Education Center

Leading Wound Care Experts to Discuss Benefits of Manuka Honey in Wound Treatment

APWCA 2007 National Clinical Conference
April 17, 2007 09:46 AM Eastern Daylight Time

PRINCETON, N.J.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Derma Sciences, Inc. (OTCBB: DSCI), a manufacturer and supplier of wound and skin care products, announced that several sessions on the use of Active Manuka Honey in chronic wounds will be incorporated into the agenda at the upcoming American Professional Wound Care Association’s (APWCA) 2007 National Clinical Conference in Philadelphia, April 19-22.

The APWCA is a membership organization incorporating the various medical specialties involved in treating complex wounds. Organized in collaboration with the World Union of Wound Healing Societies, the 2007 APWCA conference will feature thought leaders and clinicians in wound care from North America, Europe, Asia and Africa. Derma Sciences notes in particular the attendance of Dr. Rose Cooper, BSc, PhD, PGCE, CBiol, MIBiol, FRSA, a microbiologist and Principal Lecturer at the Cardiff School of Health Sciences at the University of Wales Institute and Val Robson, RGN, BSc (Hons), Dip HE, DNCertQuick, a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Leg Ulcer Care at Aintree Hospital Trust, Liverpool, UK. Dr. Cooper’s research at Cardiff includes wound infection and the role of micro-organisms in wound healing, the antibacterial properties of honey and the influence of honey on the wound healing process. Ms. Robson’s role at Aintree includes clinical assessment of all vascular and wound patients as well as lecturing on leg ulcer management, tissue viability and vascular nursing.

On Thursday, April 19, the AWPCA will feature Robson and Cooper in three one-hour discussions on “The Use of Active Manuka Honey in Wound Care”. On Friday, April 20, the two will deliver a lecture entitled “Can Something as Sweet as Honey Be Effective for Wound Care? Active Manuka Honey: Powerful for All Phases of Wound Healing.”

This represents the first time that the topic of honey for medical use is on the agenda at a major US-based wound conference. With several products already available on drug tariff in the UK for the past two years (sales estimated at around $10 million), medical grade honey has been a topic of growing importance on the agendas of European-based wound care conferences, notably the European Wound Management Association (EWMA) conference in Prague in May, 2006 and the Wounds-UK conference in Harrogate in November, 2006.

Speaking of the conference, Barry Wolfenson, Vice President of Marketing and Business Development of Derma Sciences, said, “The APWCA brings together experts from around the world to discuss the latest treatments and potential breakthroughs in wound care. We are very excited that the program chairs decided to include on the agenda some discussions about the use of Active Manuka Honey in the treatment of wounds.” Derma Sciences announced last year an exclusive licensing agreement with Comvita LTD of New Zealand that covers the use of Comvita’s medical honey based products for the management of chronic wounds, skin tears, post operative wounds and burns. Comvita is a leader in the manufacturing of medical grade honey, controlling over 70% of the Active Manuka Honey cultivated globally, being one of the few to have processes and systems in place for the manufacture of medical grade honey, and owning several patents around the use of honey in wound dressings.

“This is a topic that has increased in interest to hospitals and clinicians in the face of antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria, which have become a significant and growing problem,” Wolfenson continued. “The most popular current topical antimicrobial is ionic silver, which, although it is an effective antimicrobial, is quite toxic. In a very short amount of time it has grown to a $100 million market in the US, but clinicians are beginning to be concerned about toxicity as well as the lack of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) supporting the use of these dressings. Since Active Manuka Honey has been shown to have a similar antimicrobial profile to ionic silver, but without the associated toxicity, we believe that with the RCT data on Active Manuka Honey announced last year at the EWMA, and hopefully with positive data coming out of the second large scale RCT in Ireland later on this year, pending clearance of our Active Manuka Honey line, we will have strong, novel and differentiated products to offer clinicians – with clear benefits over ionic silver and other currently used products.” Derma Sciences currently has an Active Manuka based wound dressing, API-MED, under review by the FDA.

Honey will also be featured on the agenda at one of the most globally prestigious wound care conferences, the Symposium on Advanced Wound Care (SAWC), in Tampa, April 28 - May 1. “The evidence supporting the use of honey in modern wound care” will be a topic within the “AAWC International Forum: Small World — Big Opportunities” session. This session will be chaired by global thought leaders Jose Contreras-Ruiz, MD, and Keith Cutting, MN, RN, and Cert Ed.

About Derma Sciences, Inc.
Derma Sciences, Inc. provides a full range of skin care, wound management and specialty securement devices that are used primarily in the professional markets, specifically hospitals, nursing homes and home care settings. For more additional information, visit Derma Sciences’ website: http://www.dermasciences.com.

For Details, Contact: Edward J. Quilty, President & CEO at 609-514-4744 or email at equilty@dermasciences.com.

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