Alliqua Foot and Ankle Wound Dressing Study Shows Positive Results

Alliqua Inc. recently concluded a post-marketing study that showed positive results for its SilverSeal dressing, designed for post-surgical wounds from foot and ankle surgery. According to the company, the dressing was shown to have a lower incidence of incision complications, including infection, and a greater reduction in scar length compared to standard petroleum-based dressing.

SilverSeal hydrogel dressings are cross-linked polymer based gels that may be made into sheets. They eliminate pathogens from exudating wounds via a method that is different from antibiotics, and according to Alliqua the dressings can also reduce the rate of hospital-acquired infections.

“The results from this study are consistent with our preliminary findings reported earlier this year and indicate SilverSeal has potential to not only improve post-surgical incision healing but to reduce healthcare expenditures related to incision complications,” said Stephen A. Brigido, DPM, director of the foot and ankle fellowship at the Coordinated Health Foot and Ankle Center in Pennsylvania and a primary investigator in the study.

“The reduction in post-surgical incision complications and scarring shown in this study is a meaningful benefit for patients as well as for surgical centers and hospitals,” added Philip Forman, Alliqua’s executive vice president of clinical affairs. “We believe this study demonstrates that SilverSeal can be an effective tool in reducing complications such as infection, and will be useful in driving further adoption,” added Philip Forman, Alliqua’s EVP of clinical affairs.”

In this study, patients who had undergone ankle and foot (including forefoot, midfoot or hindfoot) surgery were randomized to receive either SilverSeal or a standard petroleum-based dressing. Patients were monitored for three months following surgery to assess degree of scarring and the incidence of incision complications such as superficial or deep infections or wound rupture, along the surgical suture. Of the 9 incision complications observed, eight occurred in patients using the petroleum-based dressing and only one in those using SilverSeal. Length of post-surgical scarring was also reduced to a greater extent in patients using SilverSeal compared to those with a standard petroleum-based dressing.

Alliqua is a biopharmaceutical company that makes proprietary transdermal wound care and drug delivery technologies. The company’s headquarters are in New York, N.Y., and its manufacturing facilities are in Langhorne, Pa.