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General product information only, not medical advice. Wound care decisions belong to a qualified clinician and the manufacturer’s instructions for use.
Short answer
Melgisorb is a brand name for sterile, single-use alginate wound dressings. In FDA’s device identification database the name is used by two different labelers: Mölnlycke Health Care AB (Melgisorb Plus, calcium sodium alginate) and Advanced Medical Solutions Limited (Melgisorb Ag, a silver alginate). They carry different FDA product codes, so “Melgisorb” alone does not identify a single product.
Definition and scope
An alginate dressing is a fibrous dressing made from alginate, a material that forms a gel when it takes up fluid. It belongs to the broader group described in what a medical dressing is. This page covers the Melgisorb name, how the records for it read, and where it sits among alginate products. It does not cover application technique or dressing selection for any patient.
How it is described by the manufacturer
Mölnlycke’s Melgisorb Plus product sheet (Australia/New Zealand edition, 2023, read 2026-11-08) describes it as a soft, highly absorbent, sterile, single-use dressing made of calcium sodium alginate fibres. On contact with exudate or saline-containing solutions it forms a gel, and the sheet states it does not adhere to the wound site once gelled. It also states the dressing has haemostatic ability, is soft and pliable and can be cut to shape.
The sheet lists the intended use as moderately to heavily exuding wounds, both infected and non-infected, such as pressure injuries, venous and arterial ulcers, diabetic ulcers, post-operative wounds, dermal lesions and other external traumatic wounds. It notes that a secondary dressing is needed to hold it in place, and that Melgisorb Plus comes as flat dressings and as a cavity (ribbon) form. Sizes, storage and application are set out in the instructions for use supplied with the product.
Two product families under one name
The table compares what FDA’s device identification records (openFDA UDI endpoint, brand name “Melgisorb”, data last updated 2026-10-01, read 2026-11-08) show for the two families. Every cell is taken from those records and from FDA’s product code classification.
| Field | Melgisorb Plus | Melgisorb (Ag) |
|---|---|---|
| Labeler in the record | Mölnlycke Health Care AB | Advanced Medical Solutions Limited |
| Record description | Melgisorb Plus; model numbers 252000, 252200, 252500, 253500 (flat and cavity forms) | Melgisorb, version “Ag Alginate” |
| FDA product code | NAC, “Dressing, Wound, Hydrophilic” | FRO, “Dressing, Wound, Drug” |
| Device class for that code | Class 1 (21 CFR 878.4018) | Unclassified, no regulation number |
| Sterile and single-use | Yes, in the records | Yes, in the records |
| Distribution status | All Plus records in commercial distribution | Mixed: several records in commercial distribution, others marked not in commercial distribution with end dates in 2025 |
For how silver-containing and plain calcium alginate dressings differ in general, see calcium alginate vs silver alginate. A related alginate brand is covered in Maxorb, and a different dressing class is compared in Aquacel Ag vs calcium alginate.
Where it matters for labs, clinics and supply decisions
- Specify the labeler and model. Because two labelers use the name, an order, formulary entry or study supply list that says only “Melgisorb” is ambiguous. The labeler name and the model or catalogue number in the record resolve it.
- Check the regulatory category. Product code NAC (Class 1) and product code FRO (unclassified) are different FDA categories, a difference visible in the public classification database.
- Check the record status. The UDI records carry a commercial distribution status and an end date where a record has been discontinued, so a legacy listing can be compared against the current database entry.
Common misunderstandings
- “Melgisorb is one product.” The FDA records show two labelers and two product codes under the name.
- “Alginate dressings are all antimicrobial.” Melgisorb Plus is described by its manufacturer as calcium sodium alginate; the silver-containing product is the Melgisorb Ag family.
- “It works alone.” The Melgisorb Plus sheet states a secondary dressing is required.
FAQ
What is Melgisorb?
A brand name used for sterile, single-use alginate wound dressings, including Mölnlycke’s Melgisorb Plus and Advanced Medical Solutions’ Melgisorb Ag.
What is Melgisorb Plus made of?
According to Mölnlycke’s product sheet, calcium sodium alginate fibres, which form a gel on contact with exudate or saline.
Is Melgisorb a drug dressing?
In FDA’s records the Ag products are filed under product code FRO, “Dressing, Wound, Drug”, while Melgisorb Plus is filed under NAC, “Dressing, Wound, Hydrophilic”.
Sources
- Mölnlycke Health Care, Melgisorb Plus product sheet (AU/NZ, 2023), molnlycke.com, read 2026-11-08.
- U.S. FDA openFDA device UDI endpoint, brand name Melgisorb, api.fda.gov, read 2026-11-08; AccessGUDID, accessgudid.nlm.nih.gov.
- U.S. FDA openFDA device classification, product codes NAC and FRO, api.fda.gov, read 2026-11-08.
