Smith & Nephew Plc Wound Expert Panel Report

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Smith & Nephew Plc

04 October 2017

Wound Expert Panel* reports biofilms, which delay wound healing, are far more prevalent than previously understood, and publishes new consensus on detection and treatment best practice

4 October 2017

Smith & Nephew (LSE:SN, NYSE:SNN), the global medical technology business, welcomes the recent publication of the Wound Biofilm Expert Panel's Consensus guidelines for the identification and treatment of biofilms in chronic non-healing wounds.(1) This paper is one of the first comprehensive insights into the detection and treatment of wound biofilm.

Biofilms are clusters of bacteria embedded in a protective matrix, (2) their presence in chronic wounds are linked to delayed healing.(3,4) Moreover, biofilms provide a complex treatment challenge to wound care clinicians as they are tolerant to antimicrobial treatments(5-7) and the host immune response.(8,9)

At least 78% of chronic wounds have been found to contain biofilm,(10) a figure far in excess of previously understood levels.

The Expert Panel was formed in late 2015 to improve scientific understanding of biofilms and to recommend improved clinical practice. Comprising of ten global leading experts from both scientific and clinical backgrounds, the Expert Panel's Consensus guidelines for the identification and treatment of biofilms in chronic non-healing wounds have now been published in the eminent journal Wound Repair and Regeneration journal.

Professor Gregory Schultz, Director of the Institute for Wound Research at the University of Florida and Chair of the panel commented: "Although four in five chronic wounds contain biofilm, they are often not identified, resulting in ineffective treatment. This document will have a tremendous impact helping both researchers and clinicians better understand biofilms, how to treat them and how to convert chronic wounds to healing wounds."

"Biofilm is a hot topic in wound care, there was a need for a consensus to bring clarity and guidance to healthcare professionals working to restore the quality of life of millions of patients around the world with non-healing chronic wounds," said Andy Weymann, Chief Medical Officer of Smith & Nephew. "Smith & Nephew is proud to support healthcare professionals through the development of both educational resources and advanced wound management products."

Recent data have shown IODOSORB(TM) and IODOFLEX(TM) dressings from Smith & Nephew, to be effective against biofilm in the laboratory,(5, 11-13) and in the clinical setting to have an impact on biofilm in diabetic foot ulcers.(14) Cadexomer Iodine has long been demonstrated, at the highest level of evidence, to be an effective treatment in chronic wounds. (15)

*funded by an educational grant from Smith & Nephew

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About Smith & Nephew

Smith & Nephew is a global medical technology business dedicated to helping healthcare professionals improve people's lives. With leadership positions in Orthopaedic Reconstruction, Advanced Wound Management, Sports Medicine and Trauma & Extremities, Smith & Nephew has around 15,000 employees and a presence in more than 100 countries. Annual sales in 2016 were almost $4.7 billion. Smith & Nephew is a member of the FTSE100 (LSE:SN, NYSE:SNN).

For more information about Smith & Nephew, please visit our website www.smith-nephew.com, follow @SmithNephewplc on Twitter or visit SmithNephewplc on Facebook.com.

To learn more about what we do to help reduce biofilm, please visit www.closertozero.com

Forward-looking Statements

This document may contain forward-looking statements that may or may not prove accurate. For example, statements regarding expected revenue growth and trading margins, market trends and our product pipeline are forward-looking statements. Phrases such as "aim", "plan", "intend", "anticipate", "well-placed", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "target", "consider" and similar expressions are generally intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from what is expressed or implied by the statements. For Smith & Nephew, these factors include: economic and financial conditions in the markets we serve, especially those affecting health care providers, payers and customers; price levels for established and innovative medical devices; developments in medical technology; regulatory approvals, reimbursement decisions or other government actions; product defects or recalls or other problems with quality management systems or failure to comply with related regulations; litigation relating to patent or other claims; legal compliance risks and related investigative, remedial or enforcement actions; disruption to our supply chain or operations or those of our suppliers; competition for qualified personnel; strategic actions, including acquisitions and dispositions, our success in performing due diligence, valuing and integrating acquired businesses; disruption that may result from transactions or other changes we make in our business plans or organisation to adapt to market developments; and numerous other matters that affect us or our markets, including those of a political, economic, business, competitive or reputational nature. Please refer to the documents that Smith & Nephew has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission under the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including Smith & Nephew's most recent annual report on Form 20-F, for a discussion of certain of these factors. Any forward-looking statement is based on information available to Smith & Nephew as of the date of the statement. All written or oral forward-looking statements attributable to Smith & Nephew are qualified by this caution. Smith & Nephew does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement to reflect any change in circumstances or in Smith & Nephew's expectations.

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References

   1.         Schultz et al. Wound Repair Regen (2017); accepted article 
   2.        Burmølle, M. et al. FEMS Immunol. Med. Microbiol. 59,(2010); 
   3.         Roche ED, et al. Wound Repair Regen 2012; 20: 537-43. 
   4.         Schierle CF, et al. Wound Repair Regen. 2009;17: 354-9. 
   5          Phillips PL et al. Int Wounds J (2013):1-15; 
   6.        Stewart, P. S. & Costerton, J. W.) 358, 135-8 (2001). 
   7.        Wolcott, R. D. et al. J. Wound Care 19, 320-8 (2010). 
   8.        Jesaitis, A. J. et al. J. Immunol. 171, 4329-39 (2003). 
   9.        Bjarnsholt, T. et al. Microbiology 151, 373-383 (2005). 
   10.       Malone, M. et al. J. Wound Care 26, 20-25 (2017). 
   11.       Fitzgerald, D. J. et al. Wound Repair Regen. 1-40 (2016). doi:10.1111/wrr.12497 
   12.      Schultz, G. & Yang. Poster presented at WUWHS Florence (2016) 
   13.      Oates J.L. et al. Poster presented at SAWC, Atlanta.(2016); 
   14.         Lantis, J. C. et al. Poster presented at WUWHS Florence  (2016). 
   15.       O'Meara, S. et al.. Cochrane database Syst. Rev. 1, CD003557 (2014). 

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October 04, 2017 03:00 ET (07:00 GMT)