Cure for advanced diabetic foot ulcers now in Sri Lanka

Friday, 20 March 2015 00:14 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

From left Omacx Healthcare Director Marketing Nuwan Chamara Fonseka, Specialist in Angiology and Vascular Surgery Dr.Rezni Cassim, International Diabetes Federation President Sir Michael Hurst, Ambassador Republic of Cuba Florentino Batista, Cuba Heber-Biotec S. A. Dr. Sergio Perez Talavera and MSC Specialist in Angiology and Vascular Surgery in Cuba Dr. Pedro Cesar Goicoechea Diaz – Pic by Daminda Harsha Perera The launch of Heberprot-P, an innovative injection in the treatment and cure of advanced diabetic foot ulcers was introduced to the therapeutic care sector recently. A product of Cuba, it was introduced to the Sri Lankan pharmaceutical industry at the presence of International Diabetes Federation President Sir Michael Hirst and eminent medical experts Dr. Pedro Cesar Goicoechea Diaz and Dr. Sergio Perez. Diabetic foot ulcer is a principal diabetic complication. It has been shown that patients have decreased growth factor concentrations in their tissues, particularly epidermal growth factor. The most complicated and recalcitrant chronic wounds usually associate with high amputation risk. Addressing the press briefing at Ramada Senior Lecturer in Surgery – Vascular and Transplant Dr. M.R.N. Cassim assured that patients will have easy access to the medication as it will be channelled through both public and private sector health care institutes. “Unlike treatment for diseases such as cancer, Heberprot-P not only would help control the illness, but would cure the ulcer once and for all,” Dr. Cassim further noted. With a success rate of 86% Heberprot-P is an injectable medicine developed at the Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB) of Havana, Cuba. This advanced product, which is widely used globally, is imported to Sri Lanka by Omacx Healthcare Ltd. Protected by world patent WO PCT/CU2002/000011, the injection is currently in use in many countries including Cuba, Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela, Russia, Turkey, Kuwait, Vietnam and the Philippines. A research study conducted earlier this year by MSC Specialist in Angiology and Vascular Surgery in Cuba Dr. Pedro Cesar Golcoechea Diaz, Professor in Angiology and Vascular Surgery in Sri Lanka Dr. Mandika Wijeratne, Specialist in Angiology and Vascular Surgery Dr. Rezni Cassim and Omacx Healthcare Director Marketing Nuwan Chamara Fonseka showed 72.5% effectiveness of the injected medication on local patients who had undergone treatment for a period of six weeks. Omacx has been acclaimed as one of the very few companies in Sri Lanka that has the knowhow and skills acquired to market innovative niche molecules. Conscious of the hurdles faced by institutions n marketing such complicated molecules, Omacx is confident of its specialised knowledge to face any challenges in the fiercely competitive pharmaceutical sphere.