New Clinical Studies Prove Efficacy of Croda’s Medical Lanolins in Dermatological Applications
14 April 2005
Two new clinical studies presented at 7th European Society of Contact Dermatitis Congress, 20041, have proven the value of Croda’s medical grade lanolins in emollient therapy and wound healing.
In the first study treatment of cracked, xerotic skin with Medilan™, ultra-pure medical grade lanolin, gave dramatic improvements in clinical signs and reduced scaling, cracks, abrasions, pain and itch to zero over the two-week treatment period. Medilan™’s performance was compared with industry-standard petrolatum; Medilan™ was clinically proven to be superior.
In the second study the effect of Medilan Ultra™, Super Refined ultra-pure medical grade lanolin, was evaluated on superficial wounds. Medilan Ultra™ increased the rate of wound healing and was clinically proven to be superior to petrolatum at promoting wound healing. Medilan Ultra™ improved clinical parameters more effectively than petrolatum, reducing erythema, drying, scaling and crusting.
“These are highly significant findings which will be of great interest to dermatologists everywhere”, commented Dr Ian White, Consultant Dermatologist at St John’s Institute of Dermatology, London. “Petrolatum has always been considered the gold standard emollient and excipient for wound management. Medilan™ and Medilan Ultra™ set new standards”, he continued.
Croda’s Medilan™ range already finds application in a number of established dermatological brands including E45, a UK market leader in emollients.
Xerotic skin study
Subjects with clinically dry skin were treated with Medilan™ on one hand and white petrolatum on the other. Test products were applied twice-daily for 2 weeks; assessments were made after week 1, week 2, and a regression period. Medilan™ reduced the clinical signs and symptoms of dryness, scaling, cracks, abrasions, pain and itch to zero over the 2 week treatment period. Mild signs of dryness/scaling and cracks/abrasions remained in the petrolatum-treated hands. “These results correlate with previous studies that demonstrate Medilan’s superior moisturising power and enhanced barrier repair properties,” commented Dr. Ian Steel, Scientific Director.
Wound healing study
During the ten-day study period de-roofed blisters induced on the forearms of study subjects were treated twice-daily with Medilan Ultra™ or white petrolatum, or left untreated (control). Wound sites were clinically assessed and ranked on a daily basis. The study concluded that Medilan Ultra™ surpassed petrolatum in its ability to promote the healing of superficial wounds. Its superior performance is attributed to the formation of a bi-directional vapour permeable membrane which provides an ideal, moist wound-healing environment, Croda claims.
As early as day 2, wounds treated with Medilan Ultra™ were less swollen and inflamed than the comparative treatments or controls. By day 8, glyphic lines, which are a measure of stratum corneum barrier restoration, were becoming visible in some subjects treated with Medilan Ultra™. On day 10 the glyphic lines were more advanced in the Medilan Ultra™ treated wounds than in those treated with petrolatum.
