FDA Advisors Urge OK of Surgical Glue

Doctors may soon try a modified version of Super Glue as a painless way to close wounds instead of using heavy, scar-prone stitches or staples. During an FDA meeting in Gaithersburg, scientific advisors recommended that the government approve the nation’s first surgical glue. DermaBond, made by the Raleigh, N.C.-based Closure Medical Corp., takes far less time to apply than it takes to stitch wounds and doesn’t require a repeat visit to remove sutures. The advisors cautioned, however, that there is no proof DermaBond is better than sutures. The FDA is not bound by its advisors’ decisions but typically follows them.