Noventure Acquires Two Medical Devices for Wound Healing

Noventure, specialized in licensing innovative substance-based medical devices and specialist food supplements, has acquired the Ulkox and Oleoabrax products, based on an Olea Europaea leaf extract wound-healing technology. These medical devices were originally developed by Spanish companies Quesper R&D, specializing in the creation and development of medical devices with a markedly innovative character, and Orpea Ibérica, a leading company in Spain in the fields of care for the elderly and dependent people, and the mental health sector, together with the Andalusian Health Service (Servicio Andaluz de Salud, SAS). 
 
Olea Europaea (olive) leaf extract has shown excellent scavenging effects that contribute to the acceleration of the healing of skin wounds. Chronic wounds are mostly seen in the elderly population. Increasing costs of health care, an aging population, recognition of difficult-to-treat infection threats such as biofilms, and the continued threat of diabetes and obesity worldwide, make chronic wounds a substantial clinical, social and economic challenge. From an economic point of view, the annual wound care products market is expected to reach $15–22 billion by 2024.

“This agreement will enable us to keep shaping innovative science assets and bring them to markets around the world, and to take steps towards becoming a key player in medical devices for topical applications. This is only the beginning; we have many innovative products that we will be able to bring to patients, thanks to this patented new technology,” said Luciano Conde, CEO of Noventure.

Ulkox and Oleoabrax are the first Olea Europaea-based products for Noventure. They are already available for licensing and have been certified as Class IIb medical devices. They are indicated for healing skin wounds of full or partial thickness. As amorphous hydrogels, they protect the affected area from infection and boost healing based on four properties: the protective barrier, skin hydration, pH control and oxygen radical scavenging effect. These patent-protected products are easy to apply and are supported by proven evidence from robust experimental and clinical research.
 
“Following more than 10 years of preclinical and clinical research, we can proudly state that Ulkox and Oleoabrax have the proven ability to reactivate and accelerate the healing process of ulcers and skin wounds, and do so significantly better than other widely-used products,” said Jose Manuel Quesada, CEO of Quesper R&D. “Their introduction into the market will mean a significant improvement in patients’ quality of life, as well as being an important advance for the professionals who care for them. We therefore welcome the transfer of this disruptive technology to Noventure, which will make our products available to patients all over the world.”

Ulkox and Oleoabrax are class IIb medical devices which comply with the essential requirements of Directive 93/42/EEC and subsequent amendments. (CE 0318, Ferrer Internacional, S.A.) They will initially be marketed in the European Union. Regulatory steps are being taken to make them readily available throughout the rest of the world.

An Orpea representative spoke of its medical and healthcare teams: “working daily to develop innovative programs, therapies and treatments that provide greater well-being and quality of life for the elderly. Research and innovation are the two pillars that allow us to be worldwide leaders in the sector of dependency and care for the elderly.”
 
Quesper R&D is a technology-based company specialising in the creation and development of medical devices with a markedly innovative character. The company covers all stages of product development—up to obtaining the CE-mark—basing its strategy on the generation of scientific evidence of the highest quality, this allows it to differentiate its medical devices from those already on the market.