Cost effectiveness analysis of
larval therapy for leg ulcers.
[31] demonstrated the total closure of wounds in less than 10 days when evaluating the healing of wounds treated with
larval therapy in a nondiabetic rabbit model, even though the therapeutic effect of larvae could have contributed towards the mechanical debridement of tissue due to the larvae crawling over the wounds with the action of their spikes and the digestive effect of the enzymes [12], providing a certain advantage by using live organisms compared to just the chemical action induced by substances extracted from the larvae (haemolymph and fat bodies) as used in the present work.
This may explain why, despite the clinically proven effectiveness of larval therapy to aid in the healing process, many US clinicians do not use this method of wound treatment.
Clinical Indications for Larval Therapy. For debriding nonhealing full thickness skin or sot tissue wounds with necrotic or non-viable tissue wound types that may benefit from larval therapy include; diabetic or neuropathic foot ulcers, venous stasis ulcers (where compression may be delayed a few days/weeks), pressure ulcers, and non-healing traumatic or postsurgical wounds.
Larval therapy was found to be linked with twice as much pain in the 24 hours before the removal of the first application compared with hydrogel.
The authors concluded that, although larval therapy is a more effective debriding agent than hydrogel, there is no evidence from this trial that it should be recommended for routine use on sloughy leg ulcers with the aim of speeding healing or reducing bacterial load.
"Interest in
larval therapy is growing swiftly," Gill Davies said.
"As we are already at the cutting edge of research in the
larval therapy arena, our intention is to broaden our product range, which is where Suzanne's immense experience in quality assurance and regulation, and Alan's track record in R&D and production will be invaluable in enhancing our spectrum of innovative products."
The company - one of the UK's first NHS spinout businesses - is a fully commercial operation with rapidly growing markets in
larval therapy. The company's products are now in routine use for the rapid debridement of infected and necrotic wounds.
"Virtually every hospital uses
larval therapy in one form or another and they key area for growth in the UK is the community market where GPs and district nurses in the community can prescribe the product and retail pharmacists dispense them, just like prescriptions for drugs."