Ansell acquires stake in Yulex Corporation

Ansell has announced the purchase of a minority stake in guayule-derived biopolymer manufacturer Yulex Corporation.

Yulex utilises guayule, a small evergreen shrub used as a commercial crop, to produce latex that has been scientifically proven not to cause allergic reactions among those with sensitivities to natural rubber latex.

Under the terms of this new arrangement, Ansell will enter into an exclusive agreement with Yulex for the global development and sale of guayule latex medical gloves, personal protective equipment gloves and contraceptives.

This deal is not expected to have any material impact on Ansell's earnings per share in fiscal years 2012 and 2013, but will help to improve the environmental credentials of its portfolio.

Magnus Nicolin, chief executive officer of Ansell, said: "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."

Earlier this month, the company announced that its HyFlex range of protective gloves have passed 500 million worldwide sales since their introduction in 1996.