Atrion Releases Intelligent Authoring 4.1 With Major Updates in Managed Regulatory Content

For immediate release

Montreal, Quebec, January 12, 2009—Atrion International announces the availability of Intelligent Authoring (IA) release 4.1 - part of the Atrion Product Compliance Solution. The new version features significant new updates to its Managed Regulatory Content to facilitate localized regulatory compliance for formula-based companies. Additions include localized GHS support for Taiwan, Thailand and New Zealand, as well as significant regulation updates specific to the Paint & Coatings and Flavors & Fragrances industries.

“Regardless of size or competitive position on the market, formula-based chemical companies need to adequately address compliance issues and ensure product-greening at every stage of the product life cycle,” said Frank Arcadi, Vice President of Product Strategy and Direction at Atrion. “Atrion’s IA application provides the most up-to-date regulatory content available and the automated tools these companies need to facilitate product compliance. This can be of particular benefit for mid-market organizations that need to compete and position themselves for growth, but may not have the resources or capabilities to support highly customized systems and infrastructures.”

Atrion’s IA application is a cost-effective and scalable solution that requires minimal additional resources or investment in sophisticated systems. The application facilitates product compliance by automating the creation of globally compliant and multi-lingual Material Safety Data Sheets MSDS / SDS, labels, hazard summary sheets, documents related to transportation, inventory reports, etc.

IA 4.1 - Managed Regulatory Content Updates

In keeping with its mission to remain at the forefront of changing environmental regulations, and continue to facilitate product compliance for process-intensive, chemical-based companies, Atrion’s IA 4.1 includes several key updates to its Managed Regulatory Content.

Additional GHS Support

GHS support has been added for Taiwan, Thailand and New Zealand, in addition to the existing support for Japan and Korea. New forms, sentences and logic were added enabling users to create compliant safety data sheets and labels for these countries. Atrion will continue to track the GHS schedule and will add support as additional countries announce their plans for GHS adoption.

VOC Regulation Support for Paint & Coatings Industry

Other enhancements in IA 4.1 include updates addressing VOC regulations for Australia, Canada, the United States (CARB, EPA and OTC) and Hong Kong. Users can now determine the VOC content of a paint or consumer product in accordance with the different calculation methods specified in these countries. In addition, exempt lists (substances that are not VOC) will be supplied through Atrion’s data products, providing a greater degree of automation. Finally, existing support for EU, UK and Switzerland VOC regulations have been revised, improved and integrated with new content addressing this complex requirement.

Content Updates for Flavors & Fragrances Industry

IA 4.1’s Managed Regulatory Content also features several new additions that are pertinent to the flavors and fragrances industry sector:

• IFRA Certificate Implementation – IA 4.1 now greatly facilitates the production of IFRA certificates by implementing the concentration limits for all substances—in every category—that are restricted and/or prohibited by IFRA. Rules are also included to determine the MAC for any substance or mixture of fragrance material, taking into account all the limitations set by IFRA.
• EFFA Code of Practice - In support of EFFA’s proposed ‘commonly used substances’,classification scheme that aims to comply with Europe’s current Dangerous Substances Directive, IA 4.1 now includes Risk and Safety phrases that can be easily leveraged by standard rules calculating the classification for simple substances or complex mixtures (calculation compliant with the Dangerous Preparation Directive).
• EU Cosmetics Directive - Full implementation of the ‘EU Cosmetics Directive (76/768/EEC)’ has been provided in IA 4.1, in addition to the ‘Fragrance Safety Evaluation Form’ prescribed by COLIPA.

Atrion monitors any changes to the IFRA CoP and EFFA CoP, and data is kept up-to-date to ensure continuous compliance with the latest information available.

About Atrion International

Atrion International Inc. founded in 1989, delivers the most reliable, product compliance solutions for multinational ‘formula-based’ companies. By integrating the largest set of managed regulatory content into a prepackaged automated solution and connecting to key ERP systems, Atrion’s Product Compliance Solution ensures that products will reach customers with minimal risks to brand image and shareholder value. Atrion International is headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Canada with offices in the United States and Europe.

For more information about Atrion International, visit www.atrionintl.com.

Atrion Intl. Contact:

Donna Zamiska
Marketing & Communication Manager
(514) 337-2114, ext. 226
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Atrion PR Contact:

Marlene Kovac
Verrecchia Group Communications
(514) 421-1940
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