Southwest Florida's Health and Wellness Magazine Health and Wellness Articles
Ask the majority of adults today how important omega fatty acids are, and they are sure to have an opinion on taking oral supplements or incorporating cold-water fish, krill, or algae into their daily diet.
Several researchers, physicians, and key thought leaders in wound care began to develop prototypes based on omega fatty acid profiles to reduce inflammation, enhance blood flow, and address biofilm and its capability to treat non-healing wounds. Once they perfected their core formulations’ ability to protect skin and form microstructures within wounds without becoming oxidized, they knew they had a topical treatment that physicians, nurses, home health workers, wound care specialists, and patients were longing for—it’s called Omeza®.
For individuals that have experienced non-healing wounds, the treatment options and outcomes can be lengthy, disappointing, and expensive. When it comes to venous leg ulcers or diabetic foot ulcers, these can be life-threatening and, in many cases, lead to complicated procedures or amputation. Omeza® offers hope and real-world results with care plans custom-designed with leading physicians and researchers to repair and protect wounds and assist in pain reduction.
We caught up with Omeza’s Chief Operating Officer, Sarah Kitlowski, and Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Desmond Bell, to find out more about their products and clinical trials.
OMEZA® CLINICAL TRIALS
Sarah Kitlowski, President and Chief Operating Officer
“Omeza’s largest focus is to help all patients, including those who are unable to get to a wound care clinic, patients with mobility issues, patients without insurance, and those who want to treat their wounds in the convenience of their home.
“We have four clinical trials around the country and soon, one here locally in Sarasota. The Sarasota trial is an expanded indications trial, studying multiple types of wounds, including non-healing ulcers, traumatic injuries, and pressure wounds to name a few. We want to allow access to Omeza® and its remarkable ability to treat and repair wounds to as many patients as we can.
The trial offers flexibility for patients to participate under optimally safe and supportive conditions for them, such as visiting a clinic in-person, virtual telehealth appointments, or a combination of both.”
OMEZA® PRODUCTS AND EFFICACY
Dr. Desmond Bell, DPM, CWS and Chief Medical Officer
“Years ago, when we first developed Omeza®, we did a small study on diabetic patients with poor vascularization and significant non-healing ulcers, and the results were impressive.”
“Many times, you’ll hear home health care workers refer to their “Mary Poppins Bag” for wound care treatment because they never know what patients need, but in our clinical trials, we are studying three advanced products that all do different things depending on the patient’s needs. These include a skin protectant, a lidocaine lavage, and a collagen matrix. The collagen matrix, when applied to the wound, provides a biocompatible matrix to support the body’s natural wound healing process. With our lidocaine lavage, we can alleviate the painful, fear-driven aspect of wound care, which helps them stick with the treatment and benefit from the unique healing properties of Omeza®.”
“Additionally, there is an opioid epidemic, and many physicians got caught up in trying to help patients combat painful wounds, but with our lidocaine products, the pain is controlled, and the outcomes are remarkable. It’s also important to note that opioid pain medications can slow wound healing as another undesirable side effect.
“Our skin protectant helps with and addresses the skin of the entire limb or area surrounding an existing wound. We’ve studied what occurs after application, using a special spectral imaging camera to measure oxidation, hemoglobin, and vascularization as Omeza® is absorbed into the skin. The results are significant. Even bruises and pooling blood have been diminished with the use of Omeza®. Our patented, topically applied formulas focus nutrients directly to the area of skin concern. There is no other product providing results like this.”
WHY NOT ANY FISH OIL?
Sarah Kitlowski, President & Chief Operating Officer
“Could someone open a fish oil capsule, apply it to a wound and get the same results as Omeza®? Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. Omeza® was developed by incorporating key fatty acid ratios and calibration of surfactants to create a product that would not fully oxidize before absorption. It is bioavailable and readily absorbed by the skin through specific structural capabilities. Although EFA and DHA are incredibly beneficial in many ways, it’s been shown that you can’t eat enough fish or take enough supplements to get the same benefits as a topically delivered omega-3. The Omeza® technology is designed to be truly life-changing.”
IS OMEZA® RIGHT FOR YOU?
Omeza® end-users are people who have or are at risk for developing chronic wounds due to diabetes, obesity, chronic venous insufficiency, peripheral artery disease, autoimmune disease or other comorbidities. Current standard care is ineffective, with wound closure hindered by biofilm, excessive debridement, and inadequate provider training that results in stalled wounds and expensive, often ineffective advanced wound care treatments. These wounds frequently result in costly hospital admissions and amputations.
WHAT MAKES OMEZA® PRODUCTS DIFFERENT?
• Products are anhydrous (without water) for calibrated moisture management
• The patented omega-3 formulas deliver topical nutrients without oxidization
• As wound care leaders, Omeza has focused on repairing the hardest to heal wounds
THE FUTURE OF OMEZA’S SARASOTA CLINICAL TRIAL
Florida Primary Physician Dr. John Yee of Florida Primary Physician is Sarasota’s local sub-investigator for the clinical trial. The study, called An Open-Label Pilot Study to Evaluate the Omeza® Treatment Bundle in the Management and Treatment of Chronic Cutaneous Ulcers of Multiple Etiologies, will take place over a period of 12 weeks per patient.
Says Sarah Kitlowski, “We are incredibly excited to be working with Dr. Yee for this study, as his focus in treating the whole patient, coupled with industry experience in wound care, makes him a great partner. The Sarasota area has recently become a hub of healthcare innovation, with numerous clinical trials and researchers in the area, and we look forward to this next stage of growth.”
To find out more about Omeza®, please visit their website at omeza.com.
