This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Argentum Medical gets $8.4M BARDA contract for silver-plated antimicrobial dressings
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
Argentum Medical announced that it has been awarded a 3-year, $8.4 million contract with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Developmental Authority, or BARDA, to repurpose its commercial Silverlon technology for skin injuries occurring during radiological and nuclear emergencies.
According to the company, the contract will cover the examination of potential uses of the silver-plated antimicrobial dressings in treating low-grade and severe skin radiation after a radiation emergency.
Argentum also announced that it is nearing completion of studies required to apply for an FDA clearance for Silverlon for skin burns caused by sulfur mustard chemical exposure, which is part of a separate contract with BARDA.
“Silverlon antimicrobial technology has been battlefield tested by the U.S. military in the most austere environments for over a decade,” Argentum president and CEO Raul Brizuela, said in a news release. “Radiation injuries of the skin can be life-threatening and can require reliable, sustained and versatile antimicrobial protection.”
Silverlon wound dressings include a permanently plated metallic surface that provides the antimicrobial benefit of silver in a dressing without increasing bioburden, according to the release. Although Silverton dressings were first developed for the U.S. military, they are used now by health care professionals for surgical wounds; in negative pressure wound therapy; and on chronic wounds, burns, skin grafts and IV- and catheter-related wounds.
Disclosure: Brizuela is employed by Argentum.