Advanced Sterilization Products Receives FDA Clearance For World's First 30-Minute Biological Indicator For Low Temperature H202 Sterilization, by @newswire

IRVINE, Calif., June 21, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Advanced Sterilization Products (ASP) today announced it has received FDA clearance for its 30-minute STERRAD VELOCITY^™ Biological Indicator (BI) System. By reducing the time it takes to get results, from several hours to 30 minutes, this new enhancement to the company's complete sterilization ecosystem gives hospitals the opportunity to raise their standard of care by running a BI in every cycle, every day.

Ensuring that all surgical devices are properly sterilized is one way healthcare workers can help reduce the incidences of healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs). HAIs have a devastating personal and economic impact, claiming the lives of 99,000 people in the U.S. each year¹ at a cost of up to $45 billion.² BIs help to prevent HAIs by providing assurance that instruments used on patients are sterilized. Hospital sterilization professionals will now be able to deliver instruments to the operating room faster and with greater peace of mind.

"With a significantly shorter wait time, STERRAD VELOCITY^™ reduces the risk of hospital sterilization departments releasing instruments prior to BI confirmation," said Amy Smith, Vice President, ASP Global Marketing. "Now they will finally be able to know with certainty that proper sterilization conditions have been achieved before the instruments are used in patients."

Earlier this year, ASP enhanced its overall sterilization solution with the full launch of STERRAD^® Systems with ALLClear^™ Technology and ASP ACCESS^™, a smart information sharing technology. STERRAD VELOCITY^™ is the only BI reader that can automatically communicate BI information to STERRAD^® Systems, ITS and hospital networks, minimizing the need for manual documentation and reducing the potential for human error.

"As the only company that offers an integrated, end-to-end sterilization solution, ASP is in a unique position to help customers elevate patient safety while also maximizing compliance and efficiency in their daily routine," said Smith. "Our complete ecosystem is designed to work together to provide the most accurate results. This ensures the lives of patients are better protected at a time when they are already vulnerable – when they are in hospitals and undergoing potentially life-changing procedures."

About Advanced Sterilization Products (ASP)

Advanced Sterilization Products (ASP), a division of Ethicon US, LLC, part of the Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices Companies, has a long track record of designing and delivering innovative infection prevention solutions that dramatically raise the level of health care and safety for those who matter most. Our pioneering technology, global distribution and established leadership position enable us to simplify the process of buying and operating infection prevention products and services every day for thousands of medical facilities around the world. This enables our customers to focus on what they do best – preventing infection and saving lives. For more information, please visit https://www.us.aspjj.com/allclear or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ASPJJ.

STERRAD^® is a registered trademark of Advanced Sterilization Products. STERRAD VELOCITY™, ALLClear™, and ASP ACCESS™ are trademarks of Advanced Sterilization Products.

Cautions Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding performance expectations for the STERRAD^®VELOCITY^TM Biological Indicator (BI) System. The reader is cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations of future events. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or known or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could vary materially from the expectations and projections of Ethicon US, LLC or its affiliated entities including Johnson & Johnson. Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: uncertainty as to whether the STERRAD^®VELOCITY^TM Biological Indicator (BI) System will perform as expected; uncertainty of commercial success; challenges to patents; competition, including technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; manufacturing difficulties and delays; changes to applicable laws and regulations, including global health care reforms; changes in behavior and spending patterns of purchasers of health care products and services; and trends toward health care cost containment. A further list and descriptions of these risks, uncertainties and other factors can be found in Johnson & Johnson's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 1, 2017, including under Item 1A, "Risk Factors," its most recently filed Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, including under the caption "Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements," and the company's subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Copies of these filings are available online at www.sec.gov, www.jnj.com or on request from Johnson & Johnson. Neither Johnson & Johnson and its affiliates do not undertake to update any forward-looking statement expressed in this release as a result of new information or future events or developments.