Geneva Company Pioneers Product That Actually Kills Candida Auris Superbug
Geneva’s Argentum Medical
A Geneva, IL, company is helping the world fight the dangerous “superbug fungus” Candida Auris (C. Auris) that is killing people around the world.
Geneva’s Argentum Medical reports recent lab findings that demonstrate its Silverlon® antimicrobial dressings effectively kill C. Auris, which has caused invasive, sometimes-fatal human infections in more than 30 countries and the United States.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, C. Auris is “an emerging fungus that presents a serious global health threat.”
Research published in the Annals of Internal Medicine indicated 40 percent of patients who develop a C. Auris bloodstream infection die within 30 days, although other factors may have contributed because the affected population was chronically ill.
Here in Illinois, the state’s Department of Public Health has been warning residents about the emerging multidrug-resistant fungus since April. According to the CDC, Illinois is among the states in which cases of C. Auris have been confirmed.
Breakthrough Discovery
Argentum Medical’s Silverlon achieved a “5 log reduction,” or a 99.999% reduction of the C. Auris organism in just three hours. The rate accelerated to 99.9999%, or a “6 log reduction,” after 24 hours.
“Results from our testing indicate our silver-plated nylon dressings can quickly kill C. Auris,” said Amanda Budak, PhD, RN clinical director of Argentum Medical. “We are pleased that lab results show Silverlon to be an effective tool against this dangerous pathogen.”
Argentum Medical, pioneers in the use of silver-plated technology and makers of Silverlon, commissioned Microbiological Consultants, an independent FDA-registered pharmaceutical testing laboratory, to establish if its metallic wound dressings can destroy C. Auris yeast.
Lab findings demonstrate that the number of C. Auris cells doubled in the control group, while the Silverlon test group dropped to 0 in 24 hours. Both samples originally contained 17,500,000 cells.
“Results from our testing indicate our silver-plated nylon dressings can quickly kill C. Auris,” said Amanda Budak, PhD, RN clinical director of Argentum Medical. “We are pleased that lab results show Silverlon to be an effective tool against this dangerous pathogen.”
The CDC recommends screening patients for C. Auris that have met one or more of the following criteria:
- Extended stay in a long-term care facility.
- Presence of identified C. Auris in a specific hospital unit.
- Hospital stays abroad in the last six months.
- Patients with demonstrated bacterial resistance.
About Argentum Medical
Argentum Medical pioneered the use of silver-plated nylon. Specializing in the development of innovative products made from silver-plated nylon, the company continues to explore new applications and markets for its Silverlon® technology in keeping with its corporate mission to improve clinical outcomes.
For more information about Silverlon, visit www.silverlon.com.
SOURCE: Argentum Medical news release
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