PRINCETON, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Derma Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: DSCI), a medical device and pharmaceutical company focused on advanced wound care, today announced that a study published in The Cochrane Collaboration®1 concluded that non-removable, pressure-relieving casts, or total contact casts (TCC), are more effective in healing diabetes-related plantar foot ulcers than removable casts or dressings alone. Derma Sciences is the leading manufacturer and marketer of total contact casting systems, including the technologically innovative TCC-EZ®. The Cochrane Collaboration is a group of more than 28,000 healthcare specialists who systematically review randomized trials of the effects of prevention, treatment and rehabilitation as well as health systems interventions.
Jane Lewis of Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, Cardiff, U.K. and Allyson Lipp of the University of Glamorgan, Pontypridd, U.K. authored the study entitled “Pressure-relieving interventions for treating diabetic foot ulcers.” They examined data from 14 trials meeting the inclusion criteria for a Cochrane Review. There were a total of 709 patients in these trials. A link to the study abstract may be found at:
Marissa Carter, Ph.D., president of Strategic Solutions, Inc., and the author or co-author of more than 50 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters in medicine and chemistry, said, “The Cochrane Review is a systematic review of selected published studies with firm structures and rules, and is often referred to as a premier source of evidence. In this time of escalating healthcare costs, caregivers are seeking to practice evidence-based medicine, and look to analyses of clinical data.”
“Data from the U.S. Wound Registry (USWR), a national repository of data on patients with chronic wounds and their outcomes, clearly demonstrate that Total Contact Casting is underutilized even among trained wound care clinicians,” said Caroline Fife, M.D., medical director, St Luke's wound center, the Woodlands, Texas and chief medical officer, Intellicure. “This is true despite the fact that the cost of healing an ulcer is twice as much without TCC2. My own experience with TCC is that while it takes a little time to learn, the results are so spectacular that staff members argue about which one will get to remove the cast in order to see the patient's progress. It is one of the most gratifying treatments we offer at our center.”
“The USWR, in conjunction with other health advocates, is working to address this gap in clinical practice by getting Medicare to adopt a diabetic foot ulcer ‘quality measure’ as part of its ‘pay for performance’ initiatives. The recent Cochrane review should aid in this work and encourage more clinicians to cast,” Dr. Fife added.
“The conclusions of this review provide further validation for the use of TCC-EZ to treat diabetic foot ulcers,” said Edward J. Quilty, chairman and chief executive officer of Derma Sciences. “Total contact casting is a significantly underutilized approach and this publication will serve as a powerful tool for our advanced wound care direct sales organization.”
About Derma Sciences, Inc.
Derma Sciences is a medical technology company focused on three segments of the wound care marketplace: pharmaceutical wound care products; advanced wound care dressings to address chronic wounds including diabetic ulcers; and traditional dressings. The Company has begun its Phase 3 clinical trial in diabetic foot ulcer healing with DSC127, based on excellent Phase 2 data. Its MEDIHONEY® product is the leading brand of honey-based dressings for the management of wounds and burns. The product has been shown in clinical studies to be effective in a variety of indications. TCC-EZ® is its gold-standard total contact casting system for diabetic foot ulcers. Other novel products introduced into the $14 billion global wound care market include XTRASORB® for better management of wound exudate, and BIOGUARD® for infection prevention.
For more information please visit www.dermasciences.com.
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1 Lewis J, Lipp A. Pressure-relieving interventions for treating diabetic foot ulcers. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2013, Issue 1. Art. No.:CD002302. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD002302.pub2.
2 Fife C, Carter M, Walker D. Why is it so hard to do the right thing in wound care?. Wound Repair & Regeneration [serial online]. March 2010;18(2):154-158.