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Avotermin: A Novel Antiscarring Agent

Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences, Manchester, United Kingdom, Renovo Manchester, United Kingdom, Manchester, United Kingdom

Nick Occleston, PhD

Renovo Manchester, United Kingdom, Manchester, United Kingdom

Sharon O'Kane, PhD

Renovo Manchester, United Kingdom, Manchester, United Kingdom

Mark W. J. Ferguson, BDS, PhD, DMSci

Faculty of Life Sciences University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom, Renovo, Manchester, United Kingdom, mark.ferguson{at}renovo.com

Published literature shows that both physicians and their patients are highly concerned about scarring, even relatively minor scars and those that can be concealed by clothing. Furthermore, both patients and their physicians value any opportunities to improve or minimize scarring. While a range of treatment paradigms have been evaluated, no single therapy has been adopted as a universally accepted standard of care and, currently, there are no marketed pharmaceuticals for the prophylactic reduction of scarring. Many of the available treatments are used empirically and most have not been evaluated in robust prospective, randomized, controlled clinical trials. To address this unmet medical need, translational research into the molecular mechanisms of scarring has led to the discovery and commercial development of a new class of prophylactic medicines that promote the regeneration of normal skin and improve scar appearance. Avotermin, the first agent identified in this class, is the clinical application of human recombinant transforming growth factor β3 (TGFβ3), a key protein involved in scar-free healing observed in embryos. Controlled, double-blind, randomized phase I/II clinical studies have shown that avotermin, administered as an intradermal injection at the time of surgery, leads to both short-term and longer-term (at 12 months) improvements in the appearance of scars compared with placebo and standard wound care.

Key Words: scars • skin • transforming growth factor β3 • TGFβ3 • avotermin

The International Journal of Lower Extremity Wounds, Vol. 7, No. 3, 160-168 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/1534734608322983


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