New Products and Industry News

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PRODUCT NEWS

FDA Clears Single-Use Negative Pressure Wound Therapy System
  Smith & Nephew (London, UK) received US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance of the pocket-sized PICO system, a single-use negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) system. It is cleared for use both in a hospital and homecare setting, and expands the use of NPWT from the traditional wound care population to include a wider range of patients undergoing orthopedic surgery, plastic surgery, and general surgical procedures. The system has already been launched in Europe, Canada, and Australia.

  Visit http://global.smith-nephew.com [4] for more information.

Companies Sponsor EB Dressing Giveaway
  DebRA (Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa Research Association, [New York, NY]) has partnered with Hollister Wound Care (Libertyville, IL) to give away samples of RESTORE Contact Layer FLEX dressing with TRIACT Technology.

  The dressing offers all the benefits of the original RESTORE Contact Layer dressings—nonadherence for pain-free removal and a moist wound interface in the presence of exudate—but on a flexible mesh that allows for greater conformability and comfort.

  To receive a sample, visit https://secure.commonground.convio.com/debra/hollisterflexgiveawayvr/ [5].

Two 3M Products Rank in the Top 100 Most Outstanding List
  Popular Science magazine named 3M™ (St. Paul, MN) Kind Removal Silicone Tape and Noise Indicator NI-100 among its top 100 most innovative ideas as part of the publication’s 24th annual “Best of What’s New Awards.”

  The medical tape features a new proprietary silicone adhesive technology that allows the tape to be repositioned and removed easily from patients’ skin, minimizing the likelihood of tape-related skin injury.

  A recent evaluation program in select children’s hospitals revealed that 90% of evaluating clinicians rated the performance of the tape as “Better” or “Much Better” than the one they were currently using.

  Also named on the list is the company’s Noise Indicator NI-100. The small device can be clipped onto a shirt or jacket to alert users to potentially dangerous noise levels by flashing red or green LED lights.

  Visit www.3M.com [6] for more information.

McKesson Medical-Surgical Announces Exclusive Distribution of New Advanced Skin Care Line
  McKesson Medical-Surgical (Richmond, VA) will now be the exclusive distributor of THERA™ Advanced Skin Care therapy.

  The product line includes Foaming Body Cleanser, Antimicrobial Body Cleanser, Moisturizing Body Cleanser, Moisturizing Body Shield, Dimethicone Body Shield, Calazinc Body Shield, Moisturizing Body Cream, and Antifungal Body Powder. These new products are infused with SAFFLEX™, a blend of vitamins and minerals, as well as safflower seed oil, ginger root extract, and lavender ylang fragrance.

  A study shows that the cream has been clinically proven to perform better as epidermal turnover time was improved by 2.1 days.

  Visit www.theraskincare.com [7] for more information.

INDUSTRY NEWS

NOVABAY PHARMACEUTICALS ANNOUNCES STRATEGIC MARKETING AGREEMENT FOR NEUTROPHASE IN CHINA
  NovaBay Pharmaceuticals, Inc (Emeryville, CA) has entered into a commercial partnership agreement with Pioneer Pharma Co, Ltd, a Shanghai-based company that markets high-end pharmaceutical products into China, for the commercialization of NeutroPhase in this territory. Under the terms of the agreement, NovaBay will receive an upfront payment of over $300,000, with the potential for additional payments totaling approximately $1 million that may be triggered by certain regulatory milestones pre commercial launch.

  NeutroPhase is a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-cleared wound cleanser developed to promote healing and improve clinical outcomes for patients with chronic nonhealing wounds, including Stage I–IV pressure ulcers, stasis ulcers, leg ulcers, diabetic foot ulcers, post surgical wounds, first and second degree burns, abrasions, and minor irritations of the skin.

  Visit www.novabaypharma.com [8] for more information.

HEALTHPOINT BIOTHERAPEUTICS TO PRESENT AT 30TH ANNUAL J.P. MORGAN HEALTHCARE CONFERENCE
  Healthpoint Biotherapeutics (Fort Worth, TX) announced that Travis E. Baugh, President and Chief Operating Officer, and Robert Bancroft, Executive Vice President, Strategic and Commercial Development, will present an overview of the Company, its commercial products, and its R&D pipeline at the upcoming J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference. The presentation is scheduled for Tuesday, January 9th, at 9:30 am (PST) at the Westin St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco, CA.

  The presentation will include updates on the Company’s ongoing commercial operations and phase 3 plans for its cell therapy pipeline candidate for venous leg ulcers (HP802-247).

  Visit www.healthpointbio.com [9] for more information.

SYSTAGENIX LAUNCHES FIRST POINT OF CARE TEST FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF CHRONIC WOUNDS
  WOUNDCHEK™ Protease Status, the world’s first rapid, point of care test for the assessment of protease activity in chronic wounds, will be launched outside of the United States in December 2011. Developed to aid wound assessment and help clinicians target advanced wound care therapies more effectively, WOUNDCHEK Protease Status is the first product arising from the collaboration between Systagenix (Gatwick, UK) and Alere Scarborough (Scarborough, ME), a subsidiary of Alere.

  Collaboration between the two companies began in 2010 and is aimed at developing a range of diagnostic tests targeting markers recommended by the 2008 World Union of Wound Healing Societies (WUWHS) consensus document, which emphasized the importance of effective assessment and diagnosis in wound care.

  Visit www.systagenix.com [10] for more information.

MIMEDX GROUP RECEIVES HCPCS C-CODE FROM MEDICARE FOR EPIFIX® REIMBURSEMENT
  MiMedx Group, Inc (Kennesaw, GA) received a transitional pass-through status C-Code from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for its EpiFix® Amniotic Membrane Allograft. It has been assigned a pass-through status under Medicare’s outpatient prospective payment system effective January 1, 2012. This code will facilitate reimbursement for the application of EpiFix when used in Medicare patients with chronic wounds. This code will cover the grafts used in treating Medicare patients with dermal wounds in the hospital operating room or a freestanding surgical suite.

  Visit www.mimedx.com [11] for more information.

RESEARCHERS DEVELOP WOUND TREATMENT THAT APPEARS TO REGENERATE HEALTHY, SCAR-FREE TISSUE ON BURNED SKIN
  In the online Early Edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers from John Hopkins University (Baltimore, MD) reported their results from mouse tissue tests for a new procedure that promotes the formation of new blood vessels and skin, including hair follicles, which could lead to greatly improved healing for injured soldiers, home fire victims, and other people with third-degree burns. The new treatment has not yet been tested on human patients.

  The treatment involved a simple wound dressing that included a specially designed hydrogel—a water-based, 3-dimensional framework of polymers. This material was developed by researchers at Johns Hopkins’ Whiting School of Engineering, working with clinicians at the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center Burn Center and the Department of Pathology at the university’s School of Medicine.

  Third-degree burns typically destroy the top layers of skin down to the muscle. They require complex medical care and leave behind ugly scarring, but in the journal article, the Johns Hopkins team reported that their hydrogel method yielded better results.

  Researchers suggested that because the hydrogel contains no drugs or biological components to make it work, the US Food and Drug Administration would most likely classify it as a device. Further animal testing is planned before trials on human patients begin.

  The hydrogel is mainly made of water with dissolved dextran—a polysaccharide (sugar molecule chains).

  Visit www.jhu.edu [12] for more information.