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‘Nata de Coco’ Wound Dressing is Grand Prize Winner at Good Design Award
Thursday, June 30, 2022CocoPatch, a natural wound dressing made of coco cellulose, designed by Filipino nurse Denver Chicano was given the Malasakit Award or the Grand Prix, of the Good Design Award (GDA) held at the Ayala Museum earlier this month. The award was conferred by GDA for “exemplifying design excellence and having the most impact in addressing the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals” and was chosen from among 161 design entries from agencies, enterprises, start-ups, and organizations submitted to GDA.
Chicano developed the nata de coco wound dressing out of compassion for lower-income patients at Philippine General Hospital (PGH) where he previously worked as a nurse at the burn unit. CocoPatch is made of higher breed of nata de coco, and uses active ingredients from the coconut, like monolaurin—which has antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial properties, that help heal wounds quickly. It undergoes a different fermentation process, making the dressing more durable. More importantly, Chicano said that it will not cling to the skin when removed, unlike gauze.
The homegrown product has undergone licensing, bioequivalence, and medical trials. It is carried by PatchMed. CocoPatch can be used by those suffering from bedsores, burns and abrasions, and has been applied to wounded soldiers in a medical study. It has two sizes, 3.5 cm by 3.5 cm, which costs P300, and 5 cm by 18 cm, which is priced at P680. The wound dressing is typically replaced every three days.
Chicano also has created more products using coco cellulose technology—one is Vermac, a wound dressing for diabetic wounds and skin graft sites, and Cocogel, a wound spray for minor wounds.