Maggots to treat festering wounds

Saturday, 27 November 2010 00:01 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Mega Pharma, which has been in the pharmaceutical and devices marketing business since 1995 has joined hands with Origin Scientia of Singapore to launch a new joint venture company Mega Biotech (Pvt ) Ltd.

Mega Biotech duly approved by the Ministry of Health and Board of Investment in Sri Lanka has now set up the first commercially viable medical grade maggot producing laboratory in South Asia.

The final objective of this project is to prevent amputation resulting from wounds such as diabetic wounds, wounds affected by antibiotic- resistant bacteria, neuropathic and ischemic foot ulcers, diabetic ulcers, pressure ulcers, venous stasis ulcers, malignant wounds and infected post-surgical wounds.

Mega Biotech has set up its state of the art manufacturing laboratory within the Mega Pharma corporate premises at Dutugamunu Street, Kohuwala.

The maggot larvae are produced from selected local fly species captured from the wild. The eggs are then sterilized, counted and packed into vials branded as “MediFly” and delivered to the medical profession for application on wounds mentioned above. The MediFly maggots are presented in two forms namely “Free Range” and “Baggots”. Free Range refers to around 250 larvae loaded in a specially designed flask .Baggots are maggots packed in tea bag like pack and then loaded into specially designed flask.

The MediFly maggots once applied on a wound secrete proteolytic enzymes, which in turn dissolve the necrotic tissue. Then the maggots suck of the liquid digest and excrete the necrotic slough as an anti bacterial substance.

During this process the maggots move on the wound surface with the help of a tooth like anchor, which then causes a micro vascular massage there by contributing to the healing process.

With the growing popularity of maggot therapy (MediFly) in Sri Lanka many amputations would be avoided and in addition to this there will be a substantial reduction in the use of expensive antibiotics, reduction in theater time and cure patients faster.