Glycotex is developing novel therapies intended to accelerate human wound healing and tissue repair across a wide range of human applications.

Burns:  According to a 2003 review of the epidemiology of burn infections reported in Clinical Infectious Diseases it is estimated that approximately 2.5 million individuals in the United States sustain burns requiring medical attention each year, with more than 100,000 patients hospitalized. A 2007 review of the management of local burn wounds in emergency rooms, or ERs, published by the American Journal of Emergency Medicine, concluded that there are more than 1 million burn injuries each year in the United States, resulting in over 500,000 ER visits, 45,000 hospital admissions, and 4,500 deaths from burns per year. The National Burn Repository reported a total of 10,507 acute burn admissions in 2006, and the mean hospital charges for patients with acute burn injuries was $52,680.

Surgical Wounds:  Despite major advances in surgical management, wound infection and the failure of wounds to heal remain common complications of surgery. According to the Journal of Plastic Reconstructive Surgery published by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, complications from difficult to treat surgical wounds leads to prolonged hospitalization, increased resource consumption and even increased mortality rates. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported in its journal Emerging Infectious Diseases that approximately 325,000 surgical site infections occur each year in the United States, generating additional hospital costs in excess of $1 billion.

Diabetic Ulcers:  According to the journal Tissue Engineering, diabetic foot ulcer prevalence ranges from 4.4% to10.5% of diabetics, resulting in 82,000 lower extremity amputations annually. The American Diabetes Association has reported in its journal, Diabetes Care, that total costs relating to diabetic lower-extremity ulcers, within a managed care organization, averaged $13,179 per episode and increased with severity level, ranging from $1,892 (superficial ulcer) to $27,721 (gangrene or amputation). In-patient hospital charges accounted for 77% ($10,188) of the overall cost.

Venous Ulcers:  According to the journal Tissue Engineering, venous leg ulcers affect 0.18% to 1.35% of the U.S. population. Based on the U.S. Census Bureau’s January 2008 estimate that the U.S. population now exceeds 300,000,000, this means that up to approximately 4,000,000 Americans suffer from venous ulcers. The Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology and The Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology have reported that the estimated medical cost of caring for patients with venous ulcers exceeds $1.8 billion per year.