The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has ordered companies to stop marketing unapproved drug products that contain papain in a topical dosage form. This includes Accuzyme, Allanfil, Allanzyme, Ethezyme, Gladase, Kovia, Panafil, Pap Urea, and Ziox. Questions remain about the obscure wording that the FDA used, as in ”Companies who market” and how this phrase will be interpreted by the companies that produce the products ( i.e. if the company doesn’t promote the product will it be allowed to stay available?). Look at the FDA web page for more (or less) clarification http://www.fda.gov/Cder/news/papain/qa.htm.
Two options remain Santyl (Healthpoint) and Biologicals (A nice way to say maggot therapy). Our clinic uses Monarch Labs for our maggots. To learn more go to the Monarch Lab web site at http://www.monarchlabs.com/ I will write more about both of these products in future posts.
Matthew Livingston R.N. C.W.S.
