13th Jul 2009 07:00
Ark launches Kerraglove® woundcare device for burns on the hand
London, UK, 13 July 2009 - Ark Therapeutics Group plc (AKT:LSE) ("Ark" or the "Company") today announces the UK launch of Kerraglove®, a mitten-shaped dressing device to manage exudate in hand injuries, particularly burns. Kerraglove® will be sold initially to UK specialist burns units and accident and emergency centres by Ark's current woundcare sales force at a price of £2.75.
Kerraglove® is a specially designed device, developed and patented by Ark, for the treatment of hand burns in the hospital or primary care setting. Development of the product involved the testing of 'semi-breathable' polyurethane films to ensure a confined, but optimally moist, environment is maintained within the glove. Such an environment promotes healing of the burn with reduced risk of maceration due to the wound becoming too wet.
Kerraglove® was developed and CE marked in Europe as a Class IIb device. In a UK clinical trial of 45 patients undertaken during its development, Kerraglove® was found to cause less pain in use and be more acceptable to both patients and nurses than conventional polybag standard care. Kerraglove® can be used alone as a plain dressing or in conjunction with therapeutic agents given to promote healing or control infection. The recommended dressing change time is twice a day initially and daily when exudate levels have subsided.
Burns of the hand are classified by the British Burns Association as 'complex' and guidance is that they should be referred to the local Burns Centre or Burns Unit for treatment. Approximately 60,0001 patients attend specialist hospital clinics in the UK each year for treatment of hand burns.
Commenting on the launch Cecile Miles, Commercial Director at Ark commented, "We are pleased to introduce Kerraglove® as it complements the range of existing woundcare products we already market in the UK. Kerraglove® is a very simple product to use and its design with gas permeable film is an advantage over existing barrier approaches. Its promotion fits in well with the activities our sales team currently undertake."
Dr Nigel Parker, Chief Executive at Ark added, "This is another logical and simple to use product which Ark's Woundcare Division has successfully developed from concept to market. Sales of our existing woundcare products continue to maintain the 2008 reported growth trends and we hope this latest addition will successfully contribute to sustaining that growth."
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References
1. Company estimates based on British Burns Association and RoSPA data
Enquiries
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Ark Therapeutics Group plc |
Tel: +44 (0)20 7388 7722 |
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Dr Nigel Parker, Chief Executive Officer |
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Martyn Williams, Chief Financial Officer |
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Financial Dynamics |
Tel: +44 (0)20 7831 3113 |
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Ben Atwell/Sue Quigley |
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Notes to Editors
Ark Therapeutics Group plc
Ark Therapeutics Group plc is a specialist healthcare group (the "Group") addressing high value areas of unmet medical need within vascular disease, wound care and cancer. These are large and growing markets, where opportunities exist for effective new products to generate significant revenues. With five marketed devices, Kerraboot®, Kerraped®, Flaminal®, KerraMax® and Neuropad®, and three further lead pharmaceutical products in late stage clinical development: Cerepro®, Vitor™, and Trinam®, the Group is transitioning from an R&D company to a commercial, revenue generating business.
Ark's own products are sourced from related but largely non-dependent technologies within the Group and have been selected to enable them to be taken through development within the Group's own means and to benefit from Orphan Drug Status and/or Fast Track Designation, as appropriate. This strategy has allowed the Group to retain greater value and greater control of clinical development timelines, and to mitigate the risks of dependency on any one particular programme or development partner. Ark has secured patents or has patent applications pending for all its lead products in principal pharmaceutical markets.
Ark has its origins in businesses established in the mid-1990s by Professor John Martin and Mr Stephen Barker of University College London and Professor Seppo Yla-Herttuala of the AI Virtanen Institute at the University of Kuopio, Finland, all of whom play leading roles in the Company's research and development programmes.
Ark's shares were first listed on the London Stock Exchange in March 2004 (AKT.L).
This announcement includes "forward-looking statements" which include all statements other than statements of historical facts, including, without limitation, those regarding the Group's financial position, business strategy, plans and objectives of management for future operations (including development plans and objectives relating to the Group's products and services), and any statements preceded by, followed by or that include forward-looking terminology such as the words "targets", "believes", "estimates", "expects", "aims", "intends", "will", "can", "may", "anticipates", "would", "should", "could" or similar expressions or the negative thereof. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors beyond the Group's control that could cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Group to be materially different from future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on numerous assumptions regarding the Group's present and future business strategies and the environment in which the Group will operate in the future. Among the important factors that could cause the Group's actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include those relating to Ark's funding requirements, regulatory approvals, clinical trials, reliance on third parties, intellectual property, key personnel and other factors. These forward-looking statements speak only as at the date of this announcement. The Group expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to disseminate any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained in this announcement to reflect any change in the Group's expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements are based. As a result of these factors, readers are cautioned not to rely on any forward-looking statement.
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