MRSA-killing Antibacterial Cream in UK Asda Stores

In May 2004, I wrote about the amazing story of retired British truck driver Brian Bennett, who formulated an antibacterial skin cream to treat his wife's dermatitis. Turned out the cream is deadly to the MRSA superbug, and Bennett has been working to get his cream to market and into UK hospitals.

Some of the wait is nearly up: Bennett's cream will soon appear on the shelves of Asda supermarkets. (Visit the website of his company, Hygieia, for more info and to buy the cream online.) But a large-scale hospital trial (an earlier one was successful) has been delayed by the health bureaucracy, leaving Bennett understandably frustrated:

“It is costing the NHS £360 million just for district nurses to go out and treat people with leg ulcers. It can take nine months for the ulcers to go. My cream has been proven to do the job in just eight days. It could save the health service millions of pounds.”

Bennett's MP is trying to get him a face-to-face meeting with John Reid, the UK health secretary, to see about getting trials underway.
(Hat tip: MRSA Watch)

Update 27 Apr 2005: The cream is now on the shelves at Asda.

Mr Bennett is in talks with Heartlands Hospital in Birmingham to conduct more clinical testing which could see the lotion eventually added to an approved NHS list.

A 200ml jar of Pro Shield Ultra is being sold for £12.98 at 85 Asda stores with pharmacies across Britain while Sainsbury's, Boots and the chemist chain Lloyds are also in talks to stock the product.