Partnership to improve oral thrush treatment
Texas A&M College of Dentistry recently entered into an agreement with Shear Kershman Laboratories and medical device company Innovative MedTech Inc. to study BioViscid, a pharmaceutical delivery mechanism for anti-fungal medication designed to treat oral thrush more effectively and enhance patient compliance.
Dr. Lily T. García, dean, said early efforts will focus on cancer patients and will invite patient participation in the future.
Oral thrush, or oral candidiasis, is a fungal infection caused by an overgrowth of yeast in the mouth. It manifests as creamy white lesions on the tongue or inner cheeks and usually lasts several days or weeks; lesions may also appear on the roof of the mouth, gums, tonsils or throat. Oral thrush affects about 5 to 7% of Americans, particularly those with compromised immune systems, including cancer patients.
“We still need to write up the study and seek funding resources, but this is promising,” García said. “Based on the requirements for a scientific study, we have the patient population who may be interested in participating in a future study.”
She noted that the study highlights oral health as part of total health, which is important. Patient recruitment is conservatively a year or so away; however, Dr. Jacqueline Plemons, clinical professor in the Department of Periodontics and the director of Stomatology Division, often treats patients with oral thrush. Plemons, along with Dr. Elias D. Kontogiorgos, clinical professor and director of graduate prosthodontics, and Dr. Likith Reddy, clinical professor and department head of oral and maxillofacial surgery, are part of the team to conduct a patient study.
“Patients come here for expertise,” García said. “We can be a resource, and if it’s done well, it can be applied nationally and internationally.”
A recent Securities and Exchange Commission filing by Illinois-based Innovative MedTech reported the global market for oral candidiasis treatments at nearly $8 billion, driven by prescription and over-the-counter antifungal medications, mouth rinses and topical formations. The market is projected to reach almost $10 billion by 2032.
Early trials on volunteers, which did not involve the college, showed Shear Kershman Labs’ BioViscid platform technology lasted six to eight hours after application in the mouth, including in high-moisture instances when a patient is eating and drinking. This is more effective than other treatments on the market. Initial data from in vitro tests demonstrated BioViscid maintained effectiveness and didn’t irritate skin or mucosal tissues, commonly known as the mucus membrane.
Dr. Blake Hawley, a member of the Missouri-based Shear Kershman Lab executive team, said the formulation aims to provide sustained contact with the affected area, “dramatically improving therapeutic outcomes and patient convenience.” He likened it to how mouthwash tends to stop working, sometimes as soon as five to 10 minutes after use because the germs that cause plaque and tartar almost immediately begin to repopulate the mouth; the BioViscid formulation, which could be on the market in just a few years under another name, doesn’t lose its strength.
Hawley said the growth potential is significant as the population ages and because of the increasing incidence of immunocompromised and dysphagic (difficulty swallowing) patients. The BioViscid platform has a myriad of other uses.
The college became involved when the dean’s brother, Dr. A. Tomás “Tom” García III, a cardiologist in Houston and a former president of the Texas Medical Association and Harris County Medical Society, introduced her to Hawley. Hawley was drawn to the college’s reputation for research and that it’s the largest oral health care provider in North Texas, drawing patients from several other states.
Through the collaboration, the companies and the college will jointly develop advanced technologies, enhance academic training programs and conduct research to improve patient outcomes worldwide. That goes beyond oral thrush treatments and could include novel drug-delivery methods for oral diseases and innovative solutions for underserved health care communities.
“By combining Shear Kershman Labs’ health care expertise, Texas A&M’s academic and research excellence and Innovative MedTech’s technological prowess, the collaboration is poised to redefine the future of health care delivery and innovation,” stated Michael Friedman, president and CEO of Innovative MedTech, in a press release.