Venous Leg Ulcers
Sterilox Technologies, Inc, Radnor, PA, and the Department of Dermatology, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, UK, have announced positive results in a preliminary clinical trial of a new antiseptic wound irrigation fluid for the treatment of chronic venous leg ulcers.
All 17 patients enrolled in the study had previously failed at least 2 courses of standard treatment. Of the 17 participants, 13 benefited from a 12-week course of Sterilox Tx ulcer treatment. Venous leg ulcers healed completely in 7 patients; the size of the ulcerated areas was reduced by more than 50% in the other 6 patients. All patients reported marked reduction in pain when Sterilox Tx treatments were started, a result that continued throughout the trial.
Hypochlorous acid is the main active ingredient of Sterilox Tx, with a pH of 5.4 to 5.8. The solution has demonstrated bactericidal, virucidal, and fungicidal action against many organisms without being toxic to cells in the wound bed.
[black up pointing small triangle] Information: http://www.sterilox.com
Dermatitis Treatment
NUCRYST Pharmaceuticals Corporation, Wakefield, MA, a subsidiary of The Westaim Corporation, has announced results from its Phase IIa efficacy and safety study of a cream formulation in adult patients with mild to moderate atopic dermatitis. Identified as NPI 32101, the cream is a topical form of NUCRYST's proprietary silver Rx nanocrystals. The double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study enrolled 224 adult patients with mild to moderate atopic dermatitis at 23 clinical sites across the country. Patients were treated twice daily for 6 weeks with 1 of 2 concentrations in a cream formulation or the vehicle alone.
The study provided compelling evidence to support the premise that NUCRYST's Rx nanocrystals have commercial potential in pharmaceutical applications, reported Barry M. Heck, President and CEO of Westaim. The company plans to continue with further clinical trials in humans.
[black up pointing small triangle] Information: http://www.westaim.com