At this year’s 34th EWMA conference, which will take place in London from 1 to 3 May, the focus will be on comprehensive and sustainable wound care. “Making everyone’s contribution count” is EWMA’s theme for 2024. The many ways that Polymedics Innovations can contribute to this with its synthetic skin substitutes SUPRATHEL® and SUPRA SDRM® are shown by several studies that will be presented for the first time in London at the beginning of May 2024.  

• SUPRA SDRM® health economics
  ABSTRACT TITLE: Cost-utility and cost-benefit analysis of a novel polylactic acid dermal matrix for the closure of Diabetic Foot Ulcers (ORAL PRESENTATION).
  Jose L. Ramirez-Garcialuna ¹, Elaheh Khorasani ¹, Brock Liden ²,
  ¹ McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada ² WAFL, Circleville, OH.

OBJECTIVE:  A recent randomized-controlled trial (RCT) demonstrated a 44% reduction in time for achieving diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) healing when using a novel polylactic acid (PLA) matrix compared to standard of care (collagen dressings). Here, we present a cost-utility and cost-benefit analysis of the RCT data.

DATE AND PLACE: 01 May 2024 12:15 PM, Platinum 5-6-7

• SUPRA SDRM® for challenging wounds

ABSTRACT TITLE: Using a polylactic acid dermal matrix for achieving wound healing in challenging wounds (QUICK TALK PRESENTATION).

Matthew Regulski ¹, Jose L. Ramirez-Garcialuna ^2
1 Wound Care Institute of Ocean County, NJ. ² McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada

OBJECTIVE:  Polylactic acid (PLA) dermal matrices have shown initial success in promoting the shift from inflammation into proliferation of chronic wounds. Here, we show our experience in using this technology in a cohort of patients with challenging wounds.

DATE AND PLACE: 01 May 2024 01:18 PM, E-poster screen 3

• Systematic review of the effectiveness of SUPRATHEL® for burns

ABSTRACT TITLE: Effectiveness of SUPRATHEL® for burn injuries: a systematic review. (QUICK TALK PRESENTATION).

Mario A Martinez-Jimenez ¹

¹ Department of Surgery, Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi, San Luis Potosi, Mexico.

OBJECTIVE: To present results on a systematic review of the effectiveness of a poly-lactic acid (PLA) membrane for treating burn victims.

DATE AND PLACE: 02 May 2024 12:48 PM, E-poster screen 3

• Visualizing SUPRA SDRM®-induced neovascularization in real time

ABSTRACT TITLE: Assessing a wound’s viability and neovascularization in real time using multispectral near-infrared imaging (QUICK TALK PRESENTATION).

Matthew Regulski ¹, Karen Cross ², Jose L. Ramirez-Garcialuna ^3
1 Wound Care Institute of Ocean County, NJ. ² Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada. ³ McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada

OBJECTIVE: Here, we assessed the bed of wounds treated with novel polylactic acid (PLA) matrices using an optical device to quantify temperature and tissue oxygenation levels.

DATE AND PLACE: 02 May 2024 05:06 PM, E-poster screen 3

• SUPRA SDRM® for hard-to-heal wounds
  ABSTRACT TITLE: Using a novel polylactic acid dermal matrix for achieving closure and limb salvage in hard-to-heal diabetic wounds
  Brock Liden ¹, Jose L. Ramirez-Garcialuna ^{2
  1} WAFL, Circleville, OH. ² McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada

OBJECTIVE: To present clinical cases of hard-to-heal wounds where a synthetic polylactic acid (PLA) closure matrix led to full wound closure and limb salvage.

• SUPRATHEL® for pyoderma gangrenosum
  ABSTRACT TITLE: Using a polylactic acid dermal matrix for achieving wound epithelization in patients with pyoderma gangrenosum
  Mario A. Martinez-Jimenez ¹, Jose L. Ramirez-Garcialuna ^{2
  1} Department of Surgery, Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi, San Luis Potosi, Mexico. ² McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada

OBJECTIVE: To present our experience using a polylactic acid (PLA) membrane to promote the epithelization of pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) refractory wounds.

• SUPRA SDRM® for healing complex wounds

ABSTRACT TITLE: Use of SUPRA SDRM® for healing of complex wounds, avoiding the passage to the operating room.

Mario A Martinez-Jimenez ¹

¹ Department of Surgery, Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi, San Luis Potosi, Mexico.

OBJECTIVE: To present our experience using a polylactic acid (PLA) wound closure matrix to promote full healing of complex wounds, including those with significant tissue loss and avascular structures.

• SUPRATHEL® for reducing the need of skin grafting

ABSTRACT TITLE: Is skin graft surgery really needed for all deep wounds? Presentation on complex clinical cases with the use of SUPRATHEL®.
Mario A Martinez-Jimenez ¹

¹ Department of Surgery, Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi, San Luis Potosi, Mexico.

OBJECTIVE: To present our experience using a polylactic acid (PLA) membrane to temporize and epithelize deep wounds, thereby avoiding the need for skin grafting.

Apart from this dense program of clinical trials and new results, our visitors will find us at booth B60. The PolyMedics Innovation Team answers questions about SUPRATHEL®, SUPRA SDRM® and NovoSorb® BTM.

On occasion of International Women’s Day, we at PMI would like to introduce a woman who is a well-known face and figure in the burn community – for good reason.

How long have you been working with PMI?

I started working with PMI in June 2022. It does feel longer for me and probably for everybody else, too. I guess that is because I’ve been in the field of tissue reconstruction for so long.

What’s your exact position at PMI?

For PolyMedics Innovations, I coordinate international business and sales.

What’s your education and career before joining PMI?

Medical products became part of my life at a rather young age. When I studied international business, I did my practical training at Dental. Afterwards, I stayedwith them in customer service for eight years. Then, they sold their division and I joined Integra. With them I worked in customer service, Marketing and Sales. I became Senior Director EMEA for tissue technology.

It was in 2016 when I was ready for a change, so I started my own business distributingproducts for hair restoration and burn care.I don’t have children of my own – in that respect life wasn’t kind to me– so I was free to follow my job. I never think about limitations, much rather about opportunities. That’s true for both my professional as well as my personal life.

How did your path lead you to SUPRATHEL and SUPRA SDRM?

PMI was looking for a distributor for France; we started talking – as I mentioned already, the burn community is small and we knew each other – and set up our arrangement.

What markets do you look after for PMI?

With its products SUPRATHEL and SUPRA SDRM, PMI is present in 40 countries. In a number of these countries, e.g. the U.S. and Germany, we do direct sales. However, the majority of our markets are handled by distributors – and this is my turf. Currently, I’m in charge of 31 markets.

How many miles do you travel every year?

No idea! On average, I do two big trips every month.

What’s most fascinating in your job?

For one thing, I’m a curious person and I like to meet people from all around the globe. Secondly, in the medical field everybody and every – good – product makes a difference. I guess that is what drives me.

What are you most proud of?

Tissue reconstruction is a very special and complex field. I’m proud of my knowledge and experience in this area. I also like to share what I know with other people, so I like doing seminars and teaching new-comers to our field. I love to convince people by numbers, results, experiences.

My job is challenging, no doubt about that, and I love challenging myself and other people.

Can you tell us about a personal highlight in your career?

I remember an incident many years ago. There were these two women who had suffered severe burn injuries. On their bellies, there was a lot of scar tissue so they couldn’t, or rather shouldn’t get pregnant; as the child grows in the abdomen, the abdominal skin must be able to expand. Scar tissue cannot do this. Thanks to tissue reconstruction they could both become mothers. I was very happy for these two women. It gives a deep sense to my daily work.

In November 2023, PolyMedics Innovations (PMI) has taken over the distribution of NexoBrid® and RECELL in selected European countries. PMI will serve customers in Germany, Austria and the Benelux countries with NexoBrid® from the Israeli company Mediwound. NexoBrid® is a non-surgical solution for the removal of necrotic tissue in burns. For RECELL, PMI is the exclusive distributor in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. RECELL is an autologous cell harvesting device used to create a suspension that is applied in spray form and is manufactured by the US company AVITA Medical. With these two products, the German medical technology company PMI completes its own portfolio for the successful treatment of burns and acute wounds. 

„Taking burn care to the next level“ 

“We are delighted that we were able to finalize the sales cooperation agreements with Mediwound and AVITA Medical almost simultaneously. The properties and indications of NexoBrid® and RECELL complement our existing product portfolio. This enables us to take the treatment of burns to the next level,” says Christian Planck, CEO of PolyMedics Innovations.    

The owner-managed Kirchheim-based biomedical technology company PolyMedics Innovations offers synthetic skin substitutes for the treatment of burns and acute wounds. The portfolio includes the synthetic epidermal skin substitute SUPRATHEL®, the dermal skin substitute SUPRA SDRM® and the dermis substitute NovoSorb®BTM. SUPRATHEL® has been on the market for almost 20 years and has established itself as the gold standard in burn treatment. 

NexoBrid® from Mediwound 

NexoBrid® is a non-surgical solution for the removal of necrotic tissue in burns and has been used successfully in burns medicine for many years. NexoBrid® is manufactured by the Israeli company Mediwound. This manufacturer of biopharmaceuticals focuses on enzymatic therapeutics for tissue repair. 

Christian Planck, CEO of the Kirchheim-based company PolyMedics Innovations, says: „Nexobrid® represents a tissue sparing, effective debridement option. This selective debridement has become a standard in many burn units around the world. The combination of NexoBrid® with SUPRATHEL® has shown superior outcomes.” 

“We are thrilled to establish this collaboration with PMI, bringing NexoBrid® to a broader audience of burn surgeons and improving patients’ lives.  PMI’s impressive customer network and capabilities in the DACH and BeNeLux regions will enable a significant step forward in our journey to advance NexoBrid® adoption in Europe as the new standard of care,” said Alicia Torrenova, MediWound’s Vice President of European Operations.  

RECELL from AVITA Medical 

RECELL is an autologous cell harvesting device used to create a suspension that is applied to the patient on thermal burn wounds and acute wounds and that promotes the healing of skin. The developer of Spray-On Skin™ Cells is the American company AVITA Medical, which is dedicated to the development and commercialization of devices and autologous cell therapies. 

PMI-CEO Christian Planck says: “We are excited to finally be able to bring AVITA Medical‘s RECELL back to Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Our customers have been asking for this amazing technology for years. Indeed, it’s a perfect addition to our one-stop-shop technology portfolio.”  

“Our partnership with PolyMedics Innovations represents the first step of our strategic global expansion,” said Jim Corbett, Chief Executive Officer of AVITA Medical. “Their proven track record and expertise in the global distribution of innovative wound treatments make them an ideal partner. We look forward to a successful collaboration that will enable us to reach more patients worldwide.” 

 

How long have you been with PMI?

Around three years in all, starting in 2017, then on parental leave and back since mid-2022.

What are your tasks?

I first worked in Quality Management, a very wide-ranging area in the medical device industry. Statutory requirements have increased exponentially in recent years, especially in the European Union. My task area very soon came to include Regulatory Affairs, in other words product approvals, because the work areas of QM and Regulatory Affairs are closely related and overlap in many areas.

Risk Class III medical devices, a category that includes our products, may only be marketed if we as the manufacturer have a complete QM system. The ISO standard of relevance for us is ISO 13485, which involves the design, safety and performance of a medical device.

And then of course there is the MDR, the Medical Device Regulation. It has accompanied me throughout my entire career to date at PMI. After we switched over to the new ISO 13485:2016 and had received the certificate—a major milestone for our team—the MDR was the immediate next item on the agenda.

When I returned from my parental leave our QM system was already converted to the MDR, but we had not yet gained CE certification subject to the MDR. The MDR approval for Suprathel was our 2022 Christmas present. We received the good news, our CE certificate, on December 21.

What have been your highlights at Polymedic Innovations?

There have been several. For one, the upgrade to the new ISO 13485:2016 standard. That required major process changes and innovations such as software validation, implementation of the risk-based approach, change management, etc. We were enormously proud when we finally received the ISO certificate.

The extent to which we have improved in QM over the past five years is evident in many other contexts. We recently had an audit by the FDA, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, for example. The commission that audited us raised no objections. Dekra, our notified body, also pays us annual visits. In its last audit it raised just a few minor points even though the requirements are increasingly exacting. Our first audits five years ago were another matter entirely!

I am also really proud of the MDR approval. It took only three years for our rather small team. We also had to maintain the QM routine and international approvals. MDR is only for the EU, whereas we have other markets with approval criteria of their own, especially the U.S.

I have not even mentioned a “soft” highlight yet: my colleagues at PMI. The relaxed collaboration of the entire team across departments is most important for me personally. It motivates me when I would sooner stay in bed for a little longer in the morning.

What are your wishes for your career future?

For PMI I would like us to put the potential of our products to use in further application areas. Just as expressed in our vision: to revolutionize wound healing. If I could contribute toward that with my work I would be really delighted. Above all, when you have children of your own my profession has an entirely different sense of purpose, especially in view of our products.

PolyMedics Innovations (PMI) will participate in the XV Congreso de la Federación Latino Americana de Quemaduras (FELAQ) which take place from 10 to 12 October 2023. In Punta del Este in Uruguay, specialists from all Latina America will meet to share successes in treating burn injuries and discuss new solutions in treating burn victims. It is one of the most important events in this field on the Latin American continent. Functional and aesthetic reconstruction of the burned patient as well as dermal matrices are among the event’s focal points.

Polymedics Innovations (PMI) will present its synthetic skin substitutes SUPRATHEL and SUPRA SDRM at FELAQ. PMI has multiple decades of research and development experience, team and family dedication, and scientific and clinical evidence in the innovation of biomaterials focused on the effective treatment of burns, chronic wounds and other wounds using synthetic skin substitutes.

On Wednesday, October 11 PMI will host a symposium on the use of polylactic acid matrices in treating burns and wounds. The venue will take place from 10:30 to 11:30 am in the Sala Taller at the congress hotel Enjoy Punta del Este.

Speakers will be:

• Dr Ariel Miranda (Mexico) has dedicated himself to helping and treating children with burn injuries. He’s got more than 25 years of experience in the field and was nominated General Secretary at the International Society for Burn Injuries in 2022.
•  Dr Jhonatan Vazquez (Ecuador) works in plastic and reconstructive surgery. His presentation will deal with treatment of intermediate and profound burn injuries with SUPRATHEL and SUPRA SDRM.
• Dr Gadif Abuhadba del Castillo (Peru) is a plastic surgeon with many years of experience in facial reconstruction and surgery. He’ll share his experiences in treating dermal lesions in the face.

Besides, the PMI team will be presenting their products and answering questions at their booth. 

“It’s the team that makes the dream come true,” says PMI CEO Christian Planck with conviction. So it’s clear the stage for members of the team who tell us about their tasks and explain what makes their work at PMI special and what motivates them.  

Michael Baransky has been with PMI for over a decade. He is the company’s longest-serving field service representative and has played a decisive role in PMI’s growth. In many cases he has seen the effect of Suprathel at first hand and considers it to be a blessing, especially for children. Retiring in the fall of 2023, he will continue to support PMI as an external consultant.   

When did you join PMI, Mr Baransky?  

I joined PMI in 2012 as a field sales representative for Suprathel. Initially I was supposed to provide cover for the new federal states in eastern Germany, but at some stage I had half of the country on my agenda. I was sent abroad too, from Austria and Switzerland to Sweden and Hungary. Now I work only in Germany. There are now five of us—field sales representatives—in Germany.  

What exactly do you do? 

I visit hospitals and present our product, talk with doctors and nurses, send samples and attend the first procedure in the operating room. Wound care comes next; that is for the nursing staff. I also run courses and hold lectures. And I look over shoulders to see whether the product is used in the most effective way.  

An important aspect of my job is to be visible and accessible. I sometimes call at clinics just to say hi. A team member there will usually remember that he or she has long wanted to learn more about Suprathel or to place an order with us. Once, on request, I gave a talk at a pediatric surgery symposium in Mainz as the only “non-specialist” to do so.  

Today Suprathel is the gold standard for treating burns. Has that made the product easier to sell? 

Yes and no. On the one hand the community is small. Take pediatric surgery, for example. If a product is good, the news spreads fast. I have actually been approached and invited to hospitals to present our product.  

On the other hand, Suprathel needs explanation. That is due less to the product than to changing personnel, especially in nursing. Once the physician has applied Suprathel the nurses are in charge of wound care. Suprathel requires changes to the nursing schedule, and they are significant. Conventional wound care provides for regular cleaning right down to the base of the wound. Suprathel in contrast, once applied, stays on the wound. Only the bandage is changed.  

You have been an advisor on medical products all your working life. How has your job changed?  

At the beginning of my career, nearly 40 years ago, I talked with the senior physician, maybe together with the head of nursing. If they were convinced of the product, they called Purchasing and said they needed it on the table the day after tomorrow. That was it.  

Today, when many clinics are run on the basis of the shareholder value principle, I don’t even get my foot in the door without first reporting to Procurement. If the physician is convinced of the product Controlling decides whether it is purchased. If the Administration says no, a three-year-old child may die. That has really happened, and I find it incredibly frustrating. Only a few years ago they would have done everything they could to help—at least for children.  

You are retiring in the fall of 2023. Do experiences of that kind make retiring easier for you? 

Definitely. The trend really saddens me. My daughter, who worked in a hospital for a long time, felt just the same. She changed her profession. 

Back to the positives: which highlights are you taking with you?   

Before joining PMI one of my jobs was for a manufacturer of incubators used in neo-natology. I know what it is like when children, especially infants, are scared. And I know what it means to be able to take away their fear. For conventional bandage changing of burns children not infrequently have to be put under anesthesia because they are rightly afraid of the pain. When Suprathel is used I have seen many children follow the bandage changing inquisitively. That makes me proud.    

And then there is the development of PMI, in which I have played an active part. In 2012 we had three little offices in Denkendorf industry park. In July, when I stood in front of our new building at its inauguration, I could hardly believe it.  

I see PMI as a close-knit society, a kind of family. To fit in, you need to be a little different. You need to have many skills, you must never say no, everybody must pitch in, everyone is a part of the whole. Office staff pack parcels if the schedule is tight and the boss will grab a brush and sweep the booth clean at a medical congress. 

What are you looking forward to?   

A consulting contract will keep me in contact with PMI. In the new building we have plenty of space for training and lectures. At last! Customers have repeatedly wanted to visit us, which wasn’t possible in the old premises. Especially as we are often seen as a division of a large corporation and it is always a pleasure to say how small we were to begin with.  

So in the future I weill have the best of two worlds: PMI with its convincing products and its great team, but without pressure on me to make sales.  

A week full of highlights lies behind us. July 10 to 14 was Team Week at our new Kirchheim/Teck HQ. Our sales team, the marketeers and our medical specialists all accepted the invitation and came to Kirchheim from much of Europe and the United States. We discussed our aims and opportunities, bundled our capacities and above all experienced so much together as a team. The crowning finale was the festive inauguration of the new PMI HQ on July 14, 2023.

Successful Collaboration

The Thursday was especially challenging for us as a team. Led by external trainers, we had to capture our office vibes. What worked well and where was there scope for improvement? Where can everybody work on themselves? Our Managing Partner Christian Planck answered the employees’ 20 most important questions and shared the strategy and planning for the next ten years. In the afternoon our task was to contemplate the Vision 2030 in the form of a picture. Around 60 PMI colleagues met in interdisciplinary working groups, created pictorial images of their ideas and presented them to the plenary at the vernissage. The final act of the day was highly symbolic: the hoisting of PMI flags outside the new building and its joint handover to our senior partner Heinrich Planck and his son Christian Planck.

A Look Over Shoulders

On Friday morning most of us spent our time getting down to work on the production of Suprathel and Supra SDRM. Suprathel is a synthetic membrane-based skin replacement that is used on second-degree and extensive burns. Supra SDRM achieves successes in the treatment of chronic wounds that can heal even after years. All PMI products are developed, manufactured and packed in Kirchheim and then shipped worldwide.

“Work by Day. Guests in the Evening.”

In keeping with Goethe’s words, the conclusion of our intensive Team Week was the summer party at which the new HQ building was ceremonially inaugurated. Along with our PMI team business partners, representatives of local, regional and national government and friends and companions celebrated the occasion. Prof. Dr. Heinrich Planck, senior partner and founder of Polymedics, mentioned benchmark data of the construction project now completed. Architect Antonio Camuti of Klein – Sommer – Camuti – Hubschneider dealt with the project’s special challenges, especially the clean rooms and the desire to be able to extend the premises.

His son and fellow-CEO Christian Planck gave an indication in his speech of how much corporate growth lay behind the relocation to the new HQ site. Over the past three years the company, he said, had grown by nearly 300 percent, dipping briefly into the financials. A figure at least as impressive was the around 180,000 patients treated with PMI products in recent years.

Political Congratulations

Johannes Bauernfeind of the health insurer AOK Baden-Württemberg was the first keynote speaker. He emphasized PMI’s positive contributions to the healthcare system: the high-quality wound care that Polymedics Innovations products made possible and the societal benefit of providing jobs that were subject to social security contributions. The next speaker was Pascal Bader, lord mayor of Kirchheim/Teck. “We are delighted and proud that you are here,” he said. It was, after all, about implementing ideas and innovations. Markus Grübel, a Christian Democratic member of the German Bundestag, thanked the company and its owners “for having invested in Germany.” He expressed appreciation of the family image and the values for which the Planck family stood and the unabated “entrepreneurial spirit” of senior partner Heinrich Planck. Nils Schmid of the Social Democrats echoed these words of praise and especially underscored the entrepreneurial risk of growing the company. CDU state assemblywoman Dr. Natalie Pfau-Weller talked about the product’s symbolic power and the passion that lay behind a product that protected many people from pain. The final speaker, Karin Maag, an independent member of the Federal Joint Committee, a public health body, outlined the course of a medical device to approval. “The faster we can make available a new medication or new medical product to the patient, the better,” she said.”

The guests—as wished by the hosts and speakers—went on to enjoy the food, the musical entertainment and discussions on a balmy summer evening.

“This year we’re on the Neckar; in the future we may even be hiring an Aida cruise liner. Attendee numbers are, after all, increasing steadily year on year.” With these witty and engaging words PMI’s Max Fröhlich welcomed guests and speakers at the second Polymedics Innovations (PMI) SwimPosium. Around 30 physicians—surgeons and specialists in burn medicine—took up the invitation to attend a conference afloat on the Neckar River between Stuttgart and Marbach on April 15. Its striking title “The Wound,” host Max Fröhlich explained, was modeled on Baden-Württemberg’s advertising slogan “The Länd.”

Revolutionizing Wound Healing

“The Wound” was, however, the right choice in that wound care was the subject of the day’s proceedings and a task that PMI has set itself for around 20 years. “Revolutionizing wound healing” is the company’s vision, a vision it has pursued mainly by means of the products Suprathel® and Supra SDRM® along with NovoSorb® BTM, of which PMI is the distributor.

Downstream with the Extensive Range of Experience with Suprathel

The speakers in the first block of “The Wound” dealt with their experience of using Suprathel®, a hydrolytic, resorbable synthetic membrane with properties similar to those of human skin. PMI’s Dr. Jadranka Dobra explained the reasons for the benefits of Suprathel®, these being a significant relief of pain, swifter healing and improved cosmetic results a lower infection rate, and decreased transplant rate. Dr. Nico Marathovouniotis of the Cologne Clinics reported on his experience of using Suprathel® to treat Stevens-Johnson syndrome (or toxic epidermal necrolysis), an allergic reaction to the administration of drugs. He noted as particular benefits the lower susceptibility to infection and the pain relief. Dr. Nastassja Becker and Dr. David Funk focused on Suprathel®’s limitations, suggesting an intensive exchange of experiences. Dr. Dorothee Rickert concluded the Suprathel® block with a report on the successful use of Suprathel® 250 in the ENT sector, especially in connection with carcinomas of the tongue.

Turning-point in Marbach am Neckar: Supra SDRM Successes Extend Beyond Chronic Wounds

Supra SDRM® is a product closely related to Suprathel® but with a more coarsely pored structure. It has been approved since 2014. The lectures by speakers Dr. Matthias Rapp of the Marienhospital in Stuttgart and by Dr. Hanspeter Kiefer made it clear that in addition to this “classical use” the application range of Supra SDRM is much more extensive. At the Stuttgart Marienhospital Supra SDRM® is used successfully to treat more severe burns, whereas Hanspeter Kiefer presented the benefits of Supra SDRM® in treating older, multimorbid patients. He noted in particular that outpatients could be treated with Supra SDRM®— treatment that is more comfortable and less expensive.

PMI has commissioned further studies on the use of Supra SDRM® from Joanneum Research Coremed at the University of Graz in Austria. Dr. Andrei Hecker of the Graz institute outlined their scope and status.

Upstream with NovoSorb BTM and Good Reconstruction Results

NovoSorb® BTM, which Polymedics Innovations distributes, is a further synthetic skin pad that complements PMI’s own product range. NovoSorb® BTM matrix is used as a dermal skin substitute for wounds that require a transplantation. It helps the body to form a dermis. Dr. Ina Nietzschmann of MVZ Bergmannstrost Halle, Dr. Sarah Fennel of the Olgahospital in Stuttgart and Dr. Alexandru Tocut from the pediatric clinic Karlsruhe dealt with the successful use of NovoSorb® BTM at their clinics. They featured numerous examples of trauma treatment and reconstruction successfully undertaken with NovoSorb BTM and were thereby able to show that it can be used successfully on wounds with exposed bones or tendons.

Headquarters in Denkendorf in Southern Germany, sales company in Atlanta and present in 39 countries through its partners. This is the international setup of Polymedics Innovations, PMI for short. Once a year this presence meets at one table. Nine agents participated in person at this year’s edition of the distributor meeting on November 18, 2022. They had flown in from Latin America to Europe and Saudi Arabia. About ten further sales partners joined in via video conference. 

¡Adelante! 

The first topic on the agenda was the growth of PMI’s export markets, which the participants highlighted in short presentations. Mexico, the group of countries from Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador as well as Turkey had particular success stories to report. The product behind those stories is the temporary skin replacement Suprathel. In Mexico, for example, the representative managed to be listed as a supplier for government hospitals. In addition, the Mexican partners initiated a conference on burns. 

Stable growth 

Thus, the substantial sales growth PMI has been able to show over the last four years is a joint success of the sales partners: PMI has achieved an average annual growth of around 40 percent. 

Treatment of more than 100,000 patients 

“As of today, Suprathel is used in over 600 hospitals worldwide,” says Max Fröhlich, Head of Product Management, Medical Affairs and Sales at PMI, summarizing the PMI success story. “More than 100,000 patients could be treated with it.” The hydrolytic, absorbable and synthetic dermal substitute is the most widely used PMI product, followed by solutions for the care of chronic wounds. Supra SDRM helps to close permanent wounds, for example in diabetics, and reduces pain. It’s the product that PMI wants to particularly push in the future. 

Targets by the year 2035 

The Denkendorf PMI team presented to its partners what that will look like and how further products are to be developed and marketed. The goal is to make the family business one of the leading companies in the global wound care market. The PMI wants to achieve this by expanding the indications for existing products and by developing further solutions. At the same time, the biotech company wants to strengthen its international sales. On this basis, the manufacturer aims to quadruple its sales by 2035. 

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Im Rahmen des Landesprogramms Invest BW hat das Denkendorfer Unternehmen Polymedics Innovations (PMI) eine Förderung zur Entwicklung einer Produktinnovation erhalten. Die Fördersumme beläuft sich auf über 200.000 Euro und ist der Entwicklung einer Pulver-basierten Adhäsionsprophylaxe gewidmet. Dieses Produkt soll verhindern, dass nach Operationen Verklebungen im Körperinnern entstehen. Andreas Schwarz, Vorsitzender der Landtagsfraktion der Grünen in Baden-Württemberg, hat bei einem Besuch bei PMI am 9. Dezember am Neubau der Firma in Kirchheim unter Teck die Förderbescheinigung an Dr. Svenja Reimer, Christian Planck und dessen Vater Professor Heinrich Planck übergeben. 

Auszeichnung als Meilenstein und Ansporn 

„Eine solche Förderung ist eine Auszeichnung unserer Innovationsfähigkeit“, sagt Christian Planck, einer der beiden Geschäftsführer der Polymedics Innovations (PMI). „Schließlich konnten wir uns gegen zahlreiche andere Bewerber durchsetzen.“ Insgesamt 532 Anträge zur Förderung von Einzel- und Verbundvorhaben vermeldeten die Organisatoren. Dabei musste das jeweilige Vorhaben „zur Schaffung und den Erhalt von Arbeitsplätzen“ beitragen und die „Wettbewerbsfähigkeit … des Wirtschaftsstandort Baden-Württemberg steigern“. So ist es bei Invest BW zu lesen.  

Christian Planck: „Die Tatsache, dass wir diese erhalten haben – und noch dazu in Höhe von über 200.000 Euro –, zeigt, dass unser Produkt als zukunftsfähig eingestuft wurde und für die Adhäsionsvermeidung dringend effektive medizinische Lösungen benötigt werden. Wir nehmen dies als Ansporn, mit unserem Laktid-basierten Wundpulver zur Adhäsionsvermeidung die nächsten Schritte anzugehen.“ Durch die neue Förderung ist es für die PMI möglich, das interne Entwicklungsteam unter der Leitung von Dr. Svenja Reimer weiter auszubauen. 

PMI als Seltenheit der BioTech-Branche 

Abgesehen von den Fördermitteln, die PMI von Invest BW sowie anderen Landes- und Bundesmittelnerhalten hat, sind externe Geldmittel für das Unternehmen aus der Bio-Medizintechnik eine Seltenheit. „Das erste Mal, dass wir mit Fremdkapital gearbeitet haben, war jetzt kürzlich, beim Bau unseres neuen, rund 3.000 Quadratmeter großen Gebäudes in Kirchheim unter Teck“, stellt Geschäftsführer Planck klar. Damit – ebenso wie als inhabergeführtes Familienunternehmen – ist PMI eine Seltenheit in seinem Bereich, der von extern finanzierten Konzernen und Start-ups dominiert wird. Die Firma PMI verfolgt einen nachhaltigen Unternehmensansatz und investiert daher auch in einen neuen Unternehmenssitz in Kirchheim unter Teck, wo über zehn neue Stellen entstehen werden.  

Andreas Schwarz würdigt Auszeichnung 

Der Wahlkreisabgeordnete Andreas Schwarz von den Grünen hat bei einem Besuch bei PMI die Leistung des Unternehmens gewürdigt. Er sagt: „Ich freue mich sehr über den positiven Förderbescheid aus dem Wirtschaftsministerium im Rahmen des Programms Invest BW. Damit wird die kontinuierliche innovative Forschungsarbeit des Unternehmens gewürdigt und zugleich können  

weitere Zukunftsvorhaben unterstützt werden. Diese herausragende Kompetenz bei der Heilbehandlung kommt Patienten, Ärzten und der Gesellschaft gleichermaßen zugute.“ 

Innovationsförderung durch Invest BW  

Invest BW ist ein Programm des Ministeriums für Wirtschaft, Arbeit und Tourismus Baden-Württemberg. Es ist das größte branchenoffene einzelbetriebliche Förderprogramm des Landes. Für Invest BW und weitere Maßnahmen zur Stärkung des Forschungsstandortes stehen bis Ende 2022 insgesamt bis zu 350 Millionen Euro aus der Rücklage Zukunftsland BW zur Verfügung. Die erste Auflage des Programms im Jahr 2021 fand so großen Zuspruch, dass eine Fortführung beschlossen wurde. Seit dem 21. September 2022 läuft ein weiterer technologieoffener Förderaufruf für den ein angekündigtes Fördervolumen von 40 Mio. Euro bereitsteht. Der aktuelle Aufruf endet am 2. Dezember 2022.