Advancements in Treatment of Diabetic Foot Ulcer Using Heberprot-P

CubaHeal Research Department

A lifetime risk for a diabetic ulcer in patients suffering from diabetes type 1 or 2 is approximated to 25%,
meaning that every fourth person with diabetes will develop diabetic ulcer (1) . Diabetic foot ulcers
represent a medically significant disease complication, with a high incidence of morbidity and mortality
in the modern world. Risks for the development of this serious condition are well established and
include the loss of sensation as a consequence of diabetes induced neuropathy, previous occurrences
ulcers or amputations, infection, trauma, and the consequences of chronic ischemia due to poor
peripheral vascularization (2) . Contemporary treatment options for diabetic foot ulcers are still limited,
directly resulting in amputation being the frequent therapeutic solution for the majority of severe ulcers.
Recent advancements in medical science regarding treatment for diabetes and its' complications have
shown that the use of epidermal growth factor (Heberprot-P) as the treatment of diabetic foot ulcer may
lead to the complete wound healing, significantly reducing the risk of amputation.

Most Recent Scientific Data

It is now well recognized that diabetic patients have decreased amounts of epidermal growth factor (EGF) in tissues which directly results in wound healing impairment and subsequently to the increased risk of amputation. EGF is directly responsible for the growth of epithelial and subepithelial tissues, and promotes reparation processes of tissues that are damaged (3) .

Heberprot-P is an innovative recombinant human EGF developed for acceleration of healing process of deep and complex ulcers in both neuropathic and ischemic types of diabetic ulcers. It currently represents the unique treatment for the most complicated diabetic wounds which are linked with a high risk for amputation. Efficacy and safety of Heberprot-P have been investigated in numerous clinical trials worldwide, with results demonstrating full wound healing, reduction of ulcer recurrence, as well as a reduction in amputations rates. Heberprot-P has proven to be a safe and well-tolerated treatment option for the treatment of severe diabetic ulcers, with adverse events mostly consisted of mild and transitory local reactions (4) .

Efficacy

A recent extensive meta-analysis involving 2365 participants conducted for the purpose of investigating the effects of growth factors on the healing of diabetic ulcers concluded that growth factors (EGF among them) may lead to complete healing of diabetic foot ulcers (5) . Another meta-analysis and systematic review of literature data conducted on 294 patients also identified favorable patient outcomes following treatment with recombinant human EGF (6) . Efficacy of Hebeprot-P was recently investigated in a clinical study involving patients having extensive, full-thickness lower extremity ulcers. Administration of Heberprot-P resulted in complete granulation followed by complete wound closure in 94% of patients. After one year follow-up, only one patient had a relapse of foot ulcer (7) . The interesting mechanistic of healing effects of EGF (Hebeprot-P) has also been investigated recently. It was recognized that diabetic patients have elevated oxidative stress and low antioxidant reserves. Application of EGF resulted in significant reduction of oxidative stress and elevation in antioxidant reserves, directly returning balance to oxidative processes in diabetic patients (8) .

Safety

The safety profile was recently investigated in the longitudinal, multicenter, post-marketing surveillance study which included 260 patients. The results were in line with the already known safety profile of Heberprot-P. Most frequently reported adverse events were mild and reversible in nature, including localized Burning sensation and pain at the injection site, as well as systemic reactions such as chills and shivering (9) . In conclusion, the benefits of Heberprot-P significantly outweigh the risks of this therapy. Heberprot-P can be safely administered to diabetic patients without the risk of serious and irreversible adverse reactions.

Advancements in Treatment

The recognized therapeutic potential of Heberprot-P prompted another clinical trial that would assess the efficacy and safety of Heberprot-P in patients with high-grade diabetic ulcers. The study is conducted at the eminent Dasman Diabetes Institute in Kuwait. Results of numerous studies are promising and justify the further testing of Heberprot-P, a unique and first-in-class therapeutic option for complicated diabetic ulcers. This provides the opportunity to further evaluate beneficial potentials of Heberprot-P and addresses the unmet medical need of introducing an effective therapeutic modality in the treatment of complex and serious diabetic foot ulcers.

The Unmet Need

An accumulated body of scientific evidence clearly indicates that the use of growth factors (especially recombinant human EGF) is beneficial for complicated diabetic foot ulcers with very high success rates. Current antimicrobial treatments, as well as the broad spectrum of different procedures involving surgery and drugs, have failed to decrease amputation rates and successfully treat this serious complication of diabetes. Heberprot-P is a registered treatment for diabetic foot ulcers in dozens of countries worldwide, and it has been successfully used in over 100.000 patients suffering from complex ulcers.

The need for an effective treatment clearly remains, and Heberprot-P has demonstrated to be an effective solution where standard therapeutic options fail. According to the most current data published by the Center for Disease Control (CDC), more than 100 million Americans have diabetes or prediabetes (10) , which represents a high-risk burden for diabetic foot ulcers, considering that every fourth diabetic patient may develop this condition. Complete regression of the most complicated ischemic diabetic

ulcers has been achieved in a significant portion of diabetic patients. Heberprot-P would address therapeutic needs of patients, in which amputation represents the only treatment option.

Bibliography

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2. Diabetes in America, 2nd Edition. National, Diabetes Data Group. s.l. : National Institutes of Health, Washington, D.C. 409.

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8. Healing enhancement of diabetic wounds by locally infiltrated epidermal growth factor is associated with systemic oxidative stress reduction. Ojalvo AG, Acosta JB, Marí YM, Mayola MF, Pérez CV, Gutiérrez WS, Marichal II, Seijas EÁ, Kautzman AM, Pacheco AE, Armstrong DG. s.l. : Int Wound J, 2017, Vol. 14(1). 214-225.

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10. National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. National Diabetes Statistics Report, 2017. s.l. : Center for Disease Control, 2017.