| SOUTHAMPTON, Pa., Dec. 20 /PRNewswire/ --
Environmental Tectonics Corporation (Amex: ETC) Sterilization Division today
announced the launch of its dynamic new "One-Step" sterilization and drying
process (U.S. patent pending) designed to simplify and reduce production time,
as well as cut product losses and related costs for pharmaceutical
manufacturers. The pharmaceutical industry is constantly under increased pressure to develop new products and to reduce the cost of its drugs to the marketplace. With the introduction of its unique, new sterilization/drying technology, ETC is making a significant contribution to reducing the overall cost of parental drug manufacturing. Residual moisture is an ongoing problem for the pharmaceutical industry during the processing of bagged stoppers, caps, and line seals used in the production of parenteral drugs. This moisture problem is further exacerbated by the fact that items coming out of washers used during the cleaning phase are often wet when bagged prior to sterilization. Moisture still remaining in the bags on completion of the sterilization cycle is unacceptable for release to production and, thus, dictates the use of expensive drying ovens to remove the moisture. Current processing technique requires that bagged items removed from the sterilizer on completion of a cycle be transferred to a dry heat oven for final drying -- for an additional 8 to 12 hour period -- before they may be used for production. Those processes also carry a significant risk of contamination or damage to product during such handling. Until now, conventional sterilization systems have not been successful in delivering useable product in a single process. ETC took on the challenge to resolve this industry-wide problem and, after months of research in its cycle development laboratory, a solution was achieved. The proprietary approach developed by ETC now permits bagged stoppers, caps, and line seals to be sterilized and dried in one operation, without removal from the sterilizer -- and without the use of a drying oven. This provides a number of significant cost benefits to the customer: • Elimination of the drying oven and related capital cost • Reduction in manpower costs by eliminating the need to unload/load from sterilizer to oven • Reduction in potential contamination and/or damage to product due to reduced handling • Savings on the collateral operating and maintenance cost of drying oven • Savings on the validation costs associated with a drying oven • Savings of valuable plant space, since the oven is no longer necessary • Shorter overall sterilizing/drying cycle time of 3 to 6 hours (vs. an 8 to 12 hour drying time), which provides increased throughput of usable product Mike Allen, Vice President, BioMedical Systems and Sterilizer Group commented, "We believe this new process will greatly benefit companies that process bagged stoppers, caps, and line seals. This is truly a testimony to ETC's willingness to take on challenges and make innovative technological solutions available to the pharmaceutical industry. This, and other, innovations are part of our continuing initiative to expand ETC's presence in the global pharmaceutical, research and medical device markets." ETC designs, develops, installs and maintains steam and ethylene oxide gas sterilization systems, environmental testing and simulation systems, aircrew training systems, hypobaric (altitude training) chambers, deep-diving and clinical hyperbaric medicine systems, public entertainment systems and related products for domestic and international customers. This report contains certain "forward-looking statements" including, without limitation, statements containing the words "believes," "anticipates," "intends," "expects," and words of similar import relating to the Company's operation. There are important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements including contract cancellations, political unrest in customer countries, general economic conditions and the risk factors detailed from time to time in Environmental Tectonics Corporation's periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, without limitation, Environmental Tectonics Corporation Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended February 23, 2001. |
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