2020 Healthcare & Pharmaceutical Awards

GHP / 2020 Healthcare & Pharmaceutical Awards 29 , Most Innovative Protective Clothing & Accessory Brand - South East Based inCaterham, Surrey, Copper Clothing is an innovative clothing brand pioneering the research and development behind copper-infusedmaterials to revolutionise theway antibiotic resistance is tackled. Recently, we profiled the firmand caught upwith Copper Clothing’s clinical research and development director, RoryDonnelly to discovermore about one of the most innovative clothing&medical technology brands operating in the South East today. Since its inception, Copper Clothing’s overall objective is to reduce the spread of infectious diseases through commercialising a range of high-quality, durable, non-drug, non-invasive and affordable anti-microbial solutions. Rory Donnelly is the company’s research and development director. He tells us in more detail about the company and how it can help shape the future of the med-tech industry. What makes the firm unique and differentiates it from competitors is the addition of copper in materials such as cotton, or bandages, and the benefits this brings. Copper is a known anti- microbial agent. It controls odour and improves hygiene. Plus, it rejuvenates the skin through the production of collagen and elastin and opens up capillaries to improve microcirculation. The use of this fabric has been linked to the reduction of pain and inflammation and it is also known to be beneficial for medical conditions like arthritis and athlete’s foot. Rory highlights that: “Copper fabrics, infused with copper ions, are scientifically proven to be antimicrobial, which means anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal. Sep201069 “The most significant challenge in our industry is to make people aware of just how important copper is. We have carried out hundreds of lab tests and have proved that our copper fabric can destroy viruses within minutes. “Recently, we participated with the Croydon University NHS Trust, testing our products in three separate double-blind clinical studies involving over 1,000 participants. These clinical studies proved to be so successful we have been invited back to carry out a further four studies with our copper-infused wound dressing. Copper is known to promote the development of blood vessels and rejuvenate skin through the synthesis of collagen and elastin, which is vital in the repair of wounds.” The recent Covid-19 pandemic has only increased demand for Copper Clothing’s products, particularly following a recent report published in The Lancet which found that the Coronavirus virus lived for seven days on standard surgical masks, but appeared to be destroyed by copper-infused versions to 99.99% efficacy. According to Rory: “Copper is known to kill coronavirus in four hours and now our patented technology  has reduced this time to 60 seconds. We have proved that when Covid-19 comes into contact with copper fabric, it is destroyed. This happens 99.99% of the time. “As well as Coronavirus, in many published medical journals it has been shown and proven that copper fabrics can and do destroy HIV-1 (virus) by more than 99.99% in only 20 minutes, Cytomegalovirus (CMV) by 99.99% in only 20 minutes, and 99.99% of aerosol viruses such as Influenza (H1N1 / H9N2).” Copper fabrics are designed to be sustainable and durable in the long-term, meaning the copper ions that are molecularly bonded to the fabrics will not wash away, and last the lifetime of the product. “The pandemic we are facing has forced everyone to re-evaluate our approach to preventing the spread of viruses,” Rory continues. “Fortunately, since 2011 the team at Copper Clothing has been doing the testing and research to provide products to aid in fighting bacteria, fungi and viruses. “Now, we aim to build awareness that such an innovation exists and support access to the material so it can protect lives across both developed and undeveloped countries, especially in disaster relief zones, which act as expedited breeding grounds for all infectious diseases. “Copper infused products successfully reduce infection rates in a clinical setting and drastically improve patient care with potentially vast cost-saving benefits to patients and health bodies. It’s a win-win.” Contact: Rory Donnelly Company: Copper Clothing Ltd Website: www.copperclothing.com Copper Clothing Ltd