Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial Shows Derma Sciences MEDIHONEY(TM) Eradicates MRSA From Chronic Venous Ulcers

Derma Sciences (OTC
Bulletin Board: DSCI), a provider of advanced wound care products,
announced that its key product, MEDIHONEY(TM) Wound & Burn Dressing
with Active Leptospermum Honey, has been found in a large randomized
controlled clinical trial to significantly reduce the presence of
methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in chronic wounds. The
finding was published in the June 2008 issue of The Journal of Wound Care.



MRSA continues to dominate global headlines as a formidable
hospital-acquired infection, killing thousands of patients each year and
becoming a huge burden on healthcare costs. The number of hospital
admissions for MRSA has increased rapidly over the last decade, with a 300%
increase in 2005 over that of 2000, and a 1000% increase over that of 1995.
Conservative estimates suggest a global figure of up to 53 million people
carrying MRSA. The bacteria is resistant to such common antibiotics as
methicillin, amoxicillin, penicillin, and oxacillin, and is quick to adapt
to new ones. Historically, MRSA has been most common among people with weak
immune systems living in either hospitals or long-term care centers.
However, it has been increasingly present in healthy people, giving rise to
community-acquired MRSA.



Commenting on the publication, CEO Ed Quilty stated, "This study was
presented last year at the European Wound Management Association, and we
are pleased that the work has been recognized in such a well-regarded peer
reviewed wound care journal serving the global market. MRSA, which is now
reaching out beyond the walls of hospitals and nursing homes into the
general community, claims more lives than AIDS in certain countries.
MEDIHONEY's ability to eradicate this superbug, while also helping chronic
wounds to progress towards healing, makes it a truly unique product in the
field of wound care. We, along with our global commercialization partner
Comvita, have seen steady growth in interest and sales in the product line
since its launch."



The trial, a 108-patient randomized and controlled clinical trial,
looked at venous leg ulcers that had been proven to be non-healing under
standard treatment (compression therapy). In the study, half the patients
had a common advanced wound care gel added to the standard treatment, and
half had Comvita's Active Leptospermum (Manuka) Honey (now marketed under
the brand name MEDIHONEY(TM)) added. After four weeks, 70% of the MEDIHONEY
treated wounds versus only 16% of the hydrogel treated wounds had MRSA
eradicated.



Published in this month's Journal of Wound Care, the research paper
"Bacteriological Changes in Sloughy Venous Leg Ulcers Treated with Manuka
Honey or Hydrogel: an RCT," was written by lead investigators Georgina T.
Gethin and Seamus Cowman, both of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.
They concluded that for sloughy venous ulcers, "the efficacy of honey in
eliminating MRSA in such wounds is a positive finding that may have
implications for wound management and infection control."
















Wound care is a major healthcare market with an estimated value of $10
billion in 2007, and is predicted to grow to $12.5 billion in 2012. The
global double-digit growth is being driven by several factors, including an
aging population, the rise in the global incidence of diabetes and chronic
vascular disorders, and a steady advancement in wound care technologies.
The advanced wound care segment encompasses a wide range of disparate
technologies that includes dressings and other devices. The three main
categories for dressings are: Traditional wound care such as gauze, moist
wound dressings designed to manage basic moisture issues, and active
dressings which incorporate technologies that provide additional benefits
such as antimicrobial activity. The active category is the fastest growing
among the three. A recent market research report by Kalorama Information
details the emergence of honey-based dressings as a growing sub-category
within active dressings.



About Derma Sciences



Derma Sciences is a global manufacturer and marketer of advanced
wound-care products. Its key product, MEDIHONEY, is sold throughout the
world by Derma Sciences and Comvita New Zealand -- the licensor of the
patented honey-based technology -- and 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 wounds and burns, and was recently
the focus of a large-scale randomized controlled trial on leg ulcers. Derma
has two products in development: the NIMBUS technology based line of
barrier gauze dressings, and DSC127, the company's novel angiotensin analog
for accelerated wound healing and scar reduction. The barrier technology
was licensed from Quick-Med in Q1 of 2007 and is pending its initial FDA
marketing clearance. DSC127 was licensed from The University of Southern
California in Q4 of 2007 and is entering into a Phase II study, with
anticipated initial patient enrollment to begin in Q3 of 2008. For more
information about Derma Sciences, Inc., visit its home page on the Internet
at dermasciences.



About the Journal of Wound Care (JWC)



JWC is the definitive wound-care journal and the leading source of
tissue viability research and clinical information. Launched in 1992, it is
designed to meet the needs of the multidisciplinary team. The journal is
essential reading for all wound-care specialists - nurses, doctors and
researchers -- who are keen to keep up-to-date with all developments in
wound management and tissue viability, but also appeals to generalists
wishing to enhance their practice. JWC is internationally renowned for its
cutting edge and state-of-the-art research and practice articles. The
journal also covers management, education and novel therapies. Articles are
rigorously peer- reviewed by a panel of international experts.
journalofwoundcare.


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