WASHINGTON (April 25, 2008) — Yulex Corp has received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to market the first medical device made from guayule, the desert shrub that yields a rubber latex.
The examination gloves approved by the FDA are hypoallergenic, containing none of the proteins that in traditional Hevea rubber latex trigger allergic reactions ranging from contact dermatitis to anaphylactic shock. Yulex is the exclusive licensee of a guayule latex processing method developed and patented by the U.S. Department of Agriculture—Agricultural Research Service.
Katrina Cornish, the USDA scientist who led the guayule latex project, is now Yulex senior vice president of research and development. Yulex will work with medical device manufacturers, which will decide when to begin marketing guayule examination gloves, a Yulex spokeswoman said.