Leveraging biomimicry and evidence-based medicine to treat patients with chronic wounds

A gel containing an enzyme cloned from medical maggots is about to enter Phase 2b clinical trials for cleaning chronic wounds. Over 40 million people globally suffer from chronic wounds—ulcers, bedsores, and diabetic sores that refuse to heal. Current treatments are slow, painful, and expensive, costing health systems over €100 billion each year. The problem is that dead tissue and biofilm in the wound block the body’s natural healing process. The investigational product, Aurase Wound Gel, uses a highly specific enzyme from maggot saliva to dissolve that debris quickly and precisely, without harming healthy tissue. If the trials succeed, the gel could replace the current standard of care—manual debridement or live maggot therapy—with a clean, stable, off-the-shelf hydrogel. Faster wound cleaning would mean shorter hospital stays, fewer amputations, and lower healthcare costs. The project also aims to develop a dry formulation of the gel, making it easier to store and distribute in community clinics and home-care settings. For the 1–2% of people in developed countries who will experience a chronic wound in their lifetime, this could mean a treatment that works faster, hurts less, and costs less.