Chennai: Bharat Biotech International Ltd., on Friday, launched REGEN-D, a therapeutic cream to treat diabetic foot ulcers, burn injuries and skin grafts.

The company said it was the first in the country to take up the development of recombinant epidermal growth factor (rhEGF) molecule. REGEN-D is indigineously developed and produced by Bharat Biotech.

According to Krishna M. Ella, Chairman and Managing Director, REGEN-D was developed in tandem with the Institute of Genomics and Integrated Biology (IGIB), a CSIR (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research) institution.

REGEN-D, he claimed, increased the growth of cells, reduced the wound-healing time substantially and facilitated healing with minimum scars. It would be available in twin forms - REGEN-D 150 for treating diabetic foot ulcers and REGEN-D 60 for burn injuries and skin grafts. These would be available in 7.5 gram and 15 gram tubes as topical gel application.

Mr. Ella said REGEN-D was based on a protein that was developed years ago. The innovation of Bharat Biotech lay in identifying the use for treatment of patients who had diabetic foot ulcers, burn injuries and skin grafts. He said about 40,000 amputations were done in India every year owing to diabetic foot ulcers.