Phase II trials of a topical drug designed to treat diabetic foot ulcers have begun, it has been announced.

Innocoll revealed that CollaRx Gentamicin Topical, which is designed to deliver a powerful dose of antibiotic to the infected area, is to undergo a total of three separate phase II tests.

The first of these, which is being conducted at nine test centres in the US and one in the UK, aims to examine the product's safety and efficacy when used to treat mildly infected diabetic ulcers, with the results compared to treatment with traditional orally administered antibiotics.

The second trial will study the drug's usefulness when used alongside other medicines to treat moderately infected ulcers, while the third will investigate its ability to prevent ulcers becoming clinically infected.

Foot ulcers can pose a problem to a significant number of people who have diabetes, with the NHS estimating that around ten per cent of patients will develop them at some point.

Masters, a global healthcare solutions provider, can source comparator drugs on behalf of researchers conducting phase II and III clinical trials and has a controlled drugs licence which allows it to obtain controlled substances for research purposes.