Polaroid Therapeutics secures MHRA approval for POLTX_Fibers™ wound dressing
Polaroid Therapeutics designed POLTX_Fibers™ to help reduce infection risk while supporting wound healing at the point of care.
UK—Polaroid Therapeutics has announced that the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved POLTX_Fibers™, allowing the antimicrobial wound dressing to be prescribed in the United Kingdom.
The approval expands access to the product beyond the company’s existing European markets and supports plans for a UK evaluation programme with the University of Hull.
Addressing the UK’s wound-care burden
The programme, expected to begin by September 2026, will give more than 100 patients with acute and chronic wounds access to POLTX_Fibers™ as part of the evaluation.
Wound care remains a major burden on the UK’s health system.
Leg and foot ulcers account for 37% of the 3.8 million wounds requiring National Health Service (NHS) care, while treatment of all wounds costs more than £8 billion (US$10.9 billion).
Diabetic foot ulcers are particularly challenging because delays in specialist assessment can increase the risk of complications.
A recent NHS audit found that only 20% of people with a new ulcer episode were assessed by a specialist within three days, compared with the 70% benchmark set by NHS England for assessment within 14 days.
Antimicrobial wound-dressing technology
Polaroid Therapeutics designed POLTX_Fibers™ to help reduce infection risk while supporting wound healing at the point of care.
The 200 gsm non-woven dressing combines sodium carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) fibres, strengthening cellulose fibres and the company’s proprietary Antimicrobial Polymer Technology (APT™).
As the dressing absorbs wound exudate, APT™ is designed to prevent bacterial colonisation, addressing a key risk factor for delayed wound healing.
At the same time, the fibres form a gel that maintains a moist wound environment and supports autolytic debridement.
The dressing also helps protect the wound edge and surrounding skin from maceration while retaining its structural integrity during gel formation.
UK patient evaluation programme
Following the MHRA approval, Polaroid Therapeutics is partnering with the University of Hull to launch a product evaluation programme involving more than 100 patients.
The programme will provide the primary route for UK patients to access POLTX_Fibers™ ahead of wider distribution.
Professor Matthew Hardman will lead the programme at the Hull Wound Innovation Institute, working alongside Professor Dan Carradice and Dr George Smith of Hull York Medical School.
The evaluation will focus on three patient groups: patients with closed lower-limb surgical incisional wounds, people with diabetic foot ulcers, and those with venous leg ulcers.
Commenting on the approval, Ran Frenkel, CEO of Polaroid Therapeutics, said chronic wounds and antimicrobial resistance remain two major unmet healthcare challenges and that the approval will allow the company to address both in the UK.
He added that the approval marks an important step in moving POLTX_Fibers™ from laboratory development into real-world evaluation with patients, in partnership with Professor Hardman and the University of Hull Wound Innovation Institute.
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