Most people that have scraped their fingers, hands, or face know from experience how difficult and discomforting it can be to keep these bendable and creased areas covered with a bandage. Smith & Nephew PLC, a top medical equipment and appliance supplier, said today it is introducing a new product to address this problem, ACTICOAT™ Flex. The product will launch in Canada and should enter the US and European markets by early 2009.
ACTICOAT™ Flex is a flexible wound dressing designed to help doctors prevent infection, especially in patients having wounds on their hands and faces, areas of the body where it can be difficult to have a bandage remain in contact with a burn or cut. The product uses the Silcryst® nano-crystalline silver technology developed by Nucryst Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: NCST).
Among its other valuable properties as a precious metal, silver has been found to be a natural antimicrobial agent. For best effectiveness, though, the silver must make contact with the cut or burn. Silver has been found to interfere with bacterial growth. The metal has been shown to prevent bacteria from becoming resistant to antibiotics.
Smith & Nephew has seen strong clinical and economic results from its ACTICOAT™ franchise in Canada. It expects similar performance from ACTICOAT™ Flex, an integral part of its infection management business line.
“We are very pleased with ACTICOAT™ Flex,” said Joe Woody, President of Smith & Nephew Wound Management. “It represents our commitment in supplying the correct tools for healthcare professionals, to help reduce the risk of Health Care Acquired Infection.” He continued, “This product launch is a key to our focus on Infection Management, one the three focused elements of the Wound Management Global Business Unit strategy along with Exudate Management and Negative Pressure Wound Therapy.”
Smith & Nephew, with 2007 annual sales of US $3.4 billion, is one of the top medical technology businesses in the world. It specializes in wound management, treatment of orthopedic trauma, and arthroscopy. Globally, it has operations in 32 countries.
Nucryst Pharmaceuticals develops, manufactures and commercializes medical products that fight infection and inflammation using Silcryst™ technology. Nucryst gave Smith & Nephew global rights to market Silcryst® products under the ACTICOAT™ trademark. Nucryst continues researching and developing medical products to help patients suffering from painful, infectious, and inflammatory conditions.
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