New Wound Treatment for Non-healing Foot Ulcers Diabetes Health Clay Wirestone Jan 11, 2011 http://www.diabeteshealth.

com/read/2011/01/11/7008/new-wound-treatment-for-non-healing-foot-ulcers/ Results are expected by the end of the month in an efficacy study on a new drug that promises to improve diabetic wound care. Derma Sciences is wrapping up work on a phase 2 trial of DSC127, a drug already shown to speed up healing in animal tests. According to Barry Wolfenson, executive vice president of global business development and marketing for the company, the study's last patient came aboard September 27, and the trial was set to wrap by the end of December 2010. After crunching the numbers, the company will be able to say how many patients' wounds were completely healed by the end of the 12-week study period. "Should the DSC127 trial generate positive outcomes, we believe we will be able to attract several potential partners to handle further clinical testing of this drug and ultimately bring another treatment option to market for the millions of diabetics with chronic, non-healing foot ulcers," said company chairman and CEO Edward Quilty. How does DSC127 work? Skin contains receptors for a natural peptide called angiotensin, and DSC127 is an analog of that peptide. In other words, it's a near-duplicate of what our own bodies produce--with one important difference. In its natural form, angiotensin raises blood pressure. According to Derma Sciencies, DSC127 does not. When applied to a wound, the drug appears to speed the growth of new skin without side effects. Derma Sciences' phase 2 study includes a 12-week measure of durability. While early results should come out this month, that means that the study technically ends on March 27, Wolfenson said. More number crunching and and submission of a report to the FDA will take place afterward. In November, the Princeton, NJ-based medical company received a $244,479 research and development grant for its work on DSC127 as part of the US healthcare reform bill. One billion dollars in the legislation was set aside for projects that address unmet needs or chronic conditions or could cut healthcare costs. "Not only does this grant represent a non-dilutive source of financing, but we also are pleased that the US government has recognized the potential for DSC127 to make a significant difference in patient care," Quilty said. Derma Sciences sells wound care products that focus on three areas: traditional dressings, advanced dressings, and pharmaceutical wound care products. Its treatments include Medihoney, which is a honeybased wound dressing, Xtrasorb, and Biogard.

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Sources: http://www.dermasciences.com Derma Sciences press release

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KGBT-TV 12.27.2011 Baby recovers after hole burned in foot By Amber Dixon
http://www.valleycentral.com/news/story.aspx?id=701521

A nurse showed Action 4 News a painful picture of baby Darrien Garza's little foot just 10 months ago. "It was going into the tissue, and it stayed on his tissue and burned it, said Laura Garza, Darriens mom. Garza described how medicine from an IV burned a hole into Darrien's foot. The wound worsened day by day. "He was just crying and in pain like all the time, said Garza. Ointment did nothing to nix the problem. Plastic surgery nearly became Darrien's only solution. "I didn't want him to go through the pain of him being put under, said Garza. A trip to Corpus Christi's Driscoll Children's Hospital put to rest worries of an expensive and painful plastic surgery. A nurse decided honey might heal Darrien. Medihoney is said to contain only honey. The honey reportedly comes from New Zealand and has an ingredient ideal for wounds and burns. For Darrien, it brought rapid results. "It was just shocking how fast it was working," said Garza.

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Darrien's little foot now lacks the redness and swelling once captured in a picture. The Harlingen baby's success is now an example presented to doctors around the country. Staff at Driscoll's Children's Hospital in Corpus Christi are spreading Darrien's story. They hope to pump up support for the honey among doctors who care for wounds and burns.

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Honeys Healing Power The Macomb Daily Maryanne Kocis MacLeod September 20, 2011 http://www.macombdaily.com/articles/2011/09/20/lifestyles/srv0000013977012.txt?viewmode=fullstory Back in 1996, the Harrington family of New York was not yet aware of the healing power of honey. While medical doctors did an amazing job of repairing the severe heart defects Maty Harrington was born with that year, those same doctors were far less able to treat her related and often chronic side effects, such as whole-body psoriasis. There was also the debilitating, post-pregnancy surge of rheumatoid arthritis that attacked her mother, Carolyn. "That's when I started looking for another way," said Carolyn Harrington of Pittsford, N.Y. "After just one month of working with a naturopath, Maty's alopecia (hair loss) started going away. I knew I was on the right track." Carolyn ultimately uncovered a treasure-trove of natural remedies to treat her whole family. For example, in light of her weakened heart, over-the-counter cough and cold medicines were particularly threatening to Maty, but using honey to treat childhood coughs and colds proved safe and effective. Carolyn eventually earned her holistic health practitioner's license, and in 2009, launched Maty's Healthy Products (www.matyship.com). The products, derived from buckwheat honey, include children's cough syrup and two new vapor rubs for infants and adults. "In 2007, a Penn State School of Medicine study came out indicating that buckwheat honey outperformed standard cough medicines and also gave children a better night's sleep," said Harrington, "Soon afterward, (children's cough and cold medicines) starting coming off the market (due to safety concerns); it was divine intervention." Harrington is quick to point out that her buckwheat honey-based children's cough syrup is not a medicine, a homeopathic remedy nor an herbal. "You'll recognize all the ingredients," said Harrington, explaining that honey has been therapeutically utilized for 8,000 years, starting with the early Egyptians, Greeks and Romans. "It's homemade." Beyond the cough and cold arena, honey's natural properties are also potentially beneficial to athletes. "The glucose content provides an immediate physical boost and the fructose content provides a sustained

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boost, win-win," Harrington said. "Honey also fends off muscle fatigue during exercise." Two unique factors, Harrington said, contribute to honey's ability to ward off bacteria and infection: An extremely low moisture content, which enables it to draw moisture out of wounds, etc., like a super sponge. Strong antibiotic properties, including enzymes that produce hydrogen peroxide. "(Product) sales have been double-digit," said Harrington, who today enjoys excellent health, along with now 15-year-old Maty. "It's just a matter of letting people know." At The Cacoa Tree Cafe, a smoothie bar and restaurant in Royal Oak, owner Amber Poupore creates Bee Green smoothies, which contain raw local honey and bee pollen. Raw, unfiltered honey, is also infused into the delicious, dark chocolates that give the Cacoa Tree Cafe its name. "We specialize in super foods, nutrient-dense foods," said Poupore, (http://www.cacaotreecafe.com/), who has long used honey to soothe and heal kitchen burns. "Honey is a complete protein, most foods are not. You have to mix a grain and a bean together to get a complete protein. "Complete proteins are the building blocks of the body. "They also contribute to mineral absorption, balance and well-being in our blood sugar and promote all the basic premises of good health. Just like Cacoa (the raw, unprocessed, nutrient-dense beans used to make chocolate)," added Poupore, who creates a chipotle bee pollen chocolate for her customers. Unfortunately, Poupore says, the method by which commercial honey is procured via a chemical smoke-out process and heated, cancels out its therapeutic value. "The chemicals go into the honey we consume and it's not good for us at all," said Poupore, adding that raw, wild honey has been shown to cure everything from "IBS to ulcers, diarrhea, skin wounds, staff infections and even cancer." Poupore has also known seasonal allergy sufferers who've experienced remarkable improvement by ingesting locally produced honey, which gradually builds up the immune system against local pollens. "It's like getting allergy shots," Poupore said, "but less painful." Bee pollen, tiny, powdery pellets that can be purchased from a health food store or natural grocer, are even more "miraculous," according to Poupore. "If I was diagnosed with cancer, I would immediately add honey and bee pollen to my daily diet," she said. Honey's anti-bacterial/antibiotic properties inspired Derma Sciences of Princeton, N.J., to develop a wound-care product using manuku honey from New Zealand. "All honey contains some anti-bacterial properties," said Barry Wolfenson, head of marketing for Derma Sciences. "But manuka honey, derived from bees who pollinate the Tea Tree in New Zealand, is especially potent." Derma Sciences' Medihoney is used by health care professionals around the world to treat stubborn or stalled wounds, including some bed sores, leg ulcers and diabetic foot ulcers. Locally, beekeeper John Robertson of 'R' Bees Honey, near Richmond, has sold his culinary products at the Mount Clemens Farmers' Market for years.

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Robertson is hopeful renewed interest in honey's healing power will spark greater commitment to its producer, the honey bee, which has been hard hit by colony collapse disorder. This complex phenomenon is believed to be triggered by several factors including parasites, diminishing farmland and radio waves. "Last year was an especially tough winter," said Robertson, who's lost 50 to 80 percent of his hives for the last five years before restocking each spring with bees imported from the South. "But I'm not going to do that anymore. It's not worth the expense."

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Trends in Diabetes Care and Prevention NurseZone.com Debra Wood Nov 16, 2011 http://www.nursezone.com/printArticle.aspx?articleID=38390 While a cure for diabetes remains out of sight, nurses, scientists and others are making progress with prevention education and management options. There are many neat new things coming, said Virginia Valentine, CNS, BC-ADM, CDE, FAADE, CEO and co-owner of Diabetes Network, a health care practice in Albuquerque, N.M. Diabetes is a huge problem and is projected to have a four-fold increase in prevalence between now and 2050, from 26 million to 100 million people. Diabetes, unless we get a handle on it, could bankrupt any healthcare system. The fastest growing group of diabetic patients is 45 to 55 years of age, added Geralyn Spollett, MSN, ANP-CS, CDE, president-elect of health care and education at the American Diabetes Association, associate director of the Yale Diabetes Center and an associate clinical professor of nursing at Yale University in New Haven, Conn. Diabetes is a chronic disease where nurses can make a difference, Spollett said. No matter their specialty, practicing nurses work with diabetic patients. About one-third of patients admitted to Unity Hospital in Rochester, N.Y., have diabetes, and readmissions occur more often in patients with diabetes than those who do not, said Jean Bauch, director of Unity Health Systems Diabetes Center. These patients are everywhere, and they impact the health system, Bauch said. They are patients you want to keep healthy and keep out of the hospital and prevent complications. Its a life-changing disease for the patient and an expensive disease for the health system. Prevention Studies show weight loss and exercise can help prevent diabetes. Unity Health is training nurse care managers in its primary care offices to conduct a 26-week prevention program for patients.

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The Diabetes Prevention and Control Alliance, a collaboration among the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the YMCA and UnitedHealth Group, aims to help people at risk for diabetes prevent the disease through healthy eating, increased activity, and other lifestyle changes. The goal is for participants to lose 5 percent to 7 percent of their body weight, said Jeannine Rivet, executive vice president of UnitedHealth Group. Its a great program, Spollett said. Nurses should be able to look at their patients at high risk for diabetes and recommend they get in touch with these programs. It will be affordable and will have longterm follow up. The American Diabetes Association also has launched educational campaigns to inform people about their risks and to assist primary care providers with patient education. Another interesting advancement is the Type 1 Diabetes TrialNet, an international network of researchers funded by the American Diabetes Association, the National Institutes of Health and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. The investigators are conducting clinical trials with relatives of patients with diabetes, assessing risk factors and genetic screenings. If we can predict who will develop Type 1 diabetes, there are different medications being trialed to reduce the risk and the antigen-antibody formation, which we see in patients with Type 1 diabetes, Spollett said. Metabolon of Research Park, N.C., is developing a system of tests that use chemical biomarkers to identify a patients susceptibility to insulin resistance to help doctors predict the risk of a patient progressing to Type 2 diabetes. Managing the disease The disease is best managed when it is self-managed, Valentine said. And that requires comprehensive patient education about maintaining a healthy weight, diet and exercise. Jane Giambrone, RN, CDE, a nurse educator at the Diabetes Center at Unity Health, reported that diabetes is 97 percent self-managed. She encourages nurses to learn as much as they can about the disease and its treatment. What nurses can do is be good listeners, said Jiambrone, adding that by finding out what motivates the patient, the nurse can tailor the message accordingly. Angel Anthamatten, DNP, APN, ADM, FNP-BC, assistant professor in the family nurse practitioner program at Vanderbilt University School of Nursing in Nashville, Tenn., said lifestyle modification is the most effective but one of the hardest things in the fight against diabetes. Nurses need to help patients figure out how to modify their lifestyle, said Anthamatten. Technology advances New technologies are helping with diabetes management. Unity Health has found the electronic medical record in primary care practices helpful in monitoring diabetic patients. The registry shows how each practice is doing toward meeting the standards of care set by the American Diabetes Association and then addresses gaps in care. Care managers will contact patients to help trouble shoot why gaps exist, Bauch said.

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Bauch indicated other technologies are assisting patients in managing diabetes. Unity downloads information from patients blood glucose meters when they come for an appointment. iPad and iPhone apps can help patients track their glucose levels, food intake and activity. Unity has created an online community to engage patients in their care and chat with each other or experts, as has the American Diabetes Association. Bauch also reported improved management with the increased use of insulin pumps and continuous glucose sensing. With continuous glucose monitoring, a sensor inserted under the skin checks glucose levels in tissue fluid and sends a signal to a monitor, which will alert the patient to trends and high and low blood sugars. Pharmaceuticals Valentine reports an increase in the use of incretin mimetics, such as the glucagon-like peptide-1 agonists exenatide (Byetta) and liraglutide (Victoza). She expects a once-a-week version of Byetta will be available in February. They are the future of diabetes care, Valentine said. They not only lower blood glucose and help you lose weight, they also protect the cardiovascular system and preserve beta cells. Anthamatten reported nearly 200 diabetes drugs are in the pipeline, some in the same classes and some new classes, with most for Type 2 diabetes. Pharmaceutical companies are working on developing drugs in a new class called odium glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, which would work in the kidney to increase excretion of glucose in the urine, Valentine reported. Spollett reported that the multicenter Glycemia Reduction Approaches in Diabetes: A Comparative Effectiveness (GRADE) study will investigate the best treatments for specific patients with Type 2 diabetes. With the explosion in the number of oral meds that we have, its important that we understand which ones will work with which patients, Spollett said. Managing complications Once someone is diagnosed with diabetes, the clock starts ticking toward complications, Bauch said. Researchers also are investigating ways to manage complications. Ian de Boer, M.D., an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Washington in Seattle, reported at the American Society of Nephrology Kidney Week in November 2011 that maintaining good glucose control early in the course of Type 1 diabetes could lessen long-term risk of kidney disease, as measured by glomerular filtration rate (GFR). A low GFR also can contribute to heart and blood vessel complications of diabetes, he said in a written statement, adding that once GFR is impaired, progression to end-stage kidney disease and major blood vessel disease precipitating heart attacks or stroke occurs at unacceptably high rates, even with optimal medical management. Derma Sciences, Princeton, N.J., has developed DSC127 gel, a topical angiotensin analog shown to trigger the body into utilizing its mesenchymal stem cells, found in bone marrow, to heal chronic wounds.

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A recent study found that diabetic foot ulcers were five times more likely to heal at 24 weeks when using the gel as compared with a placebo, with no drug-related adverse effects. Anthamatten encourages nurses to monitor patients screenings for complications, including vision and foot exams, lipid monitoring and other therapies, several times per year. Diabetes templates or flow sheets can be helpful for tracking this information. Nurses can facilitate quality health visits by helping with proactive and routine assessment of diabetes records to verify that patients are up to date on recommended screenings and other diabetes essentials, she said. Nurses can help by proactively assessing what has been done and needs to be done.

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Wound Treating Stem Cell Gel for Patients with Diabetic Foot Ulcers Physical Therapy Products June 28, 2011
http://www.ptproductsonline.com/news/2011-06-28_01.asp

A recent Phase II clinical trial of a wound healing stem cell gel found that the product promoted healing in 73% of patients with diabetic foot ulcers, compared to 46% treated with a placebo. The gel, DSC127, is an analog of a naturally occurring peptide, Angiotensin. It has been shown to increase keratinocyte proliferation, increase extracellular matrix production, and increase vascularization. Patients participating in the double-blind trial received treatment with either a stonger dose of DSC127 (.03%), a weaker dose (.01%), or a placebo. According to the results, compiled by the manufacturer Derma Sciences Inc, DSC127's favorable results were more pronounced at 24 weeks of use than at 12 weeks, when compared with the placebo. Additionally, no wounds treated with the stronger DSC127 topical had increased in size by the end of the 24-week study, whereas some wounds treated with placebo had increased in size by the end of the 24week period. The continuation of a widening gap between 0.03% DSC127 and placebo out to 24 weeks is both promising and intriguing," said David Armstrong, DPM, MD, PhD, professor of surgery, director of the Southern Arizona Limb Salvage Alliance at the University of Arizona, the study's lead investigator. "This type of response tracks well with the proposed method of action, interacting with receptors that are up-regulated at the time of injury, and helping to set those otherwise non-healing wounds on a trajectory towards healing. This summer, Derma Sciences is requesting an end-of-Phase II meeting with the FDA to discuss trial results. The company will also continue its development plan to commercialization and begin a Phase III trial in the first half of 2012.

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Derma Sciences to buy MedEfficiency for $14.5 million Reuters March 29, 2012 By: Kavyanjali Kaushik
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/29/us-dermasciences-idUSBRE82S0K020120329

(Reuters) - Derma Sciences Inc (DSCI.O) said it will buy privately held MedEfficiency Inc for $14.5 million to gain access to its device that will help support Derma's treatment of diabetesinduced foot ulcers. Derma expects to start a late-stage trial of its foot ulcer treatment, DSC127, in the second half of this year. MedEfficiency's TCC-EZ Total Contact Cast is a pressure reducing device that rolls onto a patient's leg to provide additional support for the treatment of diabetic foot wounds. "This acquisition also gives us global rights to products, further increasing our product portfolio to our expansion markets of Europe, the Middle East and Asia," Derma's Chief Executive Edward Quilty said in a statement. Derma, which specializes in products that treat wounds, from common burns to deep skin gashes, said it expects to complete the transaction by April 30. It expects to incur costs of about $1.5 million associated with the deal. Piper Jaffray & Co served as financial adviser to Derma. Princeton, New Jersey-based Derma also posted a wider fourth-quarter loss, hurt by costs related to sales force expansion and research and development.

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UPDATE 1-Derma's foot-wound drug meets trial goal; shares jump Reuters February 3, 2011 Anand Basu and Vidya L Nathan in Bangalore; Editing by Gopakumar Warrier
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/03/dermasciences-idINSGE7120AU20110203

Feb 3 (Reuters) - Derma Sciences Inc (DSCI.O) said the high dose of its experimental diabetic foot-wound drug met the main goal of a mid-stage study, raising chances of the company finding a partner for the compound and sending its shares up 42 percent to a new year high. Potential partners could emerge within six to nine months, its Chief Executive Edward Quilty told Reuters, adding that expected to launch in 2014-15, the drug could bill about $200-$300 million per year in worldwide sales. [ID:nSGE712099] The Princeton, New Jersey-based company is developing the drug, DSC127, for the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers. Derma Sciences, which specializes in wound-care products, was testing the drug in two dose strengths and one placebo-controlled arm. The company said the high dose of the drug exceeded the trial's main goal of improving complete healing of wounds within the 12-week duration by at least 15 percentage points, against a dummy drug. However, patients receiving the low dose arm failed to show an improvement of 15 percentage points in complete healing of wounds, against a dummy drug. "The trial was not powered for statistical significance. However, there was a statistically significant improvement in the rate of ulcer depth reduction in the Per-Protocol high-dose population through 12 weeks of treatment compared with the control arm," the company said. The drug was well-tolerated and there were no significant adverse events associated with the treatment. Derma shares were up 31 percent at $8.70 in Morning trade on Thursday on Nasdaq. They touched $9.50 in early trade. The shares had lost about a quarter of their value over the last year.

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Derma sees partner for new drug in first half 2012 Reuters Anand Basu September 14, 2011 4:09 p.m. ET http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/09/14/health-us-dermasciencesidUKTRE78D6WK20110914?type=companyNews NEW YORK (Reuters) - Derma Sciences Inc. expects to find a deep-pocketed partner for its treatment for diabetes-induced foot ulcers in the first half of 2012, even before it enrolls patients for late-stage trials. Derma Sciences specializes in products that treat wounds from common burns to deep skin gashes, with annual revenue of $56.5 million. Its newest product, a topical gel dubbed DSC127, could reap over $1 billion in worldwide annual sales if approved, according to its chief executive. "We are fielding inquiries from a number of multinational pharmaceutical companies about DSC127," CEO Edward Quilty told Reuters in an interview, without providing any details. "There is a high likelihood that the partnering will happen before we enroll the first patient in the Phase 3 trial." In May, the company reported additional positive data from a mid-stage trial testing the drug in 80 patients with diabetic foot ulcer (DFU). It plans to start two late-stage trials that will cost about $30 million and run parallel to each other in the first half of next year, Quilty said. "We have enough money to complete these trials on our own," he said, referring to new capital raised in June. A partner would help the company market the drug in the United States and overseas, beyond the capabilities of its own staff. Derma Sciences, based in Princeton, New Jersey, plans to increase its sales force to 80 from 25 by 2015. It sells its existing wound-care products -- Medihoney, Bioguard, Xtrasorb and Algicell -- in hospitals, nursing homes and other health care facilities.

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"Our sales force could reach around 1,200 wound clinics in the U.S., but we feel the sales force is not big enough to cover all the primary care physicians and podiatrists," Quilty said. Companies with large sales teams and a strong presence in wound healing include Kinetic Concepts Inc, Smith & Nephew and Shire. Quilty, who has more than 35 years of experience in the healthcare industry, joined Derma Sciences from biopharmaceutical company Palatin Technologies in 1996. U.S.-based LBI Group Inc, Jennison Associates LLC and New Zealand-based Comvita, which supplies medical grade honey for Medihoney, are the three largest shareholders of the company. Shares in the company jumped 25 percent when it released its latest data on DSC127 on May 25 to $11.65, but have since retreated to under $8 with a broader market sell-off. Analysts see the stock hitting $19-$21 in the next 12 months. AVERTING AMPUTATION DSC127 works by increasing the number of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) at the site of injury. MSCs have the ability to differentiate into various types of cells found within the human body, including muscle cells, bone cells, and skin cells. The most recent data shows that at the end of 24 weeks, foot ulcers in 73 percent of patients treated with DSC127 healed completely, compared with 46 percent of patients treated with a placebo. There were no drug-related adverse safety events during the study period. About 3 million diabetic patients develop foot ulcers in the U.S. annually, and about 14 percent to 24 percent of them require amputation. Quilty, who expects peak annual DSC127 sales of over $300 million in the U.S. and over $1 billion worldwide, said the high healing rates with better safety profile will differentiate it against current drugs for diabetic ulcers like Healthpoint Biotherapeutics' Regranex, Shire's Dermagraft and Organogenesis' Apligraf. Dermagraft and Apligraf are both bioengineered tissue products that contain living skin cells to help healing, while Regranex is a topical ointment. Derma Sciences expects its advanced wound care sales to grow in the coming years. "We reported strong sales in the second quarter and we expect to report solid third-quarter sales," said Quilty. For the second quarter, Derma Sciences reported better-than-expected sales of $15.9 million, helped by a 60 percent jump in sales of its flagship product Medihoney. It is a dressing for the management of chronic wounds and burns that contains active leptospermum honey, produced from bushes that grow in Australia and New Zealand.

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TheStreet.com May, 25, 2011 Derma Sciences: Drug Extends Wound Healing By Adam Feuerstein http://www.thestreet.com/story/11132334/1/derma-sciences-drug-extends-wound-healing.html PRINCETON, N.J. (TheStreet) --Derma Sciences(DSCI_) said an experimental wound-healing drug demonstrated prolonged efficacy in patients with diabetic foot ulcers, according to new follow-up data released Wednesday from a mid-stage study. Executives with Derma Sciences say they will meet with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration this fall to discuss the results from the phase II study of the wound-healing drug DSC127 and set the design for pivotal phase III studies which could begin in the first quarter of next year. After 24 weeks, 73% of patients with diabetic foot ulcers treated with daily topical applications of DSC127 had complete wound healing compared to 46% of patients treated with a placebo or standard of care. The 27% improvement in wound healing favoring DSC127 over placebo at 24 weeks was more pronounced than was reported about the drug's wound-healing effect at 12 weeks. Last February, Derma Sciences reported that 54% of DSC127-treated patients had complete wound healing after 12 weeks compared to 33% of placebo patients -- a margin of 21% favoring DSC127. The benefit of DSC127 over placebo at both 12 and 24 weeks was not statistically significant, although the study was not designed to demonstrate statistical significance, Derma Sciences said. The phase II study enrolled 80 patients with diabetic foot ulcers resistant to healing with best standard of care. The patients were randomized to one of two doses of DSC127 (applied daily as a topical gel) or a placebo gel and treated for four weeks followed by eight weeks of observation. Wednesday's results came from a follow-up analysis exploring the continued effects of the drug after another 12 weeks of observation. DSC127 is designed to stimulate receptors in cells at the wound site that, in turn, recruit stem cells that promote new skin and blood vessel growth and accelerate wound healing. Last week, Shire paid $750 million to acquire Advanced BioHealing, makers of an artificial skin used to heal diabetic foot ulcers. Derma Sciences' DSC127, if approved, would compete against Dermagraft, the wound-healing product acquired by Shire in the Advanced BioHealing deal. www.SpecOpsComm.com

DSC127 has the potential to be a more effective and easier to use wound-healing agent than Dermagraft, based on the phase II data, said Ed Quilty, Derma Sciences' CEO, in an interview Tuesday evening. Derma Sciences closed Tuesday at $9.35.

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