New Anti-Biofilm Dressing Achieves Dramatic Wound Closure Rates in Clinical Evaluations

-- 71% reduction in wound size using AQUACEL™ Ag+ wound dressings

DEESIDE, Wales, July 14, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- New multi-country clinical evaluations supported by ConvaTec, a leading global medical products and technologies company, show a dramatic improvement in wound closure rates using new anti-biofilm AQUACEL™ Ag+ wound dressings.

AQUACEL™ Ag+ wound dressings destroy biofilm and kill infection-causing bacteria in the wound dressing. Biofilm, which is formed when colonies of bacteria secrete a slime to protect themselves, is a key barrier to wound healing and may be a precursor to clinical infection.

Expert investigators conducted 121 clinical evaluations on challenging at-risk or infected chronic wounds in medical facilities in Canada and 14 European countries. Biofilm was suspected by clinicians in more than 80 percent of the cases, and many of the wounds had previously been treated unsuccessfully with antibiotics and standard silver or iodine-containing wound products.

During the clinical evaluations, the only change in the protocol of care was the replacement of previous dressings with AQUACEL^™ Ag+ dressings. Across the 15 evaluation sites, the AQUACEL^™ Ag+ dressings achieved a mean reduction in wound size of 71% in an average of 3.8 weeks. Over a quarter (26 percent) of the studied wounds healed completely, and approximately two-thirds (64 percent) showed at least 75 percent closure. 

Overall, the inclusion of AQUACEL^™ Ag+ dressings in standard protocols of care resulted in healing, or marked progression toward healing, in the majority of the cases.

"We've been searching for ways to combat biofilm for at least the past decade," said Randall Wolcott, Founder and Medical Director, Southwest Regional Wound Care Center, in Lubbock, Texas, U.S. "Biofilm is a key cause of delayed wound healing and a precursor to infection. It's difficult to remove and resists antibiotics and the body's attempts to clean and close a wound."

"The results of the clinical evaluations are very exciting – providing further evidence of the new dressing's effectiveness in destroying biofilm and maximizing antimicrobial action," added Phil Bowler, Vice President of Science and Technology, ConvaTec.

"We've made important strides in wound care with our Hydrofiber^™ Technology, which improves the dressing's ability to absorb and retain excess exudate. We're now breaking new ground by combining Hydrofiber™ Technology with the biofilm-fighting AQUACEL^™ Ag+ Technology. We developed this powerful combination to dramatically improve healing outcomes and help hospitals and other payers reduce their total costs of care."

The study results were presented in a symposium and poster session at the European Wound Management Association (EWMA) annual conference in Madrid, Spain in May. Other studies presented in poster sessions at the conference provide additional data on the effectiveness of the revolutionary new dressing technology, demonstrating:

• A reduction in biofilm associated with a statistically-significant improvement in wound-healing outcomes when compared to an antiseptic (polyhexamethylene biguanide or PHMB) gauze dressing in a validated, mixed-species, in vivo wound biofilm model.
• Rapid and sustained antimicrobial activity against biofilms of P. aeruginosa and community-associated MRSA, in an extended-duration in vitro biofilm model.
• Enhanced silver penetration in a multi-species biofilm as demonstrated by a novel in vitro analytical method.

The new AQUACEL™ Ag+ anti-biofilm dressings received CE mark approval in 2013 and are available in select countries in the European Union, as well as in Canada, Hong Kong and Malaysia.

The family of AQUACEL™ Ag+ dressings includes AQUACEL™ Ag+ Extra™ dressing and AQUACEL™ Ag+ ribbon dressing for tunneling wounds.

About ConvaTec
ConvaTec is a global medical products and technologies company, with leading market positions in wound therapeutics, ostomy care, continence and critical care, and infusion devices. Our products provide a range of clinical and economic benefits, including infection prevention, protection of at-risk skin, improved patient outcomes and reduced total cost of care. ConvaTec has over 8,000 employees, with 11 manufacturing sites in 8 countries, and we do business in more than 100 countries. We are owned by Nordic Capital and Avista Capital Partners. More information is available at www.convatec.com.

*As demonstrated in vitro

®/™ indicates trademarks of ConvaTec Inc.
© 2014 ConvaTec Inc. AP-014538-MM

References available upon request.

Contact:
Punnie Donohue
ConvaTec
+1 908-904-2151
punnie.donohue@convatec.com