An all-in-one Wound Dressing Developed in Monash Malaysia is Entering Clinical Trial

A wound dressing capable of accelerating wound healing rate was developed in the School of Pharmacy, Monash University Malaysia. The team of researchers, led by Associate Professor Alice Chuah, has received a large government funding from Malaysian Palm Oil Board to conduct clinical trial of the wound dressing on patients.

Globally, there are 8.1 million people who have wounds with or without infection. Rising wound incidence has imposed substantial burdens on healthcare expenditure. Despite being a common presentation in the clinical setting, providing optimal wound care remains a challenge. Normal acute wounds in healthy individuals tend to resolve spontaneously without clinical intervention. However, improper wound care may lead to undesirable complications such as wound infections or abnormal wound healing, resulting in uneven scar tissue formation. Affordable wound treatments that improve wound healing outcomes are desirable and beneficial to patients and the overall healthcare system.

Tocoheal is a novel all-in-one dressing loaded with vitamin E Tocotrienols, constructed with sustainable and biodegradable polymers. The design of the dressing enables controlled release of tocotrienols into the wound. Tocoheal promotes blood clot formation, accelerates wound healing, and reduces scar formation. It has a high absorbent capacity to absorb exudates from wounds caused by burns, cuts and abrasions. Its easy-to-use and time-saving features allow patients to change dressings efficiently at home. Patients’ quality of life will improve if the wound healing time is shortened. Hospitals will benefit from time and cost saving; and patients will be relieved from long hospital waiting time. On a broader scale, the impact is especially significant in countries with subsidized healthcare: faster wound healing means time and cost saving; and the government could spare a huge sum of expenditure to develop other sectors.

The clinical trial will be run in collaboration with University Malaya Medical Centre and Malaysian Palm Oil Board. Patient volunteers presented with wounds will be recruited into the study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the wound dressing in patients.