Regranex

When Regranex was used together with good ulcer care in a clinical study that lasted 4 months, 50% of people treated with Regranex had complete ulcer closure at the end of the study. This was compared to 35% of people who used a placebo gel (no active medication). Keep in mind that each person will experience different results based on things like the size of the ulcer and other health conditions. Talk with your diabetes care team if you've more questions about how well Regranex works.

There isn't enough information to know how long Regranex can be kept outside of the refrigerator. To be safe, only take the medication out of the refrigerator when you're ready to use it and put it back as soon as you're done. Keep Regranex in the refrigerator at 36°F to 46°F, and don't freeze it. If you've left the medication out of the refrigerator for a long period of time, let your diabetes care team know and they can talk with you about what to do next.

Research shows that some people experienced complete healing of their ulcer within the first 2 weeks of using Regranex. But for most people, it takes months of daily use to see similar results. Typically, your diabetes care team will instruct you to use Regranex daily until the diabetes ulcers have healed completely. Keep your follow-up appointments so they can check the progress of your healing. If you don't notice the ulcers shrinking one-third in size after 2.5 months of treatment or if you don't see complete healing after 4 months of treatment, let your care team know. They can let you know whether to continue Regranex or talk with you about other treatment options.

Regranex and Santyl (collagenase) are two products used on the skin to promote wound healing and growth of healthy skin. The main difference between the two is that Regranex is specifically FDA-approved for treating diabetes ulcers on the legs or feet, whereas Santyl (collagenase) is used to remove damaged or burned skin as well as to treat many types of skin ulcers. Your prescriber might recommend using one or both of these medications for your ulcer.

Currently, there aren't medications available that work the same way as Regranex for diabetes foot or leg ulcers. Guidelines show that treatment can differ depending on the stage of the ulcer, but the goal is for the ulcer to close. In general, the standard treatment for diabetes foot or leg ulcers is proper wound care, which includes taking pressure off the ulcer, removing dead skin around the ulcer, and keeping the wound clean. Talk with your diabetes care team if you've more questions about how to take care of diabetes ulcers.