New Products and Industry News

New ostomy products more hygienic and comfortable

    Coloplast (Atlanta, Ga.) announced the launch of Assura® EasiClose™ WIDE Outlet ostomy pouch and the Assura® AC (Adhesive Coupling) Convex Light. EasiClose™ WIDE Outlet is designed to handle thicker output, making the pouch easier to empty. The lower flap ensures the outlet is sealed, creating a more hygienic solution. The pouch also features a slim line filter for discretion. A new interior pouch film makes emptying faster and improved pouch cloth enhances the durability of the pouch when emptying. EasiClose™ WIDE Outlet is available in one- and two-piece systems with both pre-cut and cut-to-fit sizes.

    The Assura® AC Convex Light caters to different abdominal contours and stoma indications, with a low profile, comfortable, two-piece system. Based on adhesives, the system is easy to apply; it has no hard coupling ring as with a standard two-piece ostomy system.

    For more information, call (770)-281-8374.

New transdermal patch for overactive bladder treatment

    Paladin Labs Inc. (Montreal, Canada) announced that the Therapeutic Products Directorate of Health Canada has approved Oxytrol® (oxybutynin transdermal system). The transdermal patch has been developed for people suffering from overactive bladder (OAB) and experiencing symptoms such as urge urinary incontinence, urgency, and frequency. Thin, flexible, and clear, the patch can be applied to the abdomen, hip, or buttock twice weekly. The active ingredient, oxybutynin, is a widely accepted medication that has been prescribed in oral formulation for the past 25 years. The transdermal delivery system delivers 3.9 milligrams per day of oxybutynin consistently and continuously through the skin into the bloodstream, bypassing initial metabolism in the liver and the gastrointestinal tract that occurs with oral medications, providing relief of overactive bladder symptoms for up to 4 days.

    According to the Canadian Continence Foundation, approximately 2.9 million Canadians suffer from overactive bladder and, according to IMS Canada, the total Canadian market for overactive bladder exceeded $46 million in 2003.

    For more information, please call (514) 340-5067. 

Non-aerosol debridement spray hits market

    Healthpoint Ltd. (Fort Worth, Tex.) has announced that ACCUZYME® (Papain, Urea) Ointment is now available in a pump-spray delivery system. The non-aerosol delivery system allows for a smooth, even application on the wound bed. The spray also makes hard-to-reach wounds more accessible for more even coverage. The product is indicated for debridement of necrotic tissue and liquefaction of slough in acute and chronic wounds.

    For more information, visit www.healthpoint.com. 

Amino acid-based treatment nourishes skin

    Medline's (Mundelein, Ill.) skin care product line, Remedy, contains Olivamine, a blend of antioxidants, amino acids, and methlsulfonylmethane (MSM) that nourishes the skin at the cellular level. The non-irritating skin treatment contains amino acids treated with photoacoustic resonance to reshape them into a more bio-available form. Olivamine also contains hydroxytyrosol, the most potent antioxidant known today, which is found in the pulp of olives. Hydroxytyrosol helps repair cell membranes and fight against the damage caused by free radicals, restoring cells to a healthy state.

    The product line is available for a variety of skin needs and applications.

    For more information, call (847) 949-3011 or email jmarks@medline.com. 

Companies join forces to aid children in Afghanistan

    Healthpoint Ltd. (Fort Worth, Tex.) and Cook Biotech Inc. (West Lafayette, Ind.) are sending critically needed bioengineered tissue for burn and wound care to help Afghan children injured during the war and its aftermath. Earlier this year, Afghan-American Engineering contacted Cook and requested medical equipment such as fluoroscopes, electrocauterizers, surgery equipment, and skin graft supplies. OASIS® Wound Matrix product was shipped to Children's Hospital in Kabul to treat hundreds of young patients. The tissue-engineered medical device is derived from a natural organically intact animal source. It is developed into strong, sterile, pliable sheets that provide a rich environment or "scaffold" for cell attachment and growth that acts as a framework to support remodeling of host tissue.

    For more information, visit www.healthpoint.com.

Three-year supply agreement reached

    MedAssets (St. Louis, Mo.) awarded Mölnlycke Health Care Inc. (Newtown, Pa.) a 3-year contract for their Tendra® wound management products featuring Safetac technology.
The products will be placed into a new dressing category called "Soft Silicone Dressings." Safetac is a soft silicone adhesive technology designed specifically for wound management dressings. The products in the Safetac line include Mepitel® soft silicone wound contact layer, Mepilex® soft silicone foam dressing, Mepilex® Border soft silicone adhesive bordered foam dressing, Mepilex® Lite soft silicone thin foam dressing, Mepilex® Transfer soft silicone exudate transfer dressing, and Mepiform®, a thin, flexible, self-adherent dressing for scar management.

    The products can be used on numerous wound types, including skin tears, venous leg ulcers, pressure ulcers, burns, radiation therapy skin reactions, cancer wounds, and scar management. In addition, products with Safetac technology have proven helpful with the dermatological condition Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB).

    All Safetac technology products are designed to minimize trauma and pain during dressing changes. The medical grade soft silicone provides gentle, but secure adhesion to intact dry skin, while the hydrophobic nature prevents the dressing from adhering to moist wounds.

    For more information visit: www.molnlycke.net. 

National healthy leg day scheduled

    Sigvaris Inc. (Peachtree City, Ga.) will be holding seminars to celebrate the first National Healthy Leg Day. Scheduled for October 15 in Atlanta, Ga., the event intends to provide education on risk factors for vein disorders. According to the National Women's Health Information Center, 60% of American men and women suffer from some form of vein disorder, most commonly varicose veins. Another venous disorder, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a blood clot that forms in a deep vein, claims up to 200,000 people yearly in the US - more than AIDS and breast cancer combined.

    National Healthy Leg Day will feature a series of continuing education seminars for the medical community, as well as classes for soon-to-be and new mothers, human resource professionals seeking information on preventing the 2 million lost work days related to chronic venous insufficiency, and the general public at risk.

    For more information, please call (770) 632-2930.