In Ukraine, innovative medical solutions exist and have already proven their effectiveness, yet many remain outside official clinical protocols. The issue lies not in the absence of technologies or ideas, but in outdated standards that hinder medical progress. A striking example is the AQUIOR hydrogel products developed by scientists at Lviv Polytechnic.
AQUIOR is a sterile alginate hydrogel product that combines the properties of a dressing material and a therapeutic drug. They are able to absorb exudate, maintain an optimal moist environment for healing, do not cause irritation, and significantly accelerate tissue regeneration. Their effectiveness has been confirmed both in rear medical facilities and on the front. So the question is quite reasonable: is it still just a dressing or is it already a full-fledged medicine?
Volodymyr Samaryk, Professor at the Department of Organic Chemistry, the Institute of Chemistry and Chemical Technologies, Lviv Polytechnic, presented AQUIOR as an example of how science not only responds to societal needs, but often moves ahead of the system. «We ask ourselves: is this still just a dressing material or already a full-fledged medicine?» he noted during the roundtable «The Power of Cooperation: Clusters – Education – Medical Innovations – Government», which took place at Lviv Polytechnic National University. «The reality is that our products work, and this has been proven in practice. But they are not provided for in the current clinical protocols. This is a serious issue that must be addressed at the state level».
The focus is not only on AQUIOR medical hydrogel alginate sterile products for the treatment of wounds and burns. The scientific team of the Department of Organic Chemistry is also working on a large-scale project «Development of hydrogel medical supplies for emergency medical services in case of penetrating abdominal trauma within the creation of a research center for new polymeric materials for medicine».
This is another step in the development of medical technologies, as it involves the development of solutions for critical situations where traditional methods are not always effective. Such innovative approaches can save lives during severe combat or civilian injuries, providing temporary sealing of injuries and control of internal bleeding.
It is important that Lviv Polytechnic is creating a Research Center for New Polymer Materials for Medicine, which not only develops innovative products, but advocates for their inclusion in national treatment protocols. Without such regulatory recognition, even the most effective solutions risk remaining at the experimental stage.
The discussion that unfolded during the panel Medical Innovations – From the Laboratory to Clinical Practice highlighted one of the key problems of modern medicine in Ukraine: science creates new tools, but the healthcare system is often not ready to accept them.
The absence of a developed market for hydrogel products in Ukraine does not reflect a lack of technology. On the contrary, it stems from regulatory frameworks and clinical protocols that have not kept pace with modern capabilities. As a result, innovations exist but remain «out of the game» until they receive proper political and regulatory support.
The roundtable at Lviv Polytechnic served not only as a forum for exchanging ideas, but also as a platform for shaping public demand for reform. Participants stressed that the future of Ukrainian medicine depends on making treatment standards more flexible and modern, so that they do not hinder the implementation of innovations, but stimulate them.
AQUIOR and new polymer-based solutions for treating abdominal injuries are just part of the evidence that Ukrainian science is capable of staying ahead of its time. The state’s task today is to ensure conditions in which these innovations do not remain confined to laboratories, but are implemented in real medical practice for the benefit of people.
Only then Ukrainian medicine will be able not only to keep pace with global trends, but even to outpace them.
The publication was prepared within the framework of the project «Development of hydrogel medical supplies for emergency medical services in case of penetrating abdominal trauma within the creation of a research center for new polymeric materials for medicine», supported by a grant from the National Research Foundation of Ukraine.
