ASX-listed biotech PolyNovo aids NZ volcano burns victims

ASX-listed PolyNovo is working hard to ensure its skin grafting technology is available for White Island burns victims.

A victim of the New Zealand volcano tragedy arrives at Sydney Airport. Picture: Jeremy Piper

The White Island volcano tragedy in New Zealand has enabled ASX-listed biotech PolyNovo to put its cutting-edge skin grafting technology to use to help treat burns victims.

PolyNovo CEO Peter Brennan says his company's dermal scaffold technology has been used already in operations in New Zealand and Australia, as many of the patients remain in critical condition.

He expects the technology will be used a lot more in coming weeks as dozens of survivors continue to need urgent care.

"There are a lot of burned patients, and our product is for the regeneration of lost dermis, whether from trauma or burn. We reached out to all of the hospitals and said we're here, and we've had a mix of sales and donations of stock to hospitals to help with patients involved in the tragedy," PolyNovo CEO Paul Brennan told The Australian.

"Most of the patients who have had burns in this situation have had our BTM (Biodegradable Temporising Matrix)."

BTM is PolyNovo's main product, a wound dressing used for the treatment of full-thickness wounds and burns where the dermal structure has been lost to trauma – or damaged requiring surgical removal – and requires a split-thickness skin graft for final closure.

Mr Brennan said the technology was developed after the Bali bombings, when it became clear there was a need for something other than animal-based products, which are often prone to infection.

The product has been deployed at hospitals in Waikato, Christchurch, Auckland, North Shore, Concord and this week at the Alfred hospital in Melbourne.

"It's widespread and all of these patients are facing considerable risk," he said.

"They've had ash and contaminated seawater, so they're at high risk of infection and they've got very large burns. We've had our teams working to make sure we've had a lot of supply as possible working as fast as possible. We had stock to theatres within three hours."

The White Island eruption inflicted terrible burns on victims. Picture: AFP

Mr Brennan added his company is early in the commercialisation stage and keeps six months of advance stock, but this has been a year's worth of major burns in one day.

"We've been ramping production and fortunately we've had enough inventory that we've been able to manage for this disaster as well as the commercial needs of the business," he said.

"Everybody in the company is really proud of what we do, and we're really glad we can give the patients the best chance of recovery possible. It is originally a CSIRO polymer that got developed into this product, and everybody is very aware that every piece of the product heat we send out the door is going into a person and impacting their life.

"Our teams are giving up their weekend and family time to support the hospitals, so everybody is very aware we've all got to pull together to make this work and we're glad we can do our bit."

The news sent PolyNovo shares up 2 per cent to $1.98.

PolyNovo joined the S&P/ASX200 Index in September, a lift for the company that six years ago was struggling with a flailing share price amid a failed drug trial for the peptide responsible that was linked to Essendon Football Club drug saga.

Another ASX-listed skin specialist, Avita, which was co-founded by former Australian of the Year Fiona Wood, is the fastest growing stock of 2019.