Biofortis Clinical Research – Important COVID Update

By Furhan Yacub

Biofortis Clinical Research site in Addison remains open for both clinical visits and consumer testing.

As the COVID-19 situation continues to evolve, Biofortis and its parent company, Mérieux NutriSciences, are taking action both for the safety of our employees and to help protect our subjects and our larger community.

Our priority is to create as low risk an environment as possible for our staff and for our subjects in order to help minimize the potential spread of the virus.

Biofortis Clinical Guidelines for COVID-19

In accordance with federal and state recommendations.

All People Entering the Building

• Must complete a brief health questionnaire upon entrance and those recording relevant risk factors are refused admittance
• Will have gloves, masks, hand washing stations, tissues, and sanitizer available to them
• Are requested to cough and sneeze into their elbow or a tissue and immediately wash hands after and sanitize
• Are encouraged to avoid touching their face as much as possible
• Must not enter the building if feeling ill but call to reschedule the appointment

Cleaning and Infection Control Measures

• Areas utilized by staff and/or subjects are frequently sanitized after use on all surfaces including, but not limited to, chairs, tables, keyboards, pens, etc. . .
• A cleaning and sanitizing schedule is implemented daily
• Sanitation solution is available for all employees throughout the building for sanitation use
• Maintain the practice of good hygiene by all staff including frequent hand washing
• Staff must wear face coverings
• Social distancing will be maintained whenever possible

Ongoing Clinic Study Visits

• In-person visits are modified to limit contact as much as possible and vary based on study requirements
• Curbside pickup when able will be utilized for product dispensation
• Study materials are sanitized in between each use during visits

Sensory Testing

• When able, descriptive and consumer studies have moved to curbside pickup with samples being placed directly in the panelist trunk.
• In lab testing parameters have been implicated:
  • Extra 5 minutes in between sessions to thoroughly clean the booth area in between sessions, which includes the computers, mice, keyboards, walls, chairs, etc.
  • Limit the number of consumers per session to every other booth testing.
  • Even before the pandemic, our sensory staff was trained to handle and serve food safely. This includes but not limited to: wearing gloves and changing them as often as needed, cleaning and sanitizing all work surfaces, and avoid being in the kitchen when ill.

As the situation rapidly evolves, our Global MXNS task force continues to monitor the situation and provide updated guidance and, if necessary, updated restrictions. Biofortis will implement the updated restrictions immediately.

Please feel to reach out to us with any additional questions you may have.