehrot@its.jnj.com, both of Johnson & Johnson Investor Relations Web Site: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/hai.html