Altrika Ltd. is pleased to announce a change to the provision of its cell-based therapies for burns treatment, Myskin® and Cryoskin®. These products will now be made available to UK burns units on a specific patient basis by Altrika directly rather than through its previous distribution partners Cranage Healthcare and, more recently, Sinclair Pharma.
Leading the continued roll-out of Myskin® and Cryoskin® will be David Bryant and Aileen Cameron who have joined the Altrika team from Sinclair. They will remain the first point of call for any questions regarding the products and can be reached on Altrika’s Cells Hotline – 0844 544 9010 (7 days per week, 8am to 11pm).
“This is an exciting development for the provision of advanced therapies in the treatment of burns in the UK as it will provide a direct link between the patient need and the provision of the therapy,” said Graeme Purdy, Altrika CEO. “This is particularly the case as David and Aileen have joined us to continue the excellent work they have done both at Sinclair and Cranage Healthcare before that.”
“It will also enhance Altrika’s ability to deliver on its previously-stated commitment to the field,” added Purdy, “namely:
To ensure the long-term, reliable supply of autologous and allogeneic cell-based products to burns units as and when required
To maintain prices to ensure that costs of treatment are competitive and offer value for money
To guarantee the quality and safety of the products, pursuant to the requirements of the regulatory bodies and standards of care demanded by our customers.”
Altrika remains the only commercially available source of autologous and allogeneic cells for the treatment of major burns. Central to its commitment to the provision of cells are the quality standards maintained at its GMP facility in Sheffield, reinforced recently by its recent inspection by the Human Tissue Authority in October of this year.
About Altrika:
Altrika Ltd. was spun out of Ilika Technologies, a global leader in high throughput materials discovery in December 2008 to focus on the development and exploitation of novel materials in the biomedical sector. Altrika works with leading medtech companies to identify novel materials for specific applications, as well as developing solutions in-house for the next generation of medical products. Altrika runs a GMP manufacturing facility in Sheffield, UK, licensed by both the UK Human Tissue Authority (HTA) and Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to supply its Cryoskin® and Myskin® services on a named patient basis.
About Myskin®:
Myskin™ is an active treatment for difficult to heal wounds, using cultured cells from the patient’s own skin. It comprises a flexible medical-grade silicone coated with a chemically controlled plasma polymer film which supports the growth of skin cells. Once cultured, Myskin® is applied so that cells are in contact with the wound bed. The polymer film is engineered to promote cell growth and subsequent release when triggered by exposure to the wound. In order to obtain autologous cells a small skin biopsy is taken from the patient and processed in a clinical laboratory licensed by the UK Human Tissue Authority.
The cells delivered by Myskin™ have a high proliferative capacity, are able to survive an aggressive wound site and ultimately provide epidermal cover. This promotes the healing of wounds, assisted by the increased expression of natural growth factors which the cultured autologous cells provide. It has been used to successfully treat over 100 patients across a range of clinical indications.
About Cryoskin®:
Cryoskin® is an active treatment for burns and hard to heal wounds, using viable donor cells to provide support for the healing process in the wound bed. It consists of a frozen mono-layer of undifferentiated allogeneic keratinocytes attached, using specialist coating techniques, to a medical grade silicone backing, perforated to allow management of exudate. The cell layer produces a ‘cocktail’ of growth factors and cytokines, which along with cell to cell interactions, encourage and promote the growth of the patient’s own cells to grow back at an increased rate.
The Cryoskin® cells, from a fully screened donor, have been specially selected for their ability to grow at a desirable and expected rate, and grow in serum-free media; reducing any chance of an adverse patient reaction. They have been used to treat over 600 patients and are cultured to high levels of quality and reliability in GMP accredited cleanrooms. The sheets can be stored for up to 6 months at -80C and are individually sealed in sterile packages designed to be taken straight to theatre.