For the average person, minor scrapes and cuts don’t usually cause major concern. For diabetic patients, however, these wounds can be very difficult to heal and are more likely to become ulcers that can cause significant pain and discomfort, and can even progress to the point where extremities have to be amputated.
MedNoxa LLC, an early stage medical device company, is commercializing a Purdue over-the-counter oxygen-based bandage that could bring effective ulcer or wound-healing treatment to diabetic patients without interrupting lifestyle or impeding physical activity.
The company licensed the bandage through the Purdue Research Foundation Office of Technology Commercialization.
“There are 29 million diabetics in the U.S. and 12 to 25 percent of them, or roughly four million individuals, will suffer from ulcers on the feet and legs each year,” Eric Frey, founder of MedNoxa, said. “For diabetics, seemingly minor scrapes and cuts can be very difficult to heal, and are likely to become ulcers as a result of a lack of oxygenation in the blood flow to extremities.”
Frey said addressing acute wounds before they become chronic ulcers is an underserved market with limited solutions.
“For diabetics, there are limited options for preventative medical devices that can inhibit the formation of grade one ulcers from seemingly minor wounds or the degradation of grade one ulcers to grade two ulcers,” he said. “Because of this, approximately 92,000 lower body extremity amputations are performed each year as a result of diabetic neuropathy caused foot ulcers. Current treatments cost an average of $25,000 annually and often show little to no improvement after 270 days of care.”
MedNoxa’s wound-healing device is designed to deliver localized oxygen directly to a wound to promote and accelerate healing in the form factor of a traditional bandage. The technology is designed to be used on everything from a cut, blister, or surgical incision, to ulcers and burns.
“By using a small amount of hydrogen peroxide, a chemical reaction generates oxygen and water. The oxygen flows through the bandage and into the wound,” Frey said. “By adjusting the volume and flow rate of the hydrogen peroxide, we can effectively customize the bandage to a specific wound profile.”
The bandage generates oxygen on demand in a variety of sizes and oxygen flow rates and will be available as an over-the-counter product, according to the company, which initially is targeting diabetic patients in the United States but “actively examining other customer segments such as athletes and veterinary medicine.”
