New Products and Industry News

Company takes over marketing and selling of collagenase ointment

    Healthpoint (Fort Worth, Tex) will begin marketing and selling the Collagenase Santyl® Ointment product line.

    The marketing and selling of the ointment builds on the March 2006 announcement that the company purchased the topical collagenase business from BioSpecifics Technologies Corp (Lynbrook, NY). The companies plan to invest $1.5 million in upgrading the newly acquired manufacturing facilities, which currently produce Collagenase ABC, the essential ingredient in the prescription drug Collagenase Santyl.

    The sterile enzymatic ointment is used to debride pressure ulcers, chronic dermal ulcers, and severely burned areas by digesting collagen, a major component of devitalized tissue. The enzyme collagenase is derived from the fermentation of the bacterium Clostridium histolyticum.

    Work is underway to ensure no disruption in supply, quality, and customer service occurs as Healthpoint takes on manufacturing, distributing, and marketing the ointment.

    For more information, visit https://www.healthpoint.com.

Absorbent foam improves outcomes, lowers costs

    Medline Industries (Mundelein, Ill) announces the launch of Gentleheal® Atraumatic Super Absorbent Foam dressings that are designed to help improve patient outcomes, reduce nursing time, and lower costs.
The dressing is easy to use,and the silicone-coated surface helps minimize pain during dressing changes. The dressing is absorbent and can stay on for up to 7 days.

    Indicated for pressure, arterial, and venous and diabetic leg ulcers, the dressing’s waterproof outer film helps minimize the risk of cross-contamination while providing a moist healing environment. In addition, the dressing's soft film backing expands as fluid is absorbed, allowing the dressing to stay secure without pulling on fragile periwound skin. The outer film also allows the clinician to easily monitor wound drainage.

    The new dressing contains two important technologies — Exulock® and Sensil®. Inside the dressing, Exulock wicks the exudate vertically where the fluid is “locked” away from the wound. Channels of absorbent granules form a hydrogel on contact with the wound fluid. This process allows more exudate to be absorbed, helps prevent skin maceration, and allows the wound to heal. Sensil is a silicone wound contact layer that gently adheres to the skin around the wound and minimizes the risk of corrosive wound fluid forming between the dressing and the skin.

    For more information, visit https://www.medline.com.

Compression system treats edema associated with venous leg ulcers

    3M (St. Paul, Minn) has launched the Coban™ 2 Layer Compression System, a new wound care product designed to deliver sustained therapeutic compression for the treatment of edema associated with venous leg ulcers and related conditions. The compression system provides a comfortable option for patients and is easy for clinicians to apply.

    The system has two latex-free roll bandages. The inner layer is a lamination of polyurethane foam that is soft and gentle to the skin. The outer layer is a cohesive bandage designed to provide sustained compression, shown to be effective in the treatment of edema associated with venous leg ulcers. Together, the two layers cohere to form a thin, comfortable, effective compression bandage that can help increase patient compliance.

    The compression system provides sustained compression for up to 7 days, ensuring therapeutic management of edema to support wound healing.

    For more information, visit https://www.3M.com/SkinHealth.com or call (800) 228-3957.

New dressing added to product line

    Ferris Mfg. Corp. (Burr Ridge, Ill) has introduced a new product in the company’s QuadraFoam dressing category.

    Shapes™ by PolyMem provides an exclusive formulation in easy-to-use, pre-cut dressings. This formulation is the only multifunctional wound care dressing that can effectively cleanse, fill, absorb, and moisten throughout the healing continuum. This technology enables clinicians to choose the best-fit dressing for each particular wound.

    The formulation has a built-in cleansing agent that is activated by moisture and released into the wound bed. This reduces the need to change the dressing, which can interrupt the growth of healthy tissue as the wound heals. The dressing gently expands and conforms to fill the wound to prevent the dressing from adhering to the wound bed and helps provide comfort at the wound site. The dressing wicks away up to 10 times its weight in exudate, allowing natural growth factors and nutrients to concentrate in the wound bed while keeping the wound bed moist, reducing patient discomfort as the wound heals. Because the dressing is prevented from sticking to the wound bed, removal is virtually pain free.

    For more information, visit https://www.polymem.com.

Company to develop and commercialize wound care, dermatology products

    Onset Therapeutics (Woonsocket, RI), a specialty pharmaceutical company that focuses on the development and commercialization of innovative, patent-protected topical products for skin and wound related disorders, launched the first in a series of prescription wound care products at the Symposium on Advanced Wound Care (SAWC) held in San Antonio, Tex, April 30 – May 3, 2006.

    Development and commercialization of novel therapies with clinical enhancements over existing products in the market is the core of the company’s strategy. With significant development capabilities that include formulation development through GMP manufacturing, the company looks to market numerous topical products within the wound care and dermatology markets in 2006. In addition, the company has a full pipeline of products it intends to launch over the next 3 years that incorporate the company’s novel Foam Vehicle Technology.

    For more information, visit https://www.onsettx.com.

Marketing services director appointed

    3S (Newtown, Pa), a full-service consulting and professional search firm specializing in the wound and skin care industry, recently announced the appointment of Thomas M. Gillespie to the position of Director, Marketing Services. Gillespie brings more than 20 years’ experience in the wound and skin care industry to his new position. Before joining 3S, Gillespie enjoyed a successful career with Mölnlycke Health Care where he was responsible for the US marketing efforts of Mölnlycke's entire wound care product line, including Safetac®. Gillespie was also the US representative to Mölnlycke's Global Brand team in Göteborg, Sweden. Other previous employment includes positions of increasing responsibility within the sales and marketing organizations of Dumex Medical, HMP Communications, Beiersdorf-Jobst, and Calgon Vestal Laboratories.

    For more information call (215) 369-9813 or visit https://www.woundcareconsulting.com.