Global technology company Freudenberg is developing products that make delivering drug treatment for some of the most common diseases more precise and the healing process faster.
The company is currently investing in the expansion of its medical technology division worldwide.
More than a million Americans are diagnosed with cancer every year, more than 29 million Americans have diabetes and almost six million suffer from chronic wounds. These are just a few examples of illnesses whose successful outcomes depend on precise and long-term parenteral delivery of medication to a patient’s body. Freudenberg’s innovations improve treatment delivery systems.
In the laboratory, it is tested how the nonwoven wound dressing is gelatinizing (Credit: Freudenberg)
Treatment for esophageal and tracheal cancer involves use of coated catheters and stents that dispense active agents into the body, precisely where they are needed, and also expand the affected vessels. Freudenberg Medical develops and manufactures those and other drug device combination products.
The special composition of the coating and the innovative coating process improves the drug effectiveness and ensures a longer-lasting effect with just a third of the required amount. Consequently, this reduces side effects for the patient and minimizes toxic waste in the clinic, and ultimately reduces environmental impact and achieves cost savings for the healthcare system.
Diabetes patients depend on insulin to regulate their blood glucose levels. Wearable insulin pumps improve life quality for diabetes sufferers by eliminating individual insulin injections and delivering insulin more accurately. Freudenberg Sealing Technologies supplies sealing solutions for these mobile pumps. A special rod seal reduces friction to a minimum, resulting in less wear.
As a result, the minimum life expectancy of the pumps can be guaranteed for a period of four years, ensuring trouble-free application.
In treating chronic wounds a variety of different dressing materials are available to doctors and nurses for medical wound care. Gelatinizing nonwoven wound dressings from Freudenberg Performance Materials (FPM) accelerate the healing process.
The innovative nonwoven material gels as soon as it comes into contact with other liquids. The dressings keep the wound moist and remain stable despite rapidly absorbing the wound secretion, securely covering the wound. In addition, Freudenberg offers foam systems that add special properties to conventional wound dressings, protecting the wound from drying out and consequently promoting healing. Their antimicrobial properties also prevent inflammation.
Additionally, FPM’s transdermal drug delivery patches help deliver a specified dosage of active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) into the bloodstream by adhering the patch onto the patient’s skin. The patches can be used for various treatments such as pain relief, hypertension, Alzheimer’s disease or hormone replacement therapy. They can be worn anywhere between a couple of hours to as long as a week at a time, allowing for painless, direct to bloodstream delivery while bypassing the liver’s metabolic activity.
Scaffolene technology is another Freudenberg innovation used in pharmaceutical applications for parenteral drug administration. These nonwovens are made from biodegradable raw materials, which are metabolized in the body. For the patient, that means that no additional procedure is needed to remove the drug delivery device. Medicines, enzymes or growth hormones can all be incorporated into the nonwovens. Scaffolene technology has found applications in surgery, wound healing, drug delivery and regenerative medicine.
A European manufacturer of hemostatic products partnered with Freudenberg and introduced a product with scaffolene technology at the end of 2015. Following the positive response from users and physicians worldwide, further product launches are planned in the near future, including cooperation with a U.S. partner on a project in the field of bioactive wound care.
