Biotech Firm Synedgen Announces Research Results of New Treatment for Oral Disease
Studies Demonstrate Oral Rinse Removes Bacteria and Biofilms
May 28, 2010 — Synedgen announced yesterday promising results from its latest study of an oral rinse to reduce gingivitis and prevent oral plaque accumulation.
The results were presented May 27 the 110th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology in San Diego, Calif., and detailed research that was completed under a competitive Phase I SBIR grant from the National Institutes of Health under the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research.
The poster, Novel Chitosan Derivatives for the Treatment and Prevention of Oral Biofilms, highlights the antibacterial and biofilm-reducing activity of Synedgen’s biopolymer derivatives against bacteria associated with periodontal disease, and was selected from thousands of abstracts to be highlighted in the Press Box at the meeting.
“These results provide strong support for our further development of effective, non-toxic, biodegradable derivatives into an oral rinse product to treat and prevent chronic oral biofilms and relieve oral disease,” remarked Synedgen’s Senior Microbiologist Stacy Townsend, who made the presentation.
An estimated 80 percent of American adults currently have some form of periodontal disease ranging from gum inflammation to serious disease that cause major damage to the soft tissue and bone that support the teeth. Gum disease not only impacts oral health; research suggests advanced gum disease may lead to an increased risk of stroke, heart attack, and pre-term birth, and has been shown to complicate diabetes.
In response to the need for safe, simple, preventative and therapeutic treatments to control bacterial dental plaque and treat periodontal disease, Synedgen scientists have developed derivatives of a natural biopolymer with demonstrable effectiveness against a wide spectrum of bacteria and biofilms affecting oral health. Oral bacteria often accumulate into thick, sticky layers of biofilms (plaque) on teeth and gums. Synedgen derivatives disrupt bacterial biofilms that are the basis of plaque and bind to the bacterial membrane, causing the bacteria to leak and eventually die.
Research efforts focused on the development of a non-toxic product that reduces biofilms in the oral cavity, providing a safe and effective prevention and treatment to reduce the occurrence of oral disease. Derivatives of various sizes and amounts of positive charge were evaluated to determine the optimum derivative properties to prevent biofilm accumulation and help to reduce plaque and gingivitis, without impacting the “good” bacteria in the mouth. Compared to the study control, the Synedgen derivative significantly reduced biofilms of cavity causing pathogens Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sanguinis.
“The recently demonstrated pre-clinical toxicology profile of the Synedgen derivatives suggests that this will be a safe and effective treatment to remove oral bacteria and help prevent and reduce gingivitis. In addition, our oral rinse does not demonstrate any of the potential complications associated with existing agents, such as staining teeth or reducing healing,” stated Synedgen President and CEO William Wiesmann, M.D.
Synedgen is planning a Phase I clinical trial for a twice-daily oral rinse in the last quarter of 2010. During the study, the safety of the material will be demonstrated in human subjects as well as preliminary measures of effectiveness of the Synedgen oral rinse against indicators of gingivitis, plaque, halitosos and S. mutans, the primary cavity forming bacteria.
About Synedgen
Synedgen Inc. is an innovative biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel therapies and products through its proprietary biomaterials technology platform. This platform technology provides the foundation for environmental and therapeutic antimicrobials to reduce bacterial pathogens. Research is focused to specifically address the unmet need for therapies that treat and prevent bacterial infections, primarily from those that have developed resistance to traditional antibiotics.
Synedgen’s corporate headquarters and research facility is in Claremont, CA; Synedgen’s manufacturing facility is in Honolulu, HI.