ANTIMICROBIAL WOUND DRESSING

COMBAT WOUNDS ARE CHARACTERIZED BY A HIGH INCIDENCE OF INFECTION. TOPICAL APPLICATION OF BROAD SPECTRUM ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS BY SUSTAINED RELEASE SYSTEM CAN PROVIDE THERAPEUTIC LEVELS FOR A PROLONGED PERIOD WITH MINIMAL SYSTEMIC TOXICITY. BIOTEK IS DEVELOPING A WOUND DRESSING BASED ON THIS CONCEPT. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PHASE I PROJECT IS TO DEMONSTRATE THE FEASIBILITY OF AN ANTIMICROBIAL WOULD DRESSING BASED ON A POROUS FILM OR HYDROGEL SUSTAINED RELEASE MATRIX. SPECIFICALLY SEVERAL SUSTAINED RELEASE MATRIXES WILL BE PREPARED CONTAINING CHLORHEXIDINE DIPHOSPHANILATE AND TETRACYCLINE. DEGREE OF HYDRATION, MORPHOLOGY BY SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY, AND IN VITRO DRUG RELEASE WILL BE STUDIED FOR EACH MATRIX. THE MOST PROMISING PREPARATIONS WILL BE EVALUATED FOR IN VIVO EFFICACY AND IN VIVO DRUG RELEASE. DURING PHASE II FURTHER IN VITRO AND IN VIVO TESTING WILL BE REQUIRED TO OPTIMIZE THE FORMULATIONS. TOXICOLOGY STUDIES WILL BE CONDUCTED, PRODUCT AND PRODUCTION SPECIFICATIONS ESTABLISHED, AND AN IND APPLICATION FILED. INDUSTRIAL SUPPORT WILL THEN BE SOUGHT TO CONDUCT CLINICAL TRIALS AND TO COMMERCIALIZE THE CONCEPT.