Bharat Serums and Vaccines Ltd (BSV) has formalised an exclusive distribution deal with Israel-headquartered MediWound to market its treatment for severe burns, NexoBrid, in India.
Mediwound is a biopharmaceutical company focused on next-generation biotherapeutic solutions for tissue repair and regeneration. And its treatment for severe burns, NexoBrid, is an easy to use, topically applied product that removes eschar in four hours without harming the surrounding healthy tissues, a note from BSV said.
Vishwanath Swarup, BSV Chief Operating Officer (Domestic Operations), said: “Burns treatment and management continues to remain a public health challenge in India. According to the National Health Portal of India, as many as 70 lakh burn injuries are reported, with a mortality rate as high as 1.4 lakh per year, with almost 91,000 of these being women.”
Further, he said, “With proven scientific evidence of alleviating the known risks associated with eschar, such as infection, eventual sepsis, wound deterioration and consequential scarring, NexoBrid allows physicians to reach an informed decision on further treatment at an earlier stage, thereby ensuring safer and more effective treatment of burns, especially for our security forces.”
Ofer Gonen, Chief Executive Officer of MediWound said, NexoBrid was approved and selling in 42 countries. “We also look forward to our PDUFA date of January 1, 2023 and the potential NexoBrid launch in the US. during the second half of 2023, with our commercial partner, Vericel,” he added.
The note quoted Sunil Keswani, Director, National Burn Centre, Airoli, Mumbai, as saying, “In 2019, more than 23,000 fire-related deaths were estimated in India, which is about 20 per cent of the global mortality burden. Burn management remains an area where much work could be done in two broad areas – introducing newer and safer treatments as well as addressing the financial and insurance coverage for treatments. While the National Program for Burn Prevention and Management of Burn Injuries aims at reducing incidence, mortality, morbidity, and disability due to burn injuries, creation of a Burn Data Registry at a national level to collect, compile and analyse data related to burn injuries, will go a long way in broadening the scope of the national programme to strengthen burn care in the public sector and to ensure better rehabilitation of burn survivors.”