KL: While I cannot comment on competitor products, the Clorox Healthcare™ Optimum-UV™ System is safe when used as directed and provides hospitals an effective, high-quality, user-friendly UV-C solution at an affordable cost that is designed to supplement – not replace – manual surface disinfection with EPA-registered disinfectants.

The Clorox Healthcare™ Optimum-UV™ System produces UV-C energy via ultraviolet lamps that emit a predominately discrete wavelength of approximately 254 nm, which is an ideal wavelength to kill microorganisms by inactivating their DNA. The focused wavelength of the Clorox Healthcare™ Optimum-UV™ System gives it one of the highest UV-C outputs, and makes it one of the most efficient machines in the marketplace.


As for efficacy, I will defer to a recent peer-reviewed study published in Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology which found that a continuous UV-C device was more efficacious than the pulsed xenon system device when the machines were run at the same time and distance.

(Study information: Nerandzic, M. M.; Thota, P.; Sankar C., T.; Jencson, A.; Cadnum, J. L.; Ray, A. J.; Salata, R. a.; Watkins, R. R.; Donskey, C. J. Evaluation of a Pulsed Xenon Ultraviolet Disinfection System for Reduction of Healthcare-Associated Pathogens in Hospital Rooms. Infect. Control Hosp. Epidemiol. 2015, 36, 192–197.)

DOTmed News: How do you respond to those who might see this as an example of a large company leveraging its size and resources over a smaller competitor?

KL: I think the most important thing to stress here is that we are not interested in trying to limit any competitors’ ability to fairly compete in the marketplace. However as manufacturers, we have a responsibility to ensure that product claims are accurate and supported by technical and scientific data, especially when we are dealing with health care-associated infections and misinformation can have serious consequences.

From the outset, our biggest concern has been misinformation. UV is a relatively new technology for the industry and the devices are not regulated by the EPA in the same capacity as manual surface disinfectants. Manufacturers owe it to the end users to market their products in an appropriate way and provide safe and effective products that are backed up by data.

Clorox Healthcare asked the Better Business Bureau’s National Advertising Division (NAD) to intervene to ensure Xenex had a reasonable basis for making their claims and Xenex agreed to participate in this NAD challenge. During the challenge, Xenex provided no support for its claims (See: NAD Ruling Press Release).

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