SIERRA MADRE, Calif. –Wound Care Advantage (WCA), in collaboration with internationally-renowned podiatric surgeon Dr. David G. Armstrong, the Southwestern Academic Limb Salvage Alliance (SALSA) and Gen1 Research, has launched Advanced Discovery, a new investigative research alliance dedicated to revolutionizing patient care through evidence-based science. Advanced Discovery will offer access to an international network of advanced wound and hyperbaric treatment centers, laying the groundwork for meaningful investigative research. In partnership with approved manufacturers and research facilitators, the Alliance will evaluate a variety of diagnostic and treatment modalities with a unified goal of positively impacting wound healing outcomes while reducing the cost of treatment. Gen1 will provide extensive administrative support and infrastructure for the studies.
Chronic wounds affect approximately 5.7 million patients in the U.S., costing the healthcare system more than $20 billion annually.¹ This burden is growing, due to a rapid increase in diabetes and vascular disease, an aging population, and rising healthcare costs. In fact, the cost of diabetic foot ulcers is greater than that of the five most costly forms of cancer² and diabetic foot ulcer patients are twice as costly to U.S. Medicare as those with diabetes alone.³
By combining WCA and SALSA resources, Advanced Discovery offers wound care product manufacturers a competitive advantage by providing access to extensive de-identified clinical data from a stable pool of participants. Advanced Discovery will harness electronic clinical data collected from more than 42,000 patients and 880,000 wound assessments over the past 16 years; data will also be provided by SALSA, which has affiliations with universities and colleges around the world including Keck School of Medicine at USC, one of the busiest clinical units in the country with more than 10,000 patient visits per annum.
SALSA is led by Dr. Armstrong, who brings vast experience and knowledge of wound care-specific research to the table. With an intense focus on the diabetic foot, wound healing and amputation prevention, Dr. Armstrong has produced more than 470 peer-reviewed research papers in dozens of scholarly medical journals.
“By collaborating with Dr. Armstrong and partnering with one of the world’s leading research teams, Advanced Discovery is poised to make a significant impact on the wound care industry,” said Mike Comer, CEO of Wound Care Advantage. “We’re committed to facilitating safe and ethical research, and always focusing on what’s best for the patient. As we celebrate our 16th year, we look forward to the next 16 as we intensify our efforts on revolutionizing wound treatment and giving a better quality of life to our patients.”
“In the past, access to clinical studies and next-generation research was only available to a select few,” said Armstrong. “We’re upending that system and, in doing so, we can heal more patients and help them live better lives.”
For more information about Advanced Discovery, please call Wound Care Advantage at 888-484-3922 or visit www.thewca.com.
About David G. Armstrong, DPM, MD, PhD
Dr. Armstrong is Professor of Surgery and Director of the Southwestern Academic Limb Salvage Alliance (SALSA) at Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California (USC). He holds a Master of Science in Tissue Repair and Wound Healing from the University of Wales College of Medicine and a PhD from the University of Manchester College of Medicine, where he was appointed Visiting Professor of Medicine. He is founder and co-Director of the Southwestern Academic Limb Salvage Alliance (SALSA). Dr. Armstrong is co-Editor of the American Diabetes Association’s (ADA) Clinical Care of the Diabetic Foot, now in its third edition.
About Wound Care Advantage
Founded in 2002 and headquartered in Sierra Madre, California, Wound Care Advantage is a leading provider and manager of outpatient wound care and hyperbaric treatment centers. WCA forms collaborative partnerships with hospitals and medical centers across the country to help them build and manage patient-centered wound care treatment programs. For more information, visit http://www.thewca.com.
About Gen1 Research
Gen1 provides partner organizations with everything needed to execute research, from highly qualified on-site coordinators to proprietary data analytics & research management software. Their experience and data-driven approach facilitates accurate forecasting and delivery of on-time, credible results. For more information, visit www.gen1research.com.
¹https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1298452-overview
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