Westmont College and Innovative BioDefense Inc. (IBD), creators of the new Zylast™ line of persistent antimicrobial products, announced today that Westmont will be one of the first college campuses to replace their alcohol sanitizer with Zylast Antiseptic Lotion. Students living and working in close quarters create an ideal environment for the spread of disease-causing germs. Zylast kills 99.99 percent of germs in 15 seconds and is persistent for six hours. In recent studies, replacing alcohol-based sanitizers with Zylast reduced illness-related absenteeism by 41.6 percent for students and 24.7 percent for teachers and school staff.
“Our decision to install Zylast reflects Westmont’s ongoing commitment to the health, safety and success of our students,” says Troy Harris, director of risk management and procurement. “Zylast will be a helpful part of our overall strategy to minimize disruption to classes and campus activities.”
Unlike the alcohol-based sanitizers, Zylast’s proprietary formulation is water-based, moisturizes the skin, is persistent for six hours and is non-flammable. Alcohol-based sanitizers kill more than 99.99 percent of germs on contact by dehydrating bacteria but also dry out hands. Repeated use can cause painfully irritated skin. Once the alcohol evaporates, the sanitizer has no effect, so hands immediately become re-contaminated. Safety concerns about alcohol-based products focus on incidents of students drinking sanitizers and flammability.
Zylast reduces illness in three ways, says Dr. Beth McNichol, who holds a doctorate in emerging infectious disease.
“First, the Zylast products are persistent for six hours, so users are protected beyond the 15-second lifespan of an alcohol sanitizer. Second, the Zylast Lotion is effective against pathogens like the Norovirus, rotavirus, and the common cold – some of the most prevalent diseases among students, and germs against which alcohol sanitizers are relatively ineffective. Finally, the product is water-based and moisturizes the hands, so students and staff actually like using it, which greatly improves compliance.”
The Zylast technology is effective against a broad spectrum of bacteria, including drug-resistant bacteria. Testing showed Zylast still killing 98 percent of E.coli and S.aureus one hour after application on human skin model and nearly 90 percent after six hours. Norovirus, the germ responsible for the stomach flu, is particularly dangerous among students in the close quarters of college dormitories. Independent studies have shown that Zylast kills 99.97 percent of Norovirus on contact – 100 times more than alcohol sanitizers Westmont is replacing. It has also been successfully tested against the Rotavirus, a common cause of diarrhea among children, and Rhinovirus, the common cold. The active ingredient in Zylast, BZT, has been shown to kill more than 99 percent of other viruses like influenza, HIV and Herpes on contact.
The initial contact with the school came through IBD’s President, Dr. Colette Cozean, a Westmont alumna and recipient of the Alumni of the Year award.
“When we got the results showing more than a 40 percent reduction in student illness, one of my first calls was to Westmont. I think this is a product – with its ability to give students and staff more healthy days, moisturize the hands, and save schools money – will soon be in campuses across country. I wanted my alma mater to be among the first, and it fits right in with their devotion to their students.”
Westmont is considering also changing to the Zylast Foaming Soap and providing 2 oz. bottles of the antiseptic lotion for students, staff, and parents in the college store.
About Zylast
The Zylast products debuted in October of 2012 and have already been shown to reduce hospital-acquired infection and school absenteeism. They have been written up in the Wall Street Journal, featured in Travel Weekly’s “New and Hot” list, and called the “best on the market” by Senior Living Topics.
Products include the water-based antiseptic lotion, the alcohol-based antiseptic, and the foaming hand soap. All Zylasts products show rapid, broad-spectrum kill, are persistent for six hours, and moisturize the skin to reduce irritation. They are available in 2 oz. and 8 oz. bottles and in wall-mounted dispensers.
Zylast products, based on proprietary and patented combinations of pharmaceutical ingredients, are owned by Innovative BioDefense Inc., a privately held company headquartered in Lake Forest, CA.
For more information or to order products, please visit www.zylast.com.
Contacts
For more information on Zylast, please contact:
Sheryl Perez
Direct: (310) 430-1607
For information on Westmont, please contact:
Troy Harris, Director of Risk Management and Procurement
(805) 565-6633