IIR Corporate members: briefs

- Air Liquide's new LENOXeTM anaesthetic drug was recently presented at the European Congress of Anaesthesiology in Munich, Germany. It is due for commercial release in 12 European countries by the end of 2007. LENOXeTM is based on xenon (Xe), an air gas with very interesting anaesthetic properties. LENOXeTM has the lowest solubility among all inhalational anaesthetics, which permits rapid recovery at the end of surgery. It is not metabolized by the human body, thus improving organ preservation. One of the major advantages of LENOXeTM is that it maintains cardiovascular function during anaesthesia. - BASF plans to produce styrene copolymer packaging containing silver-based antimicrobial agents supplied by Agion Technologies. This technology used in BASF's Luran S range continuously protects from microbes by releasing silver ions to the surface of the product.