NC A&T Develops Plant-Based Wound Dressing
Researchers at North Carolina A&T State University are developing Woundra, a cellulose-based dressing designed for over-the-counter sale.
Updated on Nov. 12, 2026 in Botany
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A research team at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University has created Woundra, a plant-based wound dressing built on cellulose-based hydrogels. The university has filed a provisional patent and secured corporate partners and funding for the product.
Why it matters
Woundra is engineered to control moisture in the wound environment and to release treatments such as antimicrobials over time, and it is biodegradable. Its planned over-the-counter availability could give people in rural North Carolina areas, where immediate medical care may be harder to reach, a dressing option without a clinic visit.
The team won a $25,000 pitch competition from NCInnovation, and the university expects an over-the-counter launch within nine to 15 months. The FDA Class II device approval process is projected to take about 20 months, and the outcome of that review remains unknown.
The players
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
A public historically Black land-grant university in Greensboro, North Carolina, whose research team developed Woundra.
Anthro Ventures
A healthcare investment firm that is helping the Woundra team navigate federal regulations.
NCInnovation
A North Carolina innovation organization that awarded the Woundra team a $25,000 pitch competition prize.
The details
Woundra uses cellulose-based hydrogels engineered for controlled antimicrobial release, cellular safety and biodegradability. The dressing can also deliver treatments such as antimicrobials, antibacterials, antifungals or semiconductors with electrical properties. Anthro Ventures, a healthcare investment firm, is helping the team navigate federal regulations, and North Carolina A&T will remain the owner of the technology.
Timeline
October: North Carolina A&T announced the Woundra patent filing, corporate partners and funding.
Over the next nine to 15 months: Woundra is expected to launch as an over-the-counter dressing.
About 20 months after launch: The FDA Class II medical device approval process is expected to be completed.
Roadmap
Woundra's planned route runs through FDA Class II premarket review, the standard pathway for medical devices of moderate risk, and that review is expected to take about 20 months. The university is pursuing an over-the-counter launch first, which positions the product within a broader push to move biomaterial research from university labs into consumer health products.
If approved, Woundra could offer an over-the-counter wound dressing that controls moisture and releases treatment over time, without a prescription. Researchers also expect future ointment, foam and patch forms, which would give consumers more options for everyday wound care.
The takeaway
Biodegradable, plant-based materials are moving from laboratory research toward everyday medical products, and Woundra shows how university innovation can reach consumers through the regulatory process. Readers following medical devices should watch for the FDA review outcome, which will determine when such products reach the market.
What happens next
The team expects to launch Woundra as an over-the-counter dressing within the next nine to 15 months, and to pursue FDA approval as a Class II device afterward.
Further reading
For related plant-derived research, explore more in our Botany section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by HME Business.
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