Australia achieves a world-first today with the first limited release of an amazing pure honey treatment for wounds and sores - MEDIHONEY®

Developed in association with Capilano Honey Limited and researched by the Agency for Food and Fibre Sciences and by the University of Waikato, Honey Research Unit in New Zealand, MEDIHONEY® is the first topical honey product in the world to achieve Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) listing.

Scientific literature shows that the highly active antimicrobial honey, derived from the nectar of particular Leptospermum trees, has been used to successfully and rapidly heal a wide variety of wounds and infections which have not responded to other treatments.

Research by University of Waikato Department of Biological Sciences Associate Professor Dr PC Molan in New Zealand, has found that the antimicrobial component of the Leptospermum honey is particularly effective against virulent ‘Golden Staph’ (Staphylococcus aureus) bacteria - even when diluted more than 50 times.

A limited supply of MEDIHONEY® will go on sale nationally through Terry White Chemists from today at a price of $19.95 per tube.

Capilano Honey National Operations Manager Mr Anthony Moloney said public feedback from this initial release would provide important information to help further research and development. Further clinical trials are also being proposed by a number of Australian research institutions.

“Now that consumers have the assurance of TGA listing, a limited amount of MEDIHONEY® is being released for public use,” he said. “We want members of the public who try MEDIHONEY® to tell us how the product works for them.”

Depending on the initial feedback and on the natural supply of antimicrobial honey, a further limited MEDIHONEY® release may be made next year.

Mr Moloney said Capilano Honey would continue to fund research to test other promising MEDIHONEY® applications.

Supply of MEDIHONEY® is extremely limited because the Leptospermum tree flowers for only a short period of the year and known active honey sources occur only in isolated areas.

Not all honey produced from Leptospermum trees prove to be antimicrobially active.

“We’re doing everything we can to make more MEDIHONEY® available to the public without disturbing the delicate natural balance that makes production of the honey possible,” said Mr Moloney.

With the conversion of public lands into National Parks, many of the Leptospermum trees are now increasingly difficult to access by beekeepers.

Capilano Honey Marketing Manager Mr Rob Eustace said the supply situation meant that the price of MEDIHONEY® could fluctuate.

“Every effort has been made to make the product affordable,” he said. “However, fluctuations in honey flow may mean that future supply - and therefore price – could change.”

He also warned consumers to beware of imitators.

“There are a number of ‘jelly bush’ or Leptospermum honeys on the market which claim to be antimicrobially active,” he said. “However, our tests on a number of these products have shown them to be inactive”.

“MEDIHONEY® is the only honey in the world with TGA listing. This is only achieved after extensive peer review of research into the efficacy of honey in wound management”.

People trying MEDIHONEY® can report their results via the website www.medihoney.com, through Terry White Chemists or by writing to MEDIHONEY®
P.O. Box 397 Richlands, Qld, 4077.