New Products and Industry News

Wound matrix product receives conditional letter of inclusion

   Healthpoint Ltd. (Fort Worth, TX, USA) announced that OASIS® Wound Matrix received a conditional letter of inclusion for publication in the United States Pharmacopoeia (USP). Inclusion in the USP is reserved for products that meet specified standards in terms of their quality, identity, strength, and purity. Items listed in the USP include drugs, biologics, and tissues that have met these standards as set forth by USP.

   The product is comprised of intact porcine small intestine submucosa that is freeze-dried and terminally sterilized to form an acellular, extracellular matrix. Clinical studies are underway to evaluate this product against other products and standards of care in the management of hard-to-heal wounds.

   The product is used in the management of partial- and full-thickness skin loss injuries, such as pressure, venous, and chronic vascular ulcers; diabetic ulcers; surgical and trauma wounds; second-degree burns; abrasions; and autograft donor sites.

   Finalization of the OASIS Wound Matrix monograph, a list of tests that identify the product, will result in OASIS's inclusion in the 2004 publication.

   For more information, visit www.healthpoint.com.

New exudate transfer dressing launched

   Molnlycke Health Care (Newtown, Pa.) launched Mepilex Transfer - a new Tendra product with Safetac Soft Silicone Technology. The new product:
   * minimizes trauma to the wound and pain to the patient during dressing changes
   * transfers the exudate away from the wound and minimizes the risk for maceration
   * conforms well and enables management of difficult-to-dress wounds.

   A soft silicone exudate transfer dressing, it is designed for a wide range of exuding and difficult-to-dress wounds such as cancer wounds and epidermolysis bullosa. It also can be used as protection on non- to minimally exuding wounds, making it suitable on large, awkward areas with fragile skin. The large sizes also enable covering of large areas of damaged and ulcered skin.

   Thin and conformable, the dressing ensures a direct contact to the wound and the surrounding skin on uneven surfaces. As the Safetac layer seals around the wound, the foam structure allows the exudate to move vertically into a secondary absorbent pad, allowing it to maintain a moist wound environment in combination with an appropriate secondary dressing.

  The product is available in two sizes, 6" x 8" and 8" x 20."

   To receive more information on Molnlycke, visit www.tendra.com/products/index.html or contact Tom Gillespie at (800) 882-4582, ext. 2048 or email tom.gillespie@molnlycke.net.

FDA approval given to wound dressings

   Coloplast Corp. (Atlanta, Ga.) announced that Contreet® Hydrocolloid, Non Adhesive Foam and Adhesive Foam Antimicrobial Barrier Dressings have been cleared by the Food and Drug Administration for sale in the United States. The antimicrobial barrier dressings are indicated for chronic and acute wounds, specifically leg ulcers and pressure sores. The products also can be used for partial-thickness burns, donor sites, postoperative wounds, and skin abrasions. In addition, the dressings are indicated in wounds that are colonized, wounds at risk of infection, and infected wounds.

   The products belong to a new generation of antibacterial dressings based on hydroactivated ionic silver technology. The ionic silver is liberated from its carrier during an exchange with the sodium and potassium ions normally found in wound exudate. The dressings demonstrate in-vitro antibacterial barrier activity for up 7 days in bacterial strains known to be detrimental to wound healing.

   For more information, call (800) 533-0464 or visit www.us.coloplast.com.