Aptar seeks FDA authorization for respirator disinfectant

Crystal Lake-based AptarGroup said it is seeking emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for a system it has developed that can disinfect N95 filtering respirators that are critical to the safety of health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The maker of packaging and delivery systems for the pharmaceutical, food and beverage and personal care industries said in a statement it's ActivShield strip, when placed with the respirator in a one-gallon plastic bag, releases a controlled amount of chlorine dioxide inside the sealed bag to decontaminate the N95 mask, which can then be reused. The process takes three hours to complete and can be used on-site, where the mask is being used.

"We are aiming to provide a solution that is not only fast, but it does not require special equipment or training, making it potentially accessible to the wider health care community.

"This could enable health care workers to retain and disinfect their own face mask, helping to maintain continued proper fit to their face," said Aptar President and CEO Stephan Tanda.

Aptar said has submitted its safety and effectiveness data to the FDA for review, officials said.

"We are extremely encouraged by the promising data generated so far and are eager to deliver this technology to the front line and support the fight against the pandemic," said John Belfance, president of Aptar CSP Technologies.

If the company receives FDA authorization, it plans to provide approximately four million ActivShield strips per week. It will also ramp up production capacity with the intent to deliver 10 million per week by the end of April.