A Japanese pharmaceutical startup, Toregem Biopharma, is on the verge of revolutionizing dental care with a world-first drug designed to stimulate the growth of new teeth. Backed by Kyoto University, the startup plans to launch clinical trials on healthy adults in July 2024, following successful trials on mice and ferrets.
The drug, an antibody that inhibits a protein suppressing tooth growth, has already demonstrated its potential by growing new teeth in ferrets, which possess both baby and permanent teeth like humans. With these promising results, the company aims to market the drug by 2030.
The team at Toregem Biopharma plans to extend clinical trials to children aged 2 to 6 with anodontia, a condition where some or all permanent teeth are missing, by 2025. A single dose of the drug could induce the growth of new teeth, offering a life-changing solution for affected children and potentially for adults who have lost teeth due to cavities.
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Katsu Takahashi, co-founder of Toregem Biopharma and head of dentistry and oral surgery at Kitano Hospital in Osaka, expressed optimism about the drug’s potential. “Missing teeth in a child can affect the development of their jaw bone. We hope the drug will serve as a key to solving those problems,” he said.
