Cohealyx Slashes Wound Grafting Time, Sets New Clinical Benchmark

VALENCIA, Calif. – April 14, 2026 – A new collagen-based dermal matrix is showing the potential to dramatically accelerate healing for patients with severe full-thickness wounds, cutting the time to skin grafting by nearly three weeks, according to new data from AVITA Medical. The company announced positive interim results from a multi-center study of its Cohealyx® product, demonstrating a mean time to skin grafting of just 13.6 days, a stark contrast to a 33.2-day real-world benchmark.

The findings, which are statistically superior (p<0.001) to a literature-derived benchmark for leading competitors, suggest a significant leap forward in acute wound care. For patients suffering from extensive burns or traumatic injuries, this acceleration could mean shorter hospital stays, reduced risk of life-threatening infections, and a faster return to their lives.

A New Standard in Wound Bed Preparation

The Cohealyx-I study, a prospective, post-market trial, is designed to evaluate how effectively the dermal matrix prepares a wound bed for definitive closure. For patients with full-thickness wounds—injuries that penetrate all layers of the skin—surgeons often use a two-stage procedure. First, a dermal matrix is applied to the excised wound to generate a new, vascularized tissue layer (a neodermis). Only when this bed is sufficiently robust can a surgeon apply the patient's own skin graft to permanently close the wound. The time this first stage takes is a critical factor in a patient's overall recovery timeline.

The interim analysis, which included 40 patients, revealed remarkable efficiency. The median time to grafting was just 11 days, with a quarter of patients ready for their graft within one week. By the two-week mark, 72% of patients had successfully undergone grafting. This performance significantly outpaces the typical three-to-four-week (21-28 day) maturation period required by many established dermal matrices on the market.

“Preparing the wound bed efficiently remains one of the key challenges in managing full-thickness wounds,” said Dr. Derek Bell, Professor of Plastic Surgery and Kessler Burn Director at the University of Rochester Medical Center, in a statement released by the company. “These interim results show that Cohealyx supports vascularization and enables earlier grafting, which is central to improving patient outcomes. Importantly, these results were achieved across a myriad of diverse and complex wounds.”

The study also reported a 90% investigator satisfaction rate, a crucial metric for a product aiming for broad clinical adoption, especially as many of the investigators were first-time users of Cohealyx.

Reshaping the Competitive and Clinical Landscape

The advanced wound care market is a multi-billion dollar industry, and dermal matrices are a cornerstone of treatment for complex wounds. Products like Integra® Dermal Regeneration Template and NovoSorb® BTM have long been standards of care, but typically require a multi-week waiting period for the wound bed to be ready for grafting. Cohealyx's ability to slash this waiting period by nearly 20 days could be a powerful differentiator.

The clinical implications of this acceleration are profound. Every day a large wound remains open, the patient is at risk of severe complications, including sepsis, dehydration, and debilitating pain. By facilitating closure in an average of under two weeks, Cohealyx has the potential to mitigate these risks significantly. Furthermore, the economic benefits could be substantial. Shorter hospital stays directly translate to lower healthcare costs, a critical consideration for hospitals and healthcare systems striving for efficiency and value-based care.

This faster timeline not only optimizes hospital resources but also has a deep human impact. For patients, a reduction of nearly three weeks in the surgical pipeline can mean less time in a critical care unit, a faster start to physical rehabilitation, and a significant psychological boost during a grueling recovery process.

AVITA's Strategy for an Integrated Healing Pathway

For AVITA Medical, the Cohealyx results are more than just a single product success; they are a key validation of the company's broader strategy. AVITA is best known for its RECELL® System, an innovative technology that creates "Spray-On Skin™" from a small sample of a patient's own skin to treat burns and other wounds. The company is building an "integrated healing pathway" where its products work in concert to manage different stages of wound care.

Cohealyx, which received FDA 510(k) clearance in December 2024 and was commercially launched in the U.S. in mid-2025, fits perfectly into this model. It serves as the ideal preparatory step for complex wounds that will later be closed using the RECELL System. This synergy creates a comprehensive, AVITA-branded solution for burn and trauma centers, potentially tripling the company's addressable market in burns alone.

“This data strengthens our belief that Cohealyx can set a new benchmark in wound bed preparation,” said Cary Vance, Interim Chief Executive Officer of AVITA Medical. “The meaningful reduction in time to grafting and high investigator satisfaction highlight its potential as a differentiated solution with the ability to drive broader adoption as we work to improve each stage of the wound healing pathway.”

The Road Ahead: From Data to Widespread Adoption

While the interim results are compelling, the Cohealyx-I study is ongoing. The full dataset, expected from all 60 enrolled patients later in 2026, will be crucial for confirming these promising early findings. The study's single-arm design, which compares results to historical benchmarks rather than a concurrent control group, means the final data will be closely scrutinized by the medical community.

To build on this momentum, AVITA Medical is actively engaging with clinicians. The company will host a webinar with key opinion leaders, including Dr. Bell, on April 16 to present the data and case studies, aiming to educate surgeons on the product's potential.

Beyond clinical education, the path to widespread adoption will depend on securing favorable reimbursement from insurers. AVITA will need to leverage this clinical data to build a strong health economics case, demonstrating that the product's upfront cost is offset by significant savings from shorter hospital stays and reduced complication rates. The ongoing study is designed to gather precisely this type of real-world evidence to support its value proposition to both clinicians and payers. If the final data confirms these initial results, Cohealyx could fundamentally alter the standard of care for patients with the most severe wounds.