Ansell Acquires Minority Stake in Yulex Corp.

Ansell Ltd. has acquired a minority share of Yulex Corporation, a manufacturer of biopolymers derived from the guayule plant. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

In addition, Ansell and Yulex executed an exclusive agreement for the global development, manufacturing and distribution rights for medical gloves, personal protective equipment gloves, and condoms made of guayule latex.

Guayule is a commercial crop—a small evergreen shrub—and the only rubber-producing species other than the Brazilian rubber tree that has been used for latex production on a commercial scale. Extensive scientific research suggests that guayule latex does not produce allergic reactions with natural rubber latex sensitive individuals.

“Our agreements with Yulex are an important step in our strategy to accelerate the development of new innovative products while reducing our usage of rubber tree latex,” said Magnus Nicolin, CEO of Ansell.

Jeff Martin, CEO of Yulex Corporation said: “Our collaboration will advance the acceptance of guayule natural rubber as a U.S. bio-based alternative for natural rubber and petroleum-based rubber products. We are committed to developing ‘green’ renewable technologies for consumer and healthcare markets.”

Ansell’s primary business is the industrial and medical gloves market. The company’s home base is in Australia. North American headquarters are in Red Bank, N.J.

Yulex Corporation is primarily owned by Argonaut Private Equity.

For more on the use of guayle in medical products see this Medical Product Outsourcing feature.