VGZ Award nominated Plasmacure as healthcare innovator of the future. The company has developed a medical device that leverages technology to offer innovation in wound care. Deploying cold plasma, their solution, PLASOMA, can close two and a half times more wounds than standard wound care. These results were recently achieved in a clinical study that demonstrates the efficacy of their product as a beneficial treatment for complex wounds.
In the Netherlands, more than 500.000 people suffer from chronic wounds. The pain and struggle to heal can significantly impact the quality of life of these individuals, who are usually older. According to Bjorn Sprengers, CEO of Plasmacure, 10 to 15% of the elderly suffer from chronic wounds, usually caused by blood circulation problems. The length of treatment for these kinds of wounds can be long, and some wounds do not heal at all. Sprengers tells us more about the impact of PLASOMA on the future of healthcare, the company’s next steps, and the VGZ Award nomination.
What makes your technology so innovative?
“I think what makes our technology so innovative is that, in wound care, there are very few treatments that can actually be applied at home. In our medical device we use cold plasma, a technology that has been in the medical field for years. Since the 1980s, cold plasma has been used to sterilize medical equipment. Now, we have taken that technology and have been able to put it into a device that is portable, and very easy to use for the treatment of chronic wounds. It consists of a pulser device and a cold plasma pad that is attached to the wound. PLASOMA is an advanced wound treatment that can be done in the patients’ homes, and that is the innovative part that allows us to deliver a health impact.”
What is the current status of PLASOMA in terms of legal approvals from European authorities?
“Since 2020, PLASOMA is CE marked as a medical device. We have been working with care institutions, mostly in the Netherlands – our home market -, that have been using our product. Compelling clinical results are available. Over 40% of healthcare costs can be saved and care productivity can improve by over 50%. We have been talking to insurance companies and care organizations, and with any luck, the government will recognize the potential impact of PLASOMA and support us with a grant towards reimbursement. We are now at that point where we are starting to see more parties come to us and want to use our technology, which is great.”
Were there any challenges while developing your product?
“Ten years ago, the University of Eindhoven did the original fundamental research and filed the fundamental intellectual property (IP). We basically acquired that IP and started to develop it into a wound care product. I think the main technology challenge was to manage the emission of the electromagnetic fields because the CE marking for a medical device restricts emission.
I would say that the challenges and the progress have been on the product side, but also on the clinical side. Defining the proper use cases, inclusion criteria, and patients to validate the efficacy of our product. All these steps are individual pieces of evidence that you need to put together. I think that the triangle, connecting the clinical, the technology, and the product organization, has been done particularly well, and that has built the solid foundation of Plasmacure.”
How can your product impact the future of healthcare?
“We hope to significantly reduce the suffering caused by chronic wounds. Chronic wounds are painful and typically demobilizing. Quality of life is really impaired if you have pain and wounds and cannot leave your house. So we want to solve that.
I’m a technology optimist, so I believe that technology can help bring gains, particularly, if it is developed with people with the right intentions, following the proper path. That means that we can help solve waiting lists and improve the impact and productivity of nurses. They, of course, want to help patients as well. And if they see that they no longer have to treat a wound for months in a row, sometimes even a year, this is very satisfying to them as well. We can make big impact in a rather traditional space.”
What are the company’s next plans and aspirations?
“We have been really supported by the Dutch community, by care organizations, insurance, and government through partnerships and funding. So this is our home market, and it is a fantastic market for us to learn. But we have aspirations beyond the Netherlands, of course. So, we’re looking at markets where the dimensions of the problem are comparable, and where we can make an impact. We want to selectively operate in other European markets, the US and China. So we are now exploring what the right path is for us and what investments would be required.”
What does the nomination for the VGZ Award mean for Plasmacure?
“It is a significant recognition for the team but also an important reference for the healthcare industry as to what potential PLASOMA can actually deliver. Wound care is a big part of the healthcare systems and costs. Typically, two to four percent of healthcare costs in any market go to wound care. So, we have demonstrated that we can help heal two and a half times more wounds than the standard of care, which was a huge milestone for us. Plasmacure offers exciting innovation and technology to stimulate the natural healing process and reduce costs since patients no longer need assistance 2 or 3 times a week. So you can cut off the long tail, save all that cost, and especially gain productivity of nurses and care organizations.”
Why should people vote for Plasmacure at the VGZ Awards?
“I think people should vote for an innovation that can fundamentally solve a societal problem. Chronic wounds are a huge problem for patients and the healthcare system as they consume a lot of time. We need to inspire the medical community, showing that we deserve attention and they deserve support. So, the nomination for the VGZ Award is not only a recognition to us, but also a good signal to the medical system. Innovation in healthcare is a super hard game and requires a lot of perseverance from all of the stakeholders. It would be really meaningful if we win the award, so I hope people feel inspired to vote.”
Until September 26, the public can vote online. The VGZ Awards will take place in Arnhem on October 1st.
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