SCOTTISH med-tech company Emblation has reached a significant milestone in the treatment of over 50,000 warts and verrucas across the UK on International HPV Awareness Day.
Verrucas, the Latin word for warts, are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). There are over 150 different types of HPV, some rare and others more common, which cause verrucas. If left untreated they can cause stubborn sores so that patients can no longer exercise or work.
Emblation’s technology, “Swift”, is a new pioneering microwave therapy for skin, with treatment times in just a few seconds. It provides Podiatrists and Dermatologists with a new, precise and easy way of treating verrucas and warts. Swift uses microwave technology, similar to that used in mobile phones, to deliver a treatment that stimulates the body’s own immune system to clear the virus.
Gary Beale, CEO and co-founder of the company, said: “People are sick and tired of the same old treatments for warts and verruca. What we did was create a solution that works – and leaves the patient in less pain, so they can get back on their feet quicker.
“HPV is a huge medical problem that creates very persistent skin lesions and is also easily spread from person to person. Many of the long-standing sufferers in the UK have limited options for treatment, with the Scottish Government recently stopping the use of Liquid Nitrogen in GP clinics.”
Success stories include a scrub nurse who had warts and verrucas on her hands and feet, couldn’t stand for long periods and had to leave her job. She is now pain and verruca free.
A 12-year-old with a promising swimming career was able to return to the sport she loved after treatment on her painful and multiple verrucas and a 41-year-old man who’d had to stop playing football because of the pain, was able to go back to his team and reverse the weight gain which had begun to affect his confidence and mental health.
The Swift machine is now in over 300 podiatry clinics in the UK and making a huge difference to patients’ lives.
