Lab Space provides step-up for Wound Healing Alternatives

BioHub Birmingham has welcomed antibimicrobial wounds dressing specialist Matoke Holdings into its community of biomedical R & D companies where it will use its first laboratory space for the next phase development of its Reactive Oxygen® technology.

Following the success of its SurgihoneyRO™ bioengineered honey substrate against WHO priority pathogens, Matok has moved into development of entirely synthetic formulations for wound dressings incorporating antibacterial and antifungal properties which, activated by oxygen at low concentrations, promote tissue healing while also being ‘antibiotic sparing’.

The company anticipates that its first synthetic format, a gel called RO-101®, developed in 2021 which demonstrated excellent broad spectrum antimicrobial efficacy, including against multidrug resistant strains, will undergo clinical trials in mid-2022.

Formulation lead Dr Thomas Hall previously worked at the University of Birmingham’s Institute for Translational Medicine, where he specialised in delivery systems for reactive oxygen to combat infection.  “There is a huge need for novel approaches that can reduce the use of antibiotics in routine medical care and reserve them for systemic infection.  Reactive Oxygen® is efficacious against any bacterial species including resistant strains, but its presentation in a honey-based formulation is limiting. We will be developing coatings for wound dressings that can control potential or actual infection and biofilm if present.” 

Matoke has an experienced management team and last year appointed Guy Reynolds as its new CEO to lead the company to its next stage.  It has a portfolio of patents for the delivery of Reactive Oxygen® in a wide range of formats, and is keen to speak to companies that wish to partner to help accelerate the development programme and bring products to market. 

Paul Thompson, Operations Director at Matoke, said: “Our confidence is founded on the clinical success of SurgihoneyRO™ product, which has performed consistently well across a wide range of indications, including chronic and acute wounds and in preventing surgical site infection.  We expect our novel RO® technology will address the huge unmet needs in the treatment of infected, or hard to heal chronic wounds.”

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