Industry News

By KCI, an Acelity Company

San Antonio, TX, – May 21, 2019 – KCI, an Acelity Company, announces that the Company has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for DERMATAC™ Drape, a proprietary silicone-acrylic hybrid drape that provides both clinical and operational benefits, as an accessory to certain of KCI’s Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT) Systems. Constructed with a precise combination of silicone and acrylic, DERMATAC™ Drape conforms to different anatomical locations, adapting to the body and providing a tight, highly effective seal for 48 to 72 hours, including uneven areas, for wound protection, creating the ideal balance for wound healing support.

Huntington, WV – May 21, 2019 – DARCO International announces the latest addition to their line of products, the DUO Med Surg Shoe.

By PolarityTE®

Salt Lake City – May 10, 2019 – PolarityTE, Inc., a biotechnology company developing and commercializing regenerative tissue products and biomaterials, announced today data from two pilot studies on the use of its SkinTE™ product both showing successful closure of diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) and venous stasis leg ulcers (VLUs) within a 12-week period. The cases involved patients with lower extremity chronic wounds that were difficult to treat or had failed to heal with standard dressing care and conventional treatments, using a single application of SkinTE.

by PolarityTE®

Salt Lake City – April 24, 2019 – PolarityTE®, Inc. (Nasdaq: PTE), a biotechnology company developing and commercializing regenerative tissue products and biomaterials, announced today that new clinical data on the use of its SkinTE™ product will be presented at the Symposium on Advanced Wound Care (SAWC) Spring, Wound Healing Society meeting in San Antonio, TX from May 7 – 11, 2019. In addition, PolarityTE® will host a booth and an interactive event featuring patients treated with SkinTE™ and a presentation from Dr. Gerhard S. Mundinger, MD, Division of Plastic Surgery, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, an early adopter of SkinTE™, on his clinical experience with the product.

By the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel

Washington, DC. – April 18, 2019 – On April 9, 2019, Dr. William Padula, NPUAP Treasurer, and Dr. Janet Luddigan, NPUAP President, provided written testimony to the House Committee on Appropriations; Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies to explore new payment models that could further increase innovation and incentivize the prevention or pressure injuries.

by the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel

Washington, DC – April 12, 2019 – On March 25-27, Dr. William Padula visited Washington, D.C. to advocate for policy solutions surrounding pressure injury prevention at the highest levels of government and health care. His independent advocacy for improving patient safety was provided as a researcher on behalf of NPUAP and its panel members. Dr. Padula is Treasurer on the Board of Directors for NPUAP, as well as an Assistant Professor of Health Economics at the University of Southern California Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics in Los Angeles, along with a secondary appointment at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing in Baltimore.

by Jennifer Hurlow, GNP, CWOCN, and Kara Couch, MS, CRNP, CWCN-AP

Chronic wounds are increasingly recognized as a global public health issue. Recent research revealed that nearly 15% of Medicare beneficiaries (>65 years of age) had at least one type of chronic wound in 2014. In the United States, there are an estimated 6.5 million chronic wounds, including leg ulcers, pressure ulcers, and diabetic foot ulcers, each of which carries a mean annual treatment cost of $11,000, $15,400, and $42,100, respectively, leading to an economic burden of $96.8 billion dollars for the treatment of chronic wounds. Prevalence of chronic wounds is estimated to be growing at a rate of 13% per year, further adding to this current problem. Wound chronicity has been directly related to the presence of wound biofilm. Costerton and colleagues were the first to link biofilm with general infection risk.

by the Wound Healing Foundation

It is with deep sadness that we join the family and announce that Thomas K. Hunt, MD, FACS recently passed away. Dr. Hunt was a pioneer in wounds who impacted wound research and wound treatments.

Woodbury, CT – February 15, 2019 – The American College of Wound Healing and Tissue Repair (ACWHTR) was founded almost a decade ago, with the sole purpose of helping to promote wound care towards specialty status. The ACWHTR submitted a proposal to the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) seeking formal acceptance and approval of this specialty at the highest level of medical education in the US.

Industry News

Following years of Alliance of Wound Care Stakeholder (Alliance) advocacy to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) flagging concerns that the Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) coding process chilled innovation and created barriers to coverage and reimbursement for DMEPOS and other new technologies/products in the wound care space, the Alliance of Wound Care Stakeholders is pleased to report that improvements to the process will be put in place in 2019. The Alliance is a founder and key member of the Alliance for HCPCS Coding Reform who has met regularly with CMS and HHS staff to articulate their concerns with the process.