Chitodex gel

Chitodex gel is an innovative topical surgical gel developed by the University of Adelaide in collaboration with The Queen Elizabeth Hospital and the University of Otago. Its active ingredient is a chitosan-dextran (CD) biopolymer matrix, which functions as a biodegradable, biocompatible nasal dressing and hemostatic agent. Applied locally following functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS), Chitodex gel controls postoperative bleeding, promotes wound healing, reduces adhesion and scar formation, and prevents infection. The gel naturally biodegrades and dissolves over approximately 10 days, eliminating the need for painful nasal packing removal. In clinical trials, Chitodex gel has been evaluated alone, in combination with adjuvant antibiofilm agents (such as deferiprone and gallium-protoporphyrin), and with anti-inflammatory or analgesic agents (such as budesonide and ropivacaine) to improve postoperative outcomes in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis. It is also being investigated as a middle ear and external auditory canal packing agent in tympanoplasty surgery.

Brand names

Chitodex

Other names

Chitosan-dextran gelChitosan-dextranCD gel