Products
CardioTech International, Inc, Woburn, MA, will begin immediate distribution of 30,000 of its Food and Drug Administration-cleared HydroMed wound dressings to emergency care physicians, hospitals, clinics, and dermatologists in the United States and overseas. In January, the company began allowing wound-dressing customers to place orders via the Internet at a new Dermaphylyx Web site.
The HydroMed wound dressing is designed for pressure ulcers, lightly exudating wounds, and minor burns. HydroMed can also be applied as a facial mask for use after plastic surgery or dermabrasion.
The shelf life of Ionic Polymer Matrix (IPM) Wound Gel from LAM Pharmaceutical, Lewiston, NY, has been extended to 3 years. LAM, a biomedical company focused on the development and commercialization of novel wound healing and transdermal drug delivery systems, has successfully completed all testing, analysis, and documentation required by the Food and Drug Administration to extend IPM Wound Gel shelf life from 18 to 36 months.
The wound gel is based on the original LAM Ionic Polymer Matrix technology, a proprietary and patented combination of electrically charged and noncharged molecules with wound healing properties.
Companies
TIAX, Cambridge, MA, has been issued a patent for a multilayered wound dressing intended to promote faster and more effective healing of hard-to-heal wounds. The dressing is designed to reduce bandage-manufacturing costs by using fewer steps than other products on the market, according to the manufacturer.
The wound dressing is made of 3 layers of nonwoven materials, including cotton, rayon-polyester, and polyolefins. The first (contact) layer protects the affected area while allowing oxygen to reach the wound. The second layer, which wicks and transports wound fluid away from the wound, can also deliver topical drugs. A waterproof third layer allows air to enter and moisture to escape.
Hydron Technologies, Inc, Pompano Beach, FL, has received formal patent assignment for its new tissue oxygenation technology, which has applications for improving current medical treatments and quality of life for burn victims, patients with diabetes, patients with pressure ulcers, and postsurgical patients.
Hydron's technology allows pure oxygen to be delivered through the skin to tissue depths considered therapeutic for wound healing and the maintenance of tissue viability. This technology uses microbubbles of pure oxygen, averaging 1 micron in diameter, to deliver oxygen deep into the tissue.
Collagen Matrix, Inc, Franklin Lakes, NJ, has launched a new Web site, http://www.collagenmatrix.com, to keep customers, collaborators, distributors, and product users informed of the latest information on its new products and services and other developments. The company's collagen technology offers diverse application in tissue repair and regeneration. Its current focus is on research and product development in neurosurgical, neurointerventional, cardiovascular, dermatologic wound care, and oral surgical areas.
Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc, Corona, CA, has entered into a Canadian licensing agreement with Paladin Labs, Inc, headquartered in Montreal, to market OXYTROL, the company's transdermal patch for the treatment of overactive bladder with symptoms of urge urinary incontinence, urgency, and frequency. According to the pharmaceutical company, Paladin's well-established commercial presence with Canadian urologists will provide Watson with an outstanding strategic marketing partner for OXYTROL.
LAM Pharmaceutical, Corp. Lewiston, NY, has signed a distribution agreement with Mexico City-based Verus S.A. de C.V., making Verus the exclusive distributor of LAM IPM Wound Gel in Central America and South America, excluding Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina. According to LAM management, the agreement is expected to help LAM penetrate Latin America's high-growth market.
The presence of Verus professionals in the smaller countries in the region should allow LAM to enter these niche markets in a cost-effective manner. The distribution agreement is part of LAM's long-term strategy of evolving into a diversified health care company with a strong international presence.
Education
HEALTHPOINT, Ltd, Fort Worth, TX, has provided sponsorship for Veterans Administration (VA) podiatry residents to participate in the Podiatric Residency Education Services E-learning Network Training (PRESENT) program. The PRESENT Residency Courseware program is approved by the Council of Teaching Hospitals and the Committee of Podiatric Medical Education.
PRESENT program sessions are accessible worldwide 24 hours a day. Residents can fulfill their weekly lecture requirement through the Internet, and are closely monitored by podiatric directors, who track resident participation and performance as required by the committee of Podiatric Medical Education. HEALTHPOINT will sponsor 6 of the 52 1-hour, online presentations intended to cover the full range of podiatric fundamentals, in addition to providing the sponsorship of all VA hospital podiatric residents.
Limb Ischemia
United Therapeutics Corporation, Silver Spring, MD, is sponsoring a study of Remodulin in patients with critical limb ischemia with no planned revascularization procedures. The randomized, double blind study will assess and compare the safety of continuous and daily subcutaneous Remodulin therapy in this patient population and will determine the effect of Remodulin on wound healing and treadmill walk distance. Remodulin injection is approved as a subcutaneous infusion for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension in patients with NYHA Class II-IV symptoms to diminish symptoms associated with exercise.
To be eligible for the study, patients must be between ages 18 and 85 and have stage III or IV critical limb ischemia caused by documented peripheral arterial disease with no planned interventional vascular procedures. The 12-week multicenter study will be placebo controlled, with an expected enrollment of 30 patients.