A Japanese pharmaceutical startup, Toregem Biopharma Co., is on a quest to develop a world-first drug designed to stimulate the growth of new teeth, with aspirations to bring it to the market by approximately 2030.
Spearheaded by a team of scientists and funded by Kyoto University, Toregem Biopharma is set to commence clinical trials on healthy adults in July 2024 to verify the drug’s safety. This ambitious venture stems from the team’s remarkable success in cultivating new teeth in mice back in 2018.
In a report by Kyodo News, they explain that most individuals possess “tooth buds” with the latent potential to evolve into new teeth, alongside their baby and permanent teeth. Regrettably, these tooth buds typically fail to mature and eventually fade away.
The team’s breakthrough involves the development of an antibody-drug designed to inhibit the protein responsible for suppressing tooth growth. This innovative medication targets these dormant tooth buds and triggers their growth, a concept initially proven in 2018 when the team successfully administered the drug to ferrets—animals that, like humans, possess both baby and permanent teeth, resulting in the emergence of new teeth.
Looking ahead, the team has outlined a plan to conduct clinical trials for the drug starting in 2025, specifically targeting children between the ages of 2 and 6 who suffer from anodontia—a condition wherein some or all permanent teeth fail to develop. These young patients will receive a single dose of the drug to stimulate tooth growth.
Additionally, there are promising prospects for applying this groundbreaking drug to adults who have lost teeth due to dental issues like cavities. Katsu Takahashi, co-founder of Toregem Biopharma and head of dentistry and oral surgery at Kitano Hospital in Osaka, emphasized the potential impact, stating, “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.”
As this innovative pharmaceutical journey unfolds, it holds the potential to reshape the landscape of dental healthcare, offering new hope for those grappling with tooth loss and related challenges.
