Vesismin Health, based at the Barcelona Science Park and specialising in the development and distribution of innovative products for infection control in hospitals, saw its turnover increase by more than 150% in 2020 over the previous year, achieving to €17 million, 33% of which came from exports to 45 countries, such as France, Poland, the UAE, the UK, China, Romania, the Dominican Republic, among others.

The company’s growth and international expansion accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the manufacture and distribution of NDP Air Total+, an airborne surface disinfectant that kills 99.99% of bacteria, fungi and enveloped viruses (including SARS-CoV-2); the marketing of UV-360 technology, which uses Advanced Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation (UVGI) for disinfection purposes in different hospitals in Spain; and the introduction of Rediroom, the first portable unit that temporarily isolates patients with infectious diseases, into the Spanish market.

Vesismin also has a broad portfolio of products for skin antisepsis, surface disinfectants and medical instruments which is fuelled by strategic alliances and its own R&D. The company plans to expand it over the next few months with two product launches for the hospital market.

According to Víctor Vallés, CEO of Vesismin Health: “Our R&D team is working on the design and development of new disinfection devices, while our sales and marketing department is promoting the distribution of Rediroom, a product designed by Gama Healthcare, implemented with great success in the United Kingdom and Australia, and which aims to provide a solution to infection prevention to the health sector in a year marked by the pandemic”.

Víctor Vallés, CEO of Vesismin Health (Photo: Vesismin Health).

State-of-the-art technology to fight infections in the health sector

Vesismin Health was launched in 2003 by the entrepreneur Victor Vallés from a research project started at the Institut Químic de Sarrià (IQS), and since then its main objective has been to collaborate with health centres in their daily fight to reduce infections by providing effective and innovative disinfection products.

Among other successfully defied challenges, Vesismin Health was a pioneer in introducing and changing the habits of healthcare personnel in the consumption of single-use wipes, both in the disinfection of surfaces and skin and instruments, making disinfection easier and more hygienic. In 2012, the company was also the first laboratory to formulate and market an orange chlorhexidine as an alternative to povidone iodine to facilitate antisepsis in the surgical field and reduce infections.

In 2012, Vesismin received help from ACCIÓ to develop and launch the first orange chlorhexidine on the market, and more recently, Barcelona Activa‘s Axelera programme collaborated with the company to develop a strategic plan for its expansion

Rediroom, the company’s latest product launch, is a revolutionary system that has the potential to reduce the contact and droplet spread of common pathogens, such as influenza, MRSA (methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus) and diphtheria, as well as providing greater isolation capacity, safety and flexibility for hospitals to deal with health crises such as that caused by the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.

It is a compact, portable unit that, when deployed, converts into an individual isolation room with HEPA air filter and self-opening inlet, in just 5 minutes. Once it has been used, it folds up when it is no longer needed, saving space. Its cover is fully disposable, ensuring aseptic conditions for each new use.

In addition to the hospital environment, the system can be used in other places such as nursing homes, field hospitals, airports and military bases.

“We have made a great effort to be among the first countries selected to launch Rediroom and make the product available to hospitals in the current health crisis situation. The Rediroom system is a commitment to innovation to address the lack of isolation rooms in hospitals and other risk areas”, explains Víctor Vallés.