Q&A: Traumagel offers plant-based solution in bleeding control

Key takeaways:

• Syringe delivery of Traumagel allows first responders precise application into hard-to-reach wound areas.
• When applied, the gel forms a mechanical barrier to halt bleeding, allowing the body to create a natural clot.

In January, Traumagel, a plant-based hemostatic gel that controls bleeding in seconds when applied to a wound at the point of care, saw its commercial release in the United States.

The commercialization was announced on the heels of Traumagel’s FDA 510(k) clearance for temporary external use for controlling moderate to severe bleeding.

Healio spoke with Joe Landolina, MS, CEO and co-founder of Traumagel manufacturer Cresilon Inc., to find out more about the plant-based gel’s path to development and real-world applications.

Healio: How did the idea of a gel as first-line wound care come about?

Landolina: My grandfather was a retired chemist who owned a vineyard in upstate New York, and I would work alongside him in his winery laboratory every single day after school from a very young age. During that time, I developed a strong love for chemistry, especially plant-based chemistries from ingredients found in nature around me.

Once I was in high school, I was able to enroll in several university summer programs on tissue engineering research. This piqued my interest in the application of plant-based materials into wound healing and tissue engineering, and I brought that interest back to my winery lab.

At the age of 17, I was experimenting with polymers extracted from the cell walls of algae and discovered a matrix that would instantly bond to living tissue. I had the idea to apply this concept to a traumatic bleeding wound, being able to inject this gel into an actively bleeding wound to create a temporary seal. I entered this idea into New York University’s business plan competition as a freshman in 2010 and began building Cresilon and our proprietary hemostatic gel technology platform from there.

Healio: What spurred the decisions for the gel to be plant based and for its application by syringe?

Landolina: Plant-based materials offer excellent biocompatibility and safety and Cresilon’s patented formulation is able to leverage plant-based materials without compromising efficacy. The syringe delivery system was specifically chosen to allow first responders to precisely apply the hemostatic gel in hard-to-reach wound areas and deliver reliable hemorrhage control under high-pressure bleeding conditions, a critical requirement identified through extensive consultation with trauma care professionals who often work in challenging field conditions.

Healio: Can you explain how the gel itself works on the wound?

Landolina: When directly applied to a source of bleeding, the hemostatic gel rapidly adheres to the wound site. The gel then forms a mechanical barrier that stops the flow of bleeding and allows the body to create a natural clot.

Healio: Talk about your connection to Walter Reed and how the hemostatic gel came to be associated with TBI and wounds suffered in combat.

Landolina: Our collaboration with Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) emerged from a shared commitment to advancing trauma care for service members with severe combat injuries.

From WRAIR: “U.S. Service Members face a higher risk of TBI, both in scope and frequency, than civilians. Brain trauma and neuroprotection has long sought an FDA approved neuroprotective agent for TBI along with TBI biomarker discovery, research efforts that continue to this day.”

The connection was established through joint research initiatives focused on developing more effective treatments for complex trauma cases, particularly those involving both hemorrhage control and TBI. Preliminary results from the ongoing collaboration have shown that Cresilon’s proprietary hemostatic gel technology platform has potential neuroprotective benefits, in addition to controlling bleeding from the highly vascularized skull.

Healio: How did the company arrive at the decision to extend Traumagel’s application to non-combat-sustained cuts and abrasions?

Landolina: Emergency Medical Services and other trauma providers often face challenging bleeding scenarios in the field with limited support, equipment and time — similar to combat medics. By enabling our technology for civilian emergency medical services and trauma, we’re equipping first responders with a powerful tool that can help control bleeding quickly and effectively. Uncontrolled bleeding is among the leading causes of preventable death in civilian settings, particularly in situations where traditional wound care methods may be insufficient or when advanced medical facilities are not immediately accessible.

Traumagel is indicated for use by medical professionals only. Cresilon’s vision is to create a world where bleeding is no longer a risk and has plans to introduce products to address bleeding in a range of medical settings and scenarios.

References:

Cresilon receives FDA clearance for Traumagel. https://cresilon.com/2024/08/15/cresilon-receives-fda-clearance-for-traumagel/. Published Aug. 15, 2024. Accessed Feb. 3, 2025.

Cresilon’s revolutionary hemostatic gel technology shows promising results for treatment of penetrating traumatic brain injury in study performed with Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. https://cresilon.com/2024/07/09/cresilons-revolutionary-hemostatic-gel-technology-shows-promising-results-for-treatment-of-penetrating-traumatic-brain-injury-in-study-performed-with-walter-reed-army-institute-of-research/. Published July 9, 2024. Accessed Feb. 3, 2025.

For More Information:

Joe Landolina can be found at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jlandolina/