Breakthrough Crawford treatment saves patient’s foot

A revolutionary new wound dressing developed by Cheshire-based Crawford Heathcare has helped an American patient suffering diabetic foot ulcers avoid amputation.

The Knutsford-headquartered company is now calling for the game-changing treatment to be fast-tracked into the NHS.

The patient, Angela Montes de Oca, a 47-year old 911 police dispatcher from Indianapolis, Indiana, was informed that all other options had been exhausted for treating her diabetic ulcer and a foot amputation within 24 hours was the only viable treatment.

Ms Montes de Oca refused to accept the diagnosis and discharged herself from hospital to seek out the help of Dr Michael S. Miller, an expert wound clinician that was piloting KerraCel Ag.

KerraCel Ag is the first FDA (Food and Drug Administration in the US)-cleared absorbent gelling dressing containing unique Oxysalt technology – a proprietary technology developed and commercialised by Crawford Healthcare and Canada-based Exciton Technologies.

It was thanks to this innovative new treatment that Angela avoided amputation and just eight weeks later is now fully recovered.

Dr Miller said: “To achieve such an early success with a patient so close to a life-altering operation represents medical innovation at its best.

“The unique and revolutionary elements of a silver-based dressing focus on its unrivalled ability to kill bacteria within biofilms – bacteria encased in a protective matrix, which show up to 1,000 times resistance to antibiotics – that typically prevents chronic wounds, such as diabetic ulcers and pressure sores, from healing.

“In over 23 years of medical practice and specialism in wound care, it is rare that I recommend oral antiobiotics as the most appropriate treatment for ulcers of this kind, and it came as no surprise that Angela’s first round of antiobiotics had little impact on the ulcer’s healing.

“When Angela first came to us in March, her wound was rapidly worsening and KerraCel® Ag enabled us to achieve a remarkable turnaround in a matter of weeks, ultimately saving her foot from amputation. This success story marks a hugely significant milestone in wound care treatment which promises to transform and even save the lives of many people around the globe.”

Developed and tested in conjunction with the University of Manchester in the UK, KerraCel Ag received FDA clearance for launch in February this year.

Crawford Healthcare CEO, Richard Anderson, said: “To provide some context on the significance of Ms Montes de Oca’s successful treatment, every single day in England there are 20 devastating amputations, with total expenditure related to foot amputation in people with diabetes in England estimated to be £1bn per year.

“This is the equivalent of almost 1% of the entire NHS budget. European studies have also shown that 50% of patients die within five years of developing a diabetic foot ulcer.

“As the world’s largest wound care market”, continued Richard Anderson. “The US healthcare system is inherently designed to adopt new technologies faster than the UK.

“With such an early success for KerraCel Ag, however, and against the cost in both surgery fees and devastation that is caused to people’s lives through amputation, we are looking to fast track this new treatment into NHS pathways as soon as feasibly possible.”