Our Technology

Core Technology of DermaMaxx

The core technology behind DermaMaxx antibacterial wound dressings leverages herbal-based antibacterial nanoparticles, providing superior, faster, and more cost-effective solutions for treating wounds and damaged skin caused by conditions such as diabetes, burns, pressure ulcers, surgeries, and various accidents.

We believe that effectively treating complex conditions like chronic inflammation requires targeting multiple biological pathways. Few companies or products can genuinely claim to target multiple biological mechanisms—our 4-in-1 technology does just that.

Wound healing involves several key stages: inflammation, proliferation, angiogenesis, and epithelialization. While this process occurs naturally under normal conditions, chronic non-healing wounds remain stuck in the inflammation stage. To effectively restart healing in these wounds, it is crucial to activate multiple biological targets.

Background

Non-healing wounds require specialized care because underlying, complex conditions prevent the wound from going through the expected healing stages. The longer a chronic wound goes untreated, the greater your risk of infection, amputation and other complications.

Chronic wounds are those that fail to progress through the natural stages of healing within a reasonable timeframe, typically six weeks, and may never fully heal. Chronic wounds can affect any part of the body, but are most common in the lower extremities, particularly the feet, ankles and legs.

Chronic wounds represent a significant public health issue. Between 1% and 2% of the global population will experience a chronic wound during their lifetime, affecting approximately 123 to 246 million people worldwide, with 15 million new cases annually. Chronic wounds can arise from various causes, including diabetes, obesity, peripheral artery disease, and venous insufficiency. Conditions like Diabetic Foot Ulcers (DFUs) and Venous Leg Ulcers (VLUs) can be extremely painful and debilitating, often leading to serious complications such as infections, amputations, and even death.

BURDEN OF CHRONIC WOUNDS

The immediate treatment of chronic wounds, such as venous ulcers, pressure ulcers, and diabetic ulcers, is crucial in the medical field, as untreated wounds can eventually become fatal. However, healing chronic wounds is a complex, dynamic, and multistep process that demands appropriate and effective treatment.

Wound dressings play a vital role in managing chronic, non-healing wounds. Yet, incremental improvements in treatment are insufficient. Current wound care practices often lack precision and consistency, leading to ineffective treatments and prolonged healing times. Each year, thousands of patients suffer preventable amputations due to ineffective management of diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) or venous leg ulcers (VLUs).

The psychological, physical, and financial burdens of living with chronic wounds affect both patients and their families. The impact of chronic wounds is profound, not only in terms of human suffering but also in economic cost. Every year, around 80,000 adults with diabetes undergo leg or foot amputations due to non-healing wounds, 80% of which begin with an ulcer. Early treatment of these ulcers with the most appropriate wound care management is critical to preventing amputation.

Our Main Product

DermaMaxx is our flagship product—an herbal antibacterial hydrogel dressing that has the potential to revolutionize wound treatment, particularly for chronic wounds. Unlike conventional antibacterial dressings, DermaMaxx is free from toxicity and environmental hazards, making it a safer and more sustainable option. This innovation accelerates the wound healing process, helping to prevent amputations while being more affordable than other antibacterial dressings on the market. Additionally, it does not produce toxic waste, accumulate in the human body, or cause systemic toxicity in humans or other organisms, making it a truly eco-friendly and patient-safe solution.

Intellectual Property

We successfully registered our product as an invention with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in 2022, demonstrating its innovation and commercialization potential. Our invention is tracked under the registration number US 11,389,558 B2 in the USPTO. Additionally, our product is registered in the Islamic Republic of Iran and can be reviewed through the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) with the registration number WO2021053486A1.

We are also working to register advanced versions of our invention, referred to as “smart dressings.” These innovative dressings will be able to monitor wound conditions and alert the patient to any issues by changing color when problems arise. This technology addresses the critical issue of patient awareness, as many individuals may not recognize the severity of their wound condition in time. By providing a visual indication, our smart dressings help patients, even those with no knowledge of wound healing, to manage their treatment correctly and in a timely manner, preventing further complications.

The Problem

As the importance of preventing wound infections continues to grow, the demand for antibacterial dressings is increasing rapidly. According to Grand View Research, the global antimicrobial wound care dressings market was valued at $1.3 billion in 2022 and is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.4% from 2023 to 2030. This growth rate outpaces that of advanced dressings, highlighting the increasing need for effective infection protection in wound care.

Among antibacterial dressings, silver nanoparticle-based products currently dominate the market, accounting for the largest share of global antibacterial wound dressing production. The global market for silver-based antimicrobial wound dressings is expected to grow from $677 million in 2024 to $912.4 million by 2030, with a CAGR of 5.1% during this period. Europe leads this market with a 35% share, while North America follows as the second-largest region, holding nearly 34% of the market revenue

“Silver Released from the Dressing Causes DNA Damage and a Stress Response in Resident Cells and many wound-care professionals agree that none of these wound dressings show comprehensive or optimal antimicrobial activity.”

Importantly, in 2020, Nešporová published research in the prestigious journal Scientific Reports (a sub-journal of Nature) showing that wound dressings containing silver are cytotoxic in vitro. The study involved applying dressings with different forms of silver to pig skin in vivo and examining silver penetration and DNA damage. The silver dressings tested in Nešporová and colleagues’ experiments included Acticoat (Smith & Nephew, UK), Aquacel Ag + Extra (Convatec, UK), Silvercel Hydro-Alginate (Systagenix, UK), and Ialugen Plus (IBI, Czech Republic).

Their results demonstrated that all silver-containing dressings increased the DNA damage marker γ-H2AX and the expression of stress-related genes in the transplanted skin compared to the control. This increase in DNA damage was directly correlated with the amount of silver present in the skin. The study also revealed that silver-containing dressings reduced cell viability, induced oxidative stress, and caused DNA damage in skin cells. Additionally, they triggered pro-inflammatory IL-6 production by monocytes, reduced oxidative burst, and decreased the viability of activated neutrophils. The study showed that the amount of silver released into the culture medium varied among the dressings and was directly linked to in vitro toxicity.

The known mechanisms of silver toxicity and cytotoxicity in vitro include: (a) ROS production and oxidative stress, (b) mitochondrial dysfunction, (c) Ag+ association with membranes and peroxylipid production, (d) unfolding or misfolding of proteins leading to endoplasmic reticulum stress, (e) apoptosis and autophagy, (f) activation of redox-sensitive MAPK pathways 8 and transcription factors such as AP-1, Nrf-2, and NF-kB, (g) induction of DNA damage, (h) proinflammatory and profibrotic responses in fibroblasts, and (i) up-regulated expression of metallothionein’s and heme oxidase 1.

The figure opposite illustrates how silver nanoparticles enter the inner membrane of mitochondria, disrupt its structure, and affect mitochondrial fission/fusion, leading to a reduction in ATP production or ATPase activity.

Unfortunately, 50% of all antibacterial dressings produced in the world are products containing nano silver.

Competitive Advantages

All of our main competitors in the antibacterial dressing market rely on silver nanoparticles as the antimicrobial agent in their products, despite the well-documented risks associated with silver. The widespread disadvantages of nano silver and the growing global opposition to its use have created a significant opportunity for our company to introduce a safer, more effective solution. We are the first company to address wound infections by utilizing completely natural raw materials, free from environmental hazards, while significantly accelerating the wound healing process.

The primary competitive advantage of our patented product is the use of fully herbal antibacterial nanoparticles in advanced hydrogel dressings. These nanoparticles are free from cytotoxic effects and other adverse impacts on the wound healing process. Our dressings reduce healing time by up to twice as fast as conventional alternatives, thanks to the complex compound formulation that supports the natural healing process.

Additionally, our herbal antibacterial nanoparticles are fully biodegradable in both the human body and the environment. This solves the issues caused by the accumulation of silver nanoparticles, which can be toxic to both the body and the ecosystem. Furthermore, our production process is waste-free, contributing to environmental sustainability.

Another key advantage of DermaMaxx is its multi-functional formulation, which combines the natural ingredients necessary for effective wound healing in a single product. Unlike conventional dressings that are typically single-function (such as antibacterial or moisture-absorbing), our product offers a complete solution. It provides a transparent, flexible, and strong dressing that maintains optimal moisture levels, has antibacterial properties, promotes tissue regeneration, and relieves pain—all in one.

Other advantages of our product over competitors:

      1. Lower cost and consequently a more affordable selling price compared to similar products on the market.
      2. High production capacity, ensuring efficient manufacturing at scale.
      3. Reliable supply of raw materials, ensuring uninterrupted production.
      4. Compact production setup, allowing for high-level output in minimal space.
      5. Flexibility to incorporate additional therapeutic agents into the dressing formulation, broadening its application potential.