Orders for NatShield Sanitizer Spike after Outbreak

31 Jan 2020, 17:31 by Asia Corporate News Network - ACN Newswire

KUALA LUMPUR / PERTH, Jan 30, 2020 - (ACN Newswire) - ASX-listed Holista CollTech (ASX:HCT, 'Holista') announced today a strong spike in demand in Malaysia for it all-natural disinfectant spray NatShield™ Sanitizer containing the powerful Path-Away® anti-microbial compound. The increased demand follows the recent outbreak of the deadly coronavirus originating in Wuhan, China.

Holista confirmed that since mid-January 2020 it had sold all NatShield™ Sanitizer in its inventory. Each bottle of NatShield™ Sanitizer contains 5% of Path-Away®, which is made from natural plant-based substances that have been approved for use by the U.S. Food and Drug of Authority and tested by World Health Organization (WHO) approved laboratories in numerous countries around the world.

Developed by Global Infection Control Consultants LLC (GICC LLC) based in South Carolina, USA, Path-Away® (www.path-away.com) is distributed in Malaysia by Holista as NatShield™ Sanitizer. Holista is the exclusive distributor of Path-Away® for the ASEAN region. ASEAN countries with confirmed cases of the coronavirus include Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Cambodia.

Based on requests from seven chains representing over 3,000 pharmacies in Malaysia, Holista has ordered 60,000 bottles of NatShield™ Sanitizer to be air-freighted to Malaysia from the U.S.A. by mid-February.

The novel coronavirus was first reported to WHO on 31 December 2019 and has been under investigation ever since. Countries with confirmed infections include the U.S.A., Canada, France, Australia, Japan, South Korea and Nepal.

The active substance in the spray weakens the cell walls of the virus, causing the infectious organisms to clump together, in the process killing themselves, almost instantly. The potent compound is environmentally safe with very low toxicity and hence is not harmful to humans and pets even if accidentally swallowed. It is free of alcohol and other potentially toxic chemicals.

It is approved for use by Malaysia's Ministry of Health, with special reference to the H1N1 virus - another coronavirus, similar to one in this outbreak which led to more than 70 deaths in 2009. It has also been approved by the Food and Safety Authority of New Zealand, and the New Zealand Environmental Protection Authority (EPA). It is approved by the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) and has undergone successful USP-51 testing as a disinfectant.

"This is not a drug. It acts by sanitising body parts. It had been consistently shown to be effective and safe to users and the environment in the most advanced biosafety laboratories in the world," said Dr Rajen Manicka, the CEO of Holista, headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX).

"NatShield™ Sanitizer was created to treat previously known coronaviruses. It can be used as a precautionary spray in crowded areas including public transport. Three to five sprays are all that is needed to disinfect hands, toilet seats, doorknobs, countertops and trolley bars, with efficacy lasting up to two hours. We plan to sell it in all infected ASEAN countries," he said.

Dr Arthur Martin, the President of GICC LLC (www.giccllc.com) said, "The Path-Away® formula has been proven in world-renowned laboratories including those working with WHO, to be able to kill over 170 deadly pathogens including previously existing forms of coronaviruses. Path-Away® is currently undergoing testing on the newly emerged coronavirus, designated as novel coronavirus 2019-nCoV.

Dr Martin, a globally respected scientist and a member of the WHO's Stop Tuberculosis (T.B.) Board, had been previously nominated for the prestigious Kochon Prize for his work on T.B. "Humans of all ages can use Path-Away® with little or no risk of toxic effects. It retains its efficacy for hours even under extremes of temperature and is not corrosive and can be used even in sensitive installations," he said.