ORLANDO – US medical technology firm Vestagen, Inc., has signed a deal with San Diego-based Dove Professional Apparel that allows Dove to produce and distribute protective garments which are manufactured using Vestagen’s ‘Vestex’ protective fabric, which are worn by nursing school students and other medical staff.
Vestex is made with proprietary technologies to give a highly repellent fluid barrier and a durable antimicrobial that has been shown in studies to be effective against a broad spectrum of microorganisms.
This method impregnates natural, synthetic and blended fabrics with an organosilane-based quaternary ammonium antimicrobial agent together with a fluoroacrylate copolymer emulsion.
This technology has been especially effective when it comes to repelling blood, body fluids, and microorganisms and an independent peer-reviewed study which assessed the effectiveness of Vestex antimicrobial scrubs in limiting the bacterial burden, including MRSA has backed this claim up.
Contaminated medical clothing is a known carrier of bacteria and healthcare workers have the highest rate of illness and injury of any occupation in the USA. More than a dozen peer-reviewed studies document the contamination of clothing in healthcare facilities where there are patients infected with resistant organisms such as MRSA and C. difficile.
Under the terms of this new, non-exclusive agreement, Dove will now be able sell its own ‘EZ Stretch’ brand of Vestex-protected medical uniforms and scrubs produced under license. Dove is the one of the largest providers of custom uniforms to nursing schools in the USA.
Strategy
“An important element of our strategy is to partner our revolutionary VESTEX protective fabrics with market leaders who have an aligned commitment to innovation that addresses the dynamic conditions affecting healthcare providers and patients,” said Uncas "Ben" B. Favret III, President and Founder of Vestagen. “For more than 30 years, Dove has built a powerful national brand in the nursing school community, and we expect their new Vestex-protected product line will increase awareness and preference for the Vestex brand early in students’ careers.”
Kevin Anderson, President and General Manager of Dove, added, “We see the growing demand for protective fabrics in the healthcare industry and we believe we have chosen the best provider on the market today to help us deliver this important solution to our customers.”
Apparel made with Vestex-protected fabrics is initially targeted at healthcare workers, who are at daily risk of exposure to splatters and spills of dangerous fluids during patient care and who can unknowingly spread these contaminants to other workers, patients, family members and the general public.