US Department of War Awards MediWound $3.3 Million for Burn Gel

The United States Department of War awarded MediWound $3.3 million on September 22, 2026, to develop a room-temperature-stable version of its NexoBrid topical gel. This funding brings the total program budget to $21.8 million. NexoBrid is an FDA-approved biologic designed to dissolve dead tissue from severe burns without surgery or anesthesia, which helps resolve surgical bottlenecks during mass-casualty events.

The new funding focuses on creating a formulation that eliminates the need for refrigeration. Chief Executive Ofer Gonen stated the goal is to enable "the use of non-surgical enzymatic debridement in battlefield and other austere settings, where access to surgical capabilities and cold-chain infrastructure may be limited."

MediWound's commercial partner, Vericel, currently holds a ten-year contract with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority valued at up to $197 million for the product. Additionally, MediWound is conducting Phase III trials for EscharEx, a treatment for venous leg ulcers.