UK’s National Health Service (NHS) Recommends Assessment for Elevated Protease Activity Using Diagnostic Test to Help Decide Venous Leg Ulcers Treatment Pathway, Reports Systagenix

GATWICK, England - Tuesday, March 6th 2012 [ME NewsWire]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Developed by National Health Service (NHS) commissioners, clinical experts and Department of Health officials and intended to drive improvements in the way in which leg ulcer services deliver care to patients, the recently released service specification1, intended for use by NHS commissioners, clearly identifies elevated protease activity (EPA) as a complication known to reduce healing rates and increase the duration for wound healing.

The guidance document recommends identification of venous leg ulcers with EPAusing a diagnostic tool, as one of several assessment criteria, for inclusion in a specific care pathway for ‘complex’ venous leg ulcers, distinct from the care pathway recommended for ‘simple’ venous leg ulcers.

The recommendation comes within weeks of the launch of Systagenix’ WOUNDCHEK™ Protease Status, the world’s first and only point-of-care (POC) diagnostic test able to detect EPA in chronic wounds, and forms the first recognition by a national healthcare body of the importance of testing for EPAas part of standard clinical practice.

Leg ulcers are common, affecting approximately 1% of the population worldwide2. Sixty per cent of ulcers exist for a period of 6 months or longer (approximately 33% can persist for over a year)3. In the UK alone, venous leg ulceration has been estimated to cost the NHS between £300 and £600 million per year4. Early identification of potential healing complications using diagnostic tools, such as WOUNDCHEK™ Protease Status, is critical in facilitating the standardisation of treatment pathways and the cost effective allocation of limited resources.

Dr. Robert Snyder, Systagenix’ Medical Director, commented: “The inclusion of testing for EPA in the care pathway for venous leg ulcers by the NHS is to be applauded as it recognises that better patient assessment can lead to improved care. Recent studies have shown that a chronic wound with EPA has a 90% probability it won’t heal without appropriate intervention, so early detection is crucial."

Established in 2008, following the acquisition of Johnson & Johnson’s advanced wound care business, Systagenix is 100% dedicated to wound care, developing and marketing advanced diagnostic and therapeutic systems and supplying over 20 million advanced wound dressings per month into over 100 countries worldwide.

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Notes to Editors:

1Implementation Pack for AQP: Venous Leg Ulcers (and the associated wound) Service - http://www.supply2health.nhs.uk/AQPResourceCentre/AQPServices/PTP/WoundHealing/Pages/Home.aspx

2European Wound Management Association (EWMA). Position Document. Hard to heal wounds: a holistic approach. MEP Ltd, London 2008.

3Harrison MB, Graham ID, Friedberg E et al. Regional planning study: assessing the population with leg and foot ulcers. Can. Nurse 97,18-23 (2001).

4(Bosanquet, 1992: Simon and McCollum, 2004)

Contacts

Systagenix

Vicky Stoakes at VSPR

+44 (0)7747 534 519

vicky@vs-pr.com