A made-in-Calgary treatment for wound and burn care is now treating soldiers on the front lines of the war in Ukraine.
The news: NanoTess, a Calgary biotech startup, announced at the CAN Health Network Annual Conference on Wednesday that its flagship product, NanoSALV Catalytic, is being used to treat wounds sustained by soldiers and civilians in Ukraine. The company claims NanoSALV, a topical gel that uses tiny, catalytic particles to accelerate healing, has reached more than 6,000 soldiers and civilians impacted by the war.
From the source: “Effective medical treatment in active conflict zones and during recovery is critical to our soldiers. Burns require urgent care, and complex blast wounds, typically sustained in drone strikes, are easily contaminated by debris and can quickly become infected,” Dr. Vasyl Voronets, a military surgeon working in Ukraine’s eastern front, said in a press release. “In a conflict where medical access can never be taken for granted, this support matters deeply to our soldiers and to the people we serve.”
The context: To deliver NanoSALV to the often remote and dangerous regions along the Ukrainian frontlines, NanoTess is partnering with Calgary-based charity Medical Mercy Canada, as well as the Public Health Centre of Ukraine, and the Ukrainian military’s Medical Forces Sustainment Group East. Much of the deployment is occurring via drone delivery, the company said.
Since being authorized by Health Canada in 2022, NanoSALV has gone on to be used in more than 2,500 hospitals and health facilities; it’s also available in 14,000 pharmacies. In 2023, the company received support from the CAN Health Network, a federally funded organization that connects health-tech companies with healthcare providers to launch commercialization.
Final thought: Ukraine and Canada have deepened cooperation. In September, Prime Minister Mark Carney and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a 100-year declaration to collaborate on defence innovation. Amid that collaboration, as well as Canada’s larger defence expansion, dual-use technology from the private sector has been prioritized. NanoTess has expanded toward dual-use capability, participating in the Department of National Defence’s (DND) Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security program, and receiving support from the DND to build out its manufacturing.
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Feature image courtesy of NanoTess