WoundSource

Derma Sciences, Inc., a specialty medical device/pharmaceutical company focused on advanced wound care, announced that two posters featuring MEDIHONEY®, the company's honey-based dressings for the management of wounds and burns, took first and second place in a competition among more than 50 posters on display at the American Professional Wound Care Association's 10th Annual Conference in Philadelphia, which was held April 8-11.

The posters at the conference were evaluated by an Abstract Review Committee whose members focused on a range of criteria, including how clearly the objectives, materials, and methods were stated and their level of importance and interest to the target audience; whether the study's details were described so that the progression and/or treatment were clear and pertinent; whether the findings were stated clearly; and whether the information was current and relevant to the target audience.

"Winning first and second place in the poster competition helps Derma Sciences solidify the reputation of its MEDIHONEY® brand, as well as its place in wound care," said Barry Wolfenson, Executive Vice President of Global Marketing and Business Development at Derma Sciences. "This kind of honor supports our sales efforts and increases the likelihood that the company will hit its revenue targets."

First place was awarded to Mary Webb, RN, BSN, MA, CIC, of San Mateo Medical Center in San Mateo, CA, for her poster titled "Selection of a Cost Effective Debriding Alternative to a Pharmaceutical Enzymatic Agent at One County Long Term Care Facility." In her poster, Nurse Webb reported the case of an 89-year-old man with multiple co-morbidities and a sacral pressure ulcer with a black eschar measuring 10 cm x 9.5 cm. The inferior border of the ulcer extended to the anal verge, leaving little periwound surface tissue for securing an adherent dressing. Within two weeks of daily application of MEDIHONEY® dressings, the black eschar transitioned to thick tenacious slough and was rapidly debrided. Within eight weeks the wound was beefy red, with surrounding tissue healed enough to permit adherence of a dressing. The wound gradually decreased in size by 77.7% and infection was avoided.

Second place was awarded to Debbie Segovia, RN, MSN, APRN-CNS, CWOCN, of the Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Tulsa, Oklahoma, for her poster titled "The Clinical Benefits of Active Leptospermum Honey: Oncologic Wounds." In her poster, Nurse Segovia reported the cases of two women aged 44 and 60. The 44-year-old, with locally advanced ductal carcinoma, sought treatment for bilateral breast wounds. A MEDIHONEY® dressing successfully debrided necrotic slough tissue, eradicated odor, and decreased wound pain; the right breast wound was observed to heal completely and progressive healing was observed in the left breast wound. Segovia's 60-year-old patient, with invasive local duct carcinoma grade 3 and lymphedema of the right arm, sought treatment for a right breast wound. A MEDIHONEY® dressing was observed to debride necrotic slough tissue and eradicate malodor; the wound healed by the third dressing change.

About Derma Sciences, Inc.
Derma Sciences is a global manufacturer and marketer of advanced wound care products. Its key product, MEDIHONEY®, is the leading brand of honey-based dressings for the management of wounds and burns. The product has been shown to be effective in a variety of indications, and was the focus of a positive large-scale randomized controlled trial on leg ulcers. Other key novel products introduced into the $14 billion global wound care market include XTRASORBTM for better management of wound exudate, and BIOGUARDTM for infection prevention. Derma also has in development DSC127, a novel pharmaceutical for accelerated wound healing and scar reduction. DSC127, an angiotensin analog, has shown positive healing results in multiple pre-clinical animal models. One possible mode of action of the drug is the up-regulation of mesenchymal stem cells at the wound site. Derma expects to announce the key efficacy endpoint result from this study during Q3 of 2010.