6,000 Injuries Treated by Calgary Wound Gel in Ukraine

More than 6,000 wounded soldiers and civilians have been treated with a novel wound and burn gel on the front lines of Ukraine since June. The product, known as NanoSALV Catalytic, was developed by NanoTess, a company based in Calgary. It received approval from Health Canada in 2022 after being tested on unhoused populations in local encampments.

The path to the battlefield began in 2020 when NanoTess secured a grant from Canada’s Department of National Defence. Megan Leslie, the company’s co-founder and CEO, described the transition from government funding to active military use as a full circle moment for the team. The specific application of the treatment was detailed at the CAN Health Network Annual Conference held in Toronto on Wednesday.

The gel is designed for rapid deployment in high-stress environments. It is lightweight and non-flammable, allowing it to be transported by drone directly to the front line. Medics with limited medical training can apply the substance directly to injuries. The nanomaterials in the gel lower the energy required for healing and combat infection-causing micro-organisms while supporting the body’s natural repair processes.

Hailie Uren, a clinical pharmacist with the Ukrainian Ministry of Health, noted that the treatment is essential for managing patient loads. She has worked in eastern Ukraine for four years. Uren explained that in some facilities, a single nurse must care for up to 90 patients. In such scenarios, a treatment that heals without consistent nursing intervention is vital for buying time on the battlefield.

Uren said demand for the catalytic gel is high. She described visiting casualties at the hospital the day after they arrived to check their wounds. She added that other patients in the room often try to find new injuries so she could apply the gel to them as well.

The technology is also relevant in Canada, where a wildfire at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright earlier this month killed four soldiers and burned dozens more. Dr. Eric Fung, an Alberta-based surgeon who has spent time in Ukraine, said colleagues in Edmonton are responding to the larger burn injuries. Fung noted that using such gel in mass casualty events can reduce strain on the system by helping to get patients in and out of hospitals more quickly.