MEDIHONEY Product Success Reported, OTC Approval
MEDIHONEY Wound and Burn Dressing, a product manufactured by Derma Sciences was used to treat a patient with an intractable wound. Following treatment, the wound resolved 90 percent (pdf) within a three week timeframe.
The case reported is notable as the patient, who was undergoing treatment at Georgetown University Hospital’s Wound Center, had not responded to other available treatment options, including hyperbaric oxygen therapy and biologic skin substitutes. The patient was suffering from a diabetic foot ulceration.
The company announced the positive results, which were also reported in the Washington Times, noting that facilities are beginning to add the product to formulary since the relatively recent launch in the U.S. The product was approved last July, as noted on HospitalBuyer.
One potential benefit of this product, indicated for the growing market of diabetic patients, is decreased costs compared to the current standard treatment approaches. Skin grafting and hyperbaric oxygen are both more costly approaches. If evidence indicates that MEDIHONEY, which contains active leptospermum honey, is clinically equivalent to other treatments used for complex, unresponsive wounds, it may earn a spot as the appropriate first line therapy.
Notably, the company also recently received FDA approval for an over the counter formulation of MEDIHONEY. The company has completed marketing efforts to launch products to pharmacies in Canada. This is the only natural-based product for wound treatment currently on the market. Consumers have a growing interest in natural remedies.
June 24, 2008 Related topics: New Technology & Innovation, Surgery