Advanced Sterilization Products, a Johnson & Johnson Company, Announces Partnership With Leading Online Resource for Infection Control Professionals.

Business Editors and Health/Medical Writers

IRVINE, Calif.--(BW HealthWire)--Sept. 27, 2000

Advanced Sterilization Products (ASP), a member of the Johnson & Johnson family of companies, today announced that it has entered into a partnership agreement with ican, INC., a provider of online resources for healthcare professionals. Under the agreement, ASP will provide sponsorship for the disinfection and sterilization sections of icanPREVENT (www.icanprevent.com), ican's new, in-depth educational Web site for infection control and infectious disease professionals.

icanPREVENT is a unique, subscription-only Web site designed to provide current, comprehensive and credible information for health care professionals working toward the prevention, control and treatment of infectious diseases. The Web site features peer-reviewed information, news and commentary, along with the latest guidelines and treatment recommendations, comprehensive product information, online textbooks and a variety of educational resources. More than 7,000 subscriptions have been purchased to date.

According to Lars-Peter Harbing, Worldwide President of ASP, Advanced Sterilization Products has long led and supported educational efforts relating to preventing the spread of infectious diseases in the hospital setting. "We are pleased to partner with ican to help infection control and central processing professionals keep abreast of the latest news and information in the field," Harbing said. "In establishing this partnership, we also recognize and support the use of electronic media such as the Internet, which can provide 24-hour access to important information and services for infection control professionals."

According Barbara DeBaun, R.N., B.S.N., C.I.C., Infection Control Manager at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco, the icanPREVENT site addresses the needs of busy infection control professionals, who are inundated with information. "The ability to immediately access a vast array of timely, useful information through one Web site is a key benefit," DeBaun said. "Keeping informed about topics affecting patients translates into quicker decisions and actions that can positively affect patient care."

ican President and Chief Executive Officer Michael Moen said that the partnership agreement is an important milestone for the company. "We are pleased to partner with ASP, a leading provider of innovative sterilization, disinfection and cleaning products," Moen said. "ASP's commitment to the icanPREVENT site supports our mission to provide the broadest, deepest content for infection control and infectious disease professionals."

ican is a provider of Internet-based, in-depth decision-support resources for healthcare professionals. The company's initial focus is on the prevention, control, diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases. Its interactive products have been developed by some of the world's foremost experts in the field. ican, which was founded in March 1999, is led by Michael T. Osterholm, Ph.D., M.P.H., an internationally recognized epidemiologist and commentator on infectious disease issues. ican is based in Eden Prairie, Minn., and can be found on the Web at www.icaninc.net.

ASP's family of instrument processing products includes its STERRAD(R) System sterilizers, advanced hydrogen peroxide gas plasma systems that safely and rapidly sterilize most heat- and moisture-sensitive medical instruments in the central service, operating room, and ambulatory care settings. Other ASP products include the CIDEX(R) Family of high level disinfectants, and the Automatic Endoscope Reprocessor (AER) for high level disinfection of flexible endoscopes.

Advanced Sterilization Products, a Johnson & Johnson company, Division of Ethicon, Inc., manufactures and markets a full range of innovative sterilization, disinfection and cleaning products that provide safe, effective and economically sound solutions that meet the needs of healthcare providers. The company is based in Irvine, Calif. For information about ASP or its family of products, visit www.sterrad.com or www.cidex.com, or call 888-STERRAD.