DoD awards MediWound $6.7M to develop field-care burn treatment

MediWound's drug treats eschar removal, replacing the need for surgery

Burns account for an estimated 180,000 deaths every year but even non-fatal burns are a leading cause of morbidity, including prolonged hospitalization, disfigurement, and disability.

MediWound is looking to help treat burns with drugs: the biopharmaceutical company is focused on developing enzymatic therapeutics for tissue repair, with the goal of improving patient experiences and outcomes, while also reducing costs and unnecessary surgeries.

Its first drug, NexoBrid, is an FDA-approved orphan biologic for the removal of eschar, aka dead tissue that sheds or falls off from the skin, in severe burns, replacing surgical interventions.

Now the company will be developing NexoBrid as a solution for field-care burn treatment for the U.S. Army thanks to $6.7 million in funding MediWound was awarded from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), the company announced on Thursday. With this funding, the R&D project budget has increased to $14.4 million.

The award came through the Medical Technology Enterprise Consortium (MTEC), a biomedical technology consortium working to advance innovative medical solutions to keep military personnel healthy and fully operational. The MTEC Research Project Award was granted by the DoD’s U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command.

The funding will be used to advance the development and production of a new, temperature-stable formulation of NexoBrid, which the company says would make it the first-line non-surgical solution for treating severe burn injuries in pre-hospital settings. 

Along with NexoBrid, MediWound has two other drug in its pipeline, including EscharEx, a Phase III-ready biologic for debridement of chronic and hard-to-heal wounds. Results from Phase 2 studies demonstrated EscharEx's effectiveness in debriding venous leg ulcers and diabetic foot ulcers, and the company plans to initiate the Phase 3 study in the second half of 2024.

MediWound’s pipeline also includes MW005, a topical therapeutic for the treatment of basal cell carcinoma.

"We are delighted to further solidify our partnership with the U.S. Department of Defense. The additional funding will enhance our CMC activities, expedite preclinical development, and facilitate the establishment of a GMP compliant aseptic production line for the temperature-stable formulation of NexoBrid," Ofer Gonen, Chief Executive Officer of MediWound, said in a statement.

"This new award underscores our shared commitment to ensuring NexoBrid's availability for military use and its potential to significantly change the early treatment approach for severe burns."

(Image source: mediwound.com)