PROOFS
BIOMIN TECHNOLOGIES
COMMERCIALIZES REMINERALIZING
TOOTHPASTE TECHNOLOGY
DEVELOPED BY BRITISH RESEARCHERS
BioMinF contains a patented repair technology to
remineralize enamel, prevent decay, and treat sensitivity
BioMinF features a new remineralizing toothpaste
technology designed to prevent tooth decay and sensitivity. Toothpastes containing the patented technology
slowly release calcium, phosphate, and fuoride ions over
an 8- to 12-hour timeframe to form fuorapatite and rebuild, strengthen, and protect tooth structure.
“Te technology behind BioMin is not [ . . . ] exclusively
designed for toothpastes,” said Professor Robert Hill, BSc,
MsC, PhD, DIC, the chair of dental physical sciences at
Queen Mary, University of London, who led the team
that developed BioMin and won the 2013 Armourers
and Brasiers Materials Science Venture Prize. “It can
also be incorporated in other professionally applied
dental products, such as cleaning and polishing pastes,
varnishes, and remineralizing flling materials.”
Hill cofounded BioMin Technologies, which aims
to commercialize the development. Te company
will be led by CEO Richard Whatley, who has 30 years
of international management experience working for
dental companies, including Dentsply and KaVo.
“We are very excited by the prospects of developing
the patented technology, which has been licensed from
Queen Mary University of London and Imperial College,”
said Whatley. “We are in the process of establishing
licensing agreements with toothpaste and dental
materials manufacturers around the world. A key element
of our business model includes business partners also
becoming investor stakeholders in the company, thus
reducing the need for traditional third-party fnancing
from venture capitalists.”
Currently available to dentists online and via dental
distributors, the BioMinF remineralizing toothpaste is
expected to become available to consumers by the end of
the year. A fuoride-free version is also being developed.
—BioMin Technologies press release 14 April 2016
FDA PROPOSES BAN ON MOST
POWDERED MEDICAL GLOVES
Te FDA has determined that powdered gloves pose an
unreasonable and substantial risk of illness or injury to
health-care providers, patients, and other individuals
On March 21, the US Food and Drug Administration
announced a proposal to ban most powdered gloves in
the United States. While use of these gloves is decreasing,
they pose an unreasonable and substantial risk of illness
or injury to health-care providers, patients, and other
individuals who are exposed to them, which cannot be
corrected through new or updated labeling.
Te proposed ban applies to powdered surgical gloves,
powdered patient examination gloves, and absorbable
powder for lubricating surgical gloves.
Powder is sometimes added to gloves to help make
it easier to put them on and take them of; however,
powdered gloves are dangerous for a variety of reasons.
In particular, aerosolized glove powder on natural rubber
latex gloves, but not on synthetic powdered gloves,
can carry proteins that may cause respiratory allergic
reactions.
Although powdered synthetic gloves do not present
the risk of allergic reactions, they are associated
with an extensive list of potentially serious adverse
events, including severe airway infammation, wound
infammation, and postsurgical adhesions, which are
bands of fbrous scar tissue that form between internal
organs and tissues. Tese side efects have been attributed
to the use of glove powder with all types of gloves.
As these risks cannot be corrected through new or
updated labeling, the FDA is moving forward with the
proposal to ban these products, which—if fnalized—
would ultimately remove them from the marketplace
completely.
In making the determination that these products are
dangerous and present an unreasonable and substantial
risk, the FDA considered all available evidence, which
included a thorough review of the available scientifc
literature and comments received on a February 2011
Federal Register Notice. In addition, given the critical role
medical gloves play in protecting patients and health-
care providers, the FDA also conducted an economic
analysis that showed a powdered glove ban would not
cause a glove shortage and the economic impact of a
ban would not be signifcant. Te ban is also not likely
to impact medical practice because many nonpowdered
protective glove options are currently available.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
INDUSTRY PDATES U
