New 16”x16” silver-coated barrier covers large-area burn wounds

EXETER, NEW HAMPSHIRE, U.S.A. - Westaim Biomedical Corp., a subsidiary of The Westaim Corporation, today introduced a 16”x16”Acticoat® silver-coated antimicrobial barrier dressing for treatment of large-area burn wounds. Previously, the largest size available was 8”x16”. The large Acticoat® dressing format facilitates simple coverage of expansive wounds, thereby avoiding the complications associated with the piecemeal application of smaller dressings.

The new, larger Acticoat® dressing is the first product line extension offered by Westaim Biomedical. It was developed in direct response to caregivers in burn care units who indicated need for a dressing with larger coverage capability for patients with high percentage body burns.

“Patient comfort is directly related to the ease of dressing change,” said Mike Mancini, Director, Product Marketing. “The larger format of Acticoat® dressings means that burn care personnel often need only apply one dressing instead of a patchwork of several smaller dressings.”

The 16”x16” format facilitates quick, easy application of Acticoat® dressings to patients with extensive burns and results in minimum disturbance to the wound bed. Effective against more than 150 pathogens, Westaim Biomedical’s Acticoat® dressings also provide an excellent anti-infection barrier. The combination of decreased risk of infection and reduced wound disturbance provides an enhanced environment for rapid wound healing.

Layered with nanocrystalline silver, the Acticoat® dressings provide a sustained release of silver, which has long been recognized for its antibacterial and antifungal properties. As silver ions are consumed, additional silver is released from the dressing to produce a long-lasting, effective antimicrobial barrier. Currently used in more than 50 burn centers across North America, Acticoat® dressings have been used on 1,000 burn patients in the past nine months. As well as burns, the dressing can be used on graft and donor sites, chronic wounds (including pressure ulcers, diabetic ulcers, etc.) and post-surgical wounds.

The Westaim Corporation specializes in launching high-potential technologies into the marketplace. In addition to Westaim Biomedical, its other technology businesses include: Surface Engineered Products Corp., which has developed surface engineering technologies and materials for severe applications in the petrochemical industry, and Westaim Advanced Display Technologies Inc., which is developing a revolutionary low-cost flat panel display. Westaim also operates three industrial businesses that produce aerospace materials, coin blanks and chemical products. A TSE 300 company, Westaim’s common shares are listed on The Toronto Stock Exchange, The Alberta Stock Exchange and The Montreal Exchange under the trading symbol WED.

For further information, please contact:

At The Company:
Tony Johnston
Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs
(403) 234-3103
tjohnsto@westaim.com
www.westaim.com

Media Relations:
Kerry Sweeney
Southard Communications
(212) 777-2220 ext. 19
kerry@southardinc.com