- Birch has anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, expert says
- Gel using birch sped up healing in 86% of people compared to standard gel
- The product is being developed by experts who say there is a gap in treatment
A chemical found in birch bark helps wounds heal faster and with less scarring than ordinary creams, researchers say.
Tests on a gel, which contains betulin, showed it healed burn wounds quicker in 86 per cent of patients, compared to a typical gel used for burn treatment.
The extract of birch bark – used for centuries as a natural remedy – has previously been shown to help with skin wounds.
The new study was led by a team at the St Andrews Centre for Plastic Surgery and Burns at the Mid Essex Hospital NHS Trust.
Patients that used the birch–bark gel said it was ‘much better’. Picture shows the treatment of the wound over ten days. It is split in half, with the left side being treated with the standard gel and the right side being treated with the birch–bark gel
The gel, called Oleogel-S10, is produced by a German pharmaceutical company Birken AG – now owned by Amryt Pharma.
Scientists have now proven its healing effects in a phase three trial, which was funded by the drug firm. Patients that used the birch–bark gel said it was ‘much better’.
The product will now be submitted for approval in the US and Australia.
The gel has already been approved in Europe for use in the treatment of partial thickness wounds (PTW) in adults.
However, it won’t be available to buy in Europe and the UK until at least the end of 2019.
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