Healthcare company Healiva, based in Ugano, Switzerland, has developed EpiDex autologous epidermis patches for the treatment of chronic wounds, based on cells originating from a patient’s hair follicles.

The patches can be applied to the wound during a simple, non-surgical procedure, where they promote the growth and healing of the skin and are now being cultured at Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), accelerating plans to make EpiDex initially available to patients in Switzerland.

“We are very pleased to partner with CHUV on EpiDex production”, said Dr Priyanka Dutta-Passecker, co-founder and CEO of Healiva. “Joining forces with a recognised centre of excellence in skin cell therapy marks a major milestone for its market launch.”

The partnership enables Healiva to access CHUV’s unique expertise in the development of advanced therapy products, and to combine complementary competences for the treatment of chronic and acute wounds with cell therapy products.

“Healiva’s technology represents a significant opportunity to change the way we treat people with chronic wounds,” said Dr Jean-François Brunet, director of CHUV. “We are fully committed to leveraging our experience in manufacturing technologies to support Healiva’s manufacture of EpiDex.”

Healiva creates tailored solutions across the wound care spectrum through a multi-pronged approach combining enzyme technology, medical devices and cell therapy.

www.healiva.com