Wound Dressing Cleared by FDA

A wound dressing that delivers a sustained seven-day release of antimicrobial silver nanocrystals has been cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for acute and chronic wounds. Called Acticoat, the dressing was first used to treat burn wounds, graft sites, and donor sites in burn centers. Chronic wounds that can be treated with the dressing include diabetic foot ulcers, pressure ulcers, and venous insufficiency leg ulcers--all prone to infection, which can lead to amputation.

Acticoat is the product of Westaim Biomedical Corp. (Calgary, Canada). The company's barrier dressings have a proprietary nanocrystalline coating of pure silver, which has been shown to lower proteolytic enzymes and promote healing. The dressings also deliver antimicrobial activity considerably faster than other forms of silver and have demonstrated effectiveness against more than 150 pathogens, including such superbugs as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus.

Westaim Biomedical is translating the success of Acticoat dressings in managing burn wounds to the much larger chronic wound market, said Scott H. Gillis, president of Westaim Biomedical.