A startup that spun out of research at the University of Calgary is developing healthcare technology to support cleaner and more balanced wound environments.
MHCombiotic, which was also supported by the Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking as well as Innovate Calgary’s Life Sciences Innovation Hub through the Life Sciences Fellowship program, has completed early clinical use with patients experiencing wounds that are typically challenging to heal.
The patients, according to cofounder and chief executive officer Ali Pormohammad, were positively impacted the Alberta firm’s Combiotic Antimicrobial Wound Care System.
“To be honest, we were not expecting these outstanding results,” Pormohammad humbly confessed to Innovate Calgary. “We are exactly seeing similar results that we have seen in vitro, in vivo, and clinics … that’s why we are very excited about this.”
Cases involved patients dealing with chronic wounds that refused to heal for weeks or even months, despite trying multiple other products and approaches.
“They tried most products that are available right now in the market,” Pormohammad informed Innovate Calgary. “Nothing worked.”
“They switched to our treatment and then it worked perfectly,” the entrepreneur claims. “So we are getting really good feedback by both patients and doctors who are using the product.”
Dr. John Nesbitt, a Calgary physician with more than 30 years of experience who runs a multidisciplinary wound care clinic, says that “The science behind his product is very impressive.”
Nesbitt hand-selected patients, then followed their progress over several months, observing promising results.
The Combiotic Antimicrobial Wound Care System includes a wash designed to target biofilm, which Nesbitt believes is critical as bacterial burden can prevent chronic wounds from healing.
“One of the major problems with chronic wounds is colonization,” Nesbitt remarked. “Once the bioburden within the wound gets to a certain point, then the lesion stops healing.”
Moving forward, Pormohammad says that MHCombiotic is preparing for more formal studies, such as a randomized controlled trial.
“We have to understand our technology is best for what kind of patient, and it’s not good for what kind of patient,” he commented.
Pormohammad, who has received several accolades during his career such as a Top 40 Under 40 designation in 2022, believes that it is “a very exciting moment in the company.”
MHCombiotic was founded in 2021.
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