According to mbl.is, Kerecis, an Icelandic company that pioneered the use of fish skin for tissue regeneration and protection, received approval this week from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market this new product. It is the fourth Kerecis product approved by the FDA. It is intended for use on large wounds and after surgery. The company is based in Ísafjörður in the Westfjords.
The product, marketed as Kerecis Omega3 SurgiBind TM, is the first Kerecis product to be used in surgery. It is an implantable medical device made of fish skin for use in plastic and reconstructive surgery.
Guðmundur Fertram Sigurjónsson, CEO of Kerecis, says FDA approval will open up new markets for the company as the use of the products will no longer be limited to wound healing, but will also extend to surgery and injuries. It can be used during emergency operations after accidents, as well as in operations where it is necessary to strengthen internal seams and support the body during rehabilitation.
Guðmundur says there is no shortage of interest, and some doctors were already using the product internally even before it was approved by the FDA.
Ninety percent of Kerecis’ revenues come from the US. “The US market is by far the most progressive in terms of new technologies and new products in the biotechnology market” Guðmundur explains. However, he notes that the company is also gaining popularity in German-speaking countries and has offices in Zurich.
Major customers in the US are VA hospitals, health clinics, wound care clinics, and operating theaters.
More information on this can be found HERE.
In the subject:
- Fish skin as a remedy for severe burns
Source: Yle
