SL Bionics "Catching the Omicron Variant Virus with UV Masks"

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Hyowon] SL Bionics announced on the 2nd that it signed an agreement in February last year with patent holders of UV masks in the United States and China and completed the joint development of a sterilization mask utilizing its UVC-LED technology.

The company stated that its partner, the U.S.-based ATMOS, has completed the development of a semi-permanent UV mask that sterilizes the air inside the mask and blocks virus inflow, minimizing airborne infections based on SL Bionics' UVC-LED technology, and is currently undergoing U.S. safety certification and FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approval processes.

The UVC-LED technology is known for its advantage of removing 99.9% of viruses in the air and fundamentally blocking virus inflow through the respiratory tract, and it has been applied in various sterilization home appliances, including water purifiers.

The newly discovered variant virus "Omicron" has raised global concerns regarding its transmissibility and spread speed. Some experts predict that Omicron's transmissibility could be more than five times higher than that of the Delta variant. Additionally, the first infection case in Hong Kong suggests the possibility that transmission occurred through the air rather than droplets, as the two infected individuals had no contact.

An SL Bionics official said, "Since our UV mask adopting our UV LED has proven a 99.99% sterilization effect, we expect it to be effective in preventing infections not only from the currently spreading Omicron but also from airborne viruses," adding, "Recently, the U.S. FDA requested submission of sterilization results for respiratory viruses other than bacteria, and it is known that very good results were obtained through accredited certification in the U.S."

He continued, "We believe that we can secure market competitiveness by expanding products not only for entry into the medical market but also for military and general mask products."

Meanwhile, SL Bionics recently added bio-related investment business objectives at an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders and acquired convertible bonds worth 10.5 billion KRW from its affiliate, Nexton Bioscience. Currently, trading is suspended due to a capital reduction, and trading is expected to resume on December 14.