NEW PRODUCTS

Taclonex Available by Prescription for Treatment of Psoriasis Vulgaris
Warner Chilcott, Rockaway, NJ, and LEO Pharma, Denmark, Copenhagen, have announced that Taclonex (calcipotriene 0.005% and betamethasone dipropionate 0.064%), a once-daily ointment for the treatment of psoriasis vulgaris in adults, is now available for prescription in the United States. The product is available outside of the United States as Dovobet or Daivobet. It was cleared for marketing by the US Food and Drug Administration in January.

In clinical trials, most patients with psoriasis saw improvement within the first week of use. Efficacy and safety of the product were demonstrated in 7 large, multicenter clinical trials that enrolled approximately 7000 psoriasis patients (more than 3000 were treated with Taclonex) who were agreeable to topical therapy, and who had lesions affecting at least 10% or one or more body regions. Patients treated with Taclonex had greater and more rapid improvement in the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index when compared with patients treated with either calcipotriene or betamethasone dipropionate alone, according to the manufacturer.

Information: http://www.warnerchilcott.com; http://www.leopharma.com

INDUSTRY UPDATES

HEALTHPOINT Set to Market and Sell Collagenase Santyl
On April 3, 2006, HEALTHPOINT, Fort Worth, TX, began sales of the Collagenase Santyl ointment product line. The marketing and selling of the products builds on HEALTHPOINT's recent purchase of the topical collagenase business from BioSpecifics Technologies Corporation, Lynbrook, NY.

Collagenase Santyl ointment is a sterile enzymatic ointment 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.

Information: http://www.healthpoint.com

First Treatment Guidelines for Diabetic Peripheral Pain Announced
Consensus guidelines for the treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain (DPNP), authored by the American Society of Pain Educators (ASPE), Montclair, NJ, have been published in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings journal of the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN. For the first time, these guidelines provide health care professionals with a definitive and consistent treatment strategy for the management of pain associated with diabetes. The ASPE Consensus Guidelines for DPNP were designed to help improve treatment outcomes and minimize medical errors for the estimated 1 million individuals who have diabetes and debilitation DPNP.

The guidelines were developed under an educational grant from Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN, and were jointly sponsored by the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, and the ASPE. They were published as a continuing medical education supplement in the April 2006 issue of the Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

Information: http://www.mayoclinicproceedings.com; http://www.paineducators.org

National Healing Corporation Receives National JCAHO Certification
National Healing Corporation (NHC), Boca Raton, FL, has earned the Gold Seal of Approval for health care quality. The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) awarded the company a Disease Specific Care Certification for wound care. The firm accounts for more than 20% of the nation's managed wound healing centers specializing in the treatment of chronic and nonresponsive conditions.

The JCAHO certification applies to all NHC centers that have been open for more than 4 months and have begun participating in the disease-specific care quality indicators. NHC's Wound Healing Centers average a healing rate of 81% on previously nonresponsive wounds and have reduced amputation rates to 2%.

Information: http://www.nationalhealing.com

New CPT and HCPCS J Codes Released by the AMA and CMS
HEALTHPOINT, Fort Worth, TX, announced that as of January 1, 2006, the American Medical Association has released 2 new current procedural terminology (CPT)* codes that are relevant to the application of OASIS products. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has introduced a new HCPCS Level II code relevant to OASIS products.

The new code descriptions are detailed below for easy reference:

The OASIS Wound Matrix is a bioresorbable, 3-dimensional, cell-free matrix derived from porcine small intestinal submucosa that is indicated for the management of partial and full-thickness wounds, such as venous ulcers and diabetic foot ulcers.

* CPT is copyright 2005, American Medical Association. All rights reserved.

Information: http://www.healthpoint.com

CLINICAL STUDIES

Bioelectronics Corporation Partners with Lahey Clinic for ActiPatch Studies
Bioelectronics Corporation, Frederick, MD, and the Lahey Clinic, Boston, MA, are launching a 3-year study of ActiPatch on a variety of soft tissue injuries and related medical conditions. The Lahey Clinic, whose faculty is affiliated with the medical schools at Harvard and Tufts, will initiate double-blind clinical studies on ActiPatch in the areas of plastic surgery, orthopedics, and chronic wound care.

ActiPatch is a drug-free anti-inflammatory product with an embedded battery-operated microchip that delivers weeks of continuous pulsed therapy, according to the manufacturer. Its patented technology is designed to provide a cost-effective method to reduce soft tissue pain and swelling.

Information: http://www.bioelectronicscorp.com

Clinical Results for Diabetic Neuropathy Drug Trial Presented
Sangamo BioScience, Inc, San Diego, CA, announced positive results from the Phase I
human clinical trial of SB-509, the company's ZFP Therapeutic (zinc finger DNA-binding protein transcription factor [ZFP TF]) for the treatment of diabetic neuropathy. Safety data and preliminary findings were presented at the 58th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in San Diego and are the first publicly reported data from a human trial of a ZFP Therapeutic.

SB-509 is designed to directly protect and restore nerve function by upregulating the expression of the gene encoding vascular endothelial growth factor in patients with diabetes who suffer from peripheral neuropathy. The study's main objective was to test clinical and laboratory safety. In the single-blind, single-treatment, dose-escalation trial, 12 patients with mild to moderate diabetic peripheral neuropathy received the agent by intramuscular injection in a distribution along the major peripheral nerves in the legs and feet. Improvements in pain, numbness, and neurologic symptoms were observed in about 50% of patients who received a single treatment of SB-509. Anecdotal improvements were also reported in neurologic examination scores and electrophysiologic testing.

Information: http://www.sangamo.com

SkinMedica Reports Positive Findings for HydroGel Technology
SkinMedica, Inc, Carlsbad, CA, reported the positive outcome of 2 Phase III clinical trials evaluating Desonate (desonide) HydroGel 0.05%, a low-potency topical steroid formulated in a proprietary alcohol-free, aqueous gel delivery vehicle to treat atopic dermatitis. The multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled comparison study involved 582 pediatric patients, ages 3 months to 18 years, with mild to moderate atopic dermatitis. Patients received either Desonate HydroGel or placebo twice daily for 4 weeks.

Results demonstrated a significant treatment effect for Desonate HydroGel in both primary and secondary endpoints. The product was well tolerated and the most frequently observed adverse effects were mild in nature and largely limited to application site reactions. No serious adverse effects were reported.

Information: http://www.skinmedica.com

Soriatane Study Shows Effectiveness in the Treatment of Plaque-Type Psoriasis
Connetics Corporation, Palo Alto, CA, announced that Phase IV clinical study results evaluating the long-term efficacy of a lower dosage of Soriatane (acitretin) indicate that the low-dose regimens were effective and well tolerated over a 6-month period in the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque-type psoriasis in adults. A poster highlighting the results was presented at the 64th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology in San Francisco, CA.

The current Soriatane treatment practice is to administer the maximum tolerable dose, from 25 mg to 60 mg per day, while also managing the dose-related adverse effects, noted Jennifer Cather, MD, Modern Dermatology, Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas, TX. The daily low-dose regimen of 10 mg or 25 mg over a 6-month period has demonstrated to be as effective when compared with the current more aggressive treatment regimen. With these results, Connectics anticipates that patients could begin initial therapy with a low-dose 25 mg regimen of Soriatane and experience a positive response with fewer adverse effects.

Information: http://www.connectics.com

CONTINUING EDUCATION

Clinical Symposium on Advances in Skin & Wound Care
Mark your calendars now and plan to join us at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort in Lake Buena Vista, FL, September 28 to October 1, 2006, for the 21st Annual Clinical Symposium on Advances in Skin & Wound Care: The Conference for Prevention and Healing. The deadline for submitting an abstract or nominees for the Sharon Baranoski Founder's Award is July 14, 2006. Click here for more information.

ASSOCIATION NEWS

Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses Week Is April 17-21
During the week of April 17-21, the Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses Society will recognize the nurses who provide quality and caring services to thousands of patients with wound, ostomy, and continence (WOC) disorders. This population includes more than 5 million Americans who suffer from chronic wounds, a half million Americans who have ostomies and need special care and teaching, and approximately 11 million Americans with urinary and fecal incontinence.

Information: http://www.wocn.org