Background: Contractubex® (Merz Pharmaceuticals GmbH, Frankfurt, Germany) is a gel containing extractum cepae, heparin, and allantoin with proven efficacy in the prevention of excessive scarring and promotion of physiological scar formation.
Aim: To investigate the efficacy of early initiation of Contractubex in the prevention of excessive scarring and promotion of physiological scar formation.
Methods: In total, 1,268 patients were included in this observational, noninterventional study. Patients were assessed at visit 1 (within 3 weeks of the injury), when treatment was initiated, with subsequent assessments after 2 to 3 months of treatment, and at the end of the study (after 4 to 5 months of treatment). Parameters measured included scar size, color, and pliability (consistency/hardness), as well as patients' and physicians' subjective assessments of treatment efficacy and tolerability.
Results: After 2 to 3 months of treatment, there were statistically significant improvements in color and pliability of the scar, sensation of pain, tension, and pruritus compared with visit 1 (P<.0001). By the end of the study, further statistically significant improvements compared with visit 1 were observed for all parameters. Only about 1% of scars were rated as markedly red or markedly hardened at the final visit. In addition, there was a reduction of 31.5% in mean scar width and of 47.8% in mean scar height at the end of the observation period. A high percentage of patients (85.8%) and physicians (86.6%) rated the treatment as good or very good with respect to prevention of excessive scarring and promotion of physiological scar development. Tolerability was described as good or very good by 92.0% of physicians and 91.5% of patients.
Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that the scar gel is effective in preventing excessive scarring and promoting physiological scar formation when treatment is initiated early. In addition, the treatment was well tolerated.