Toregem Biopharma: A drug for growing teeth

2024: Product Announcement

In early May 2024, the Japanese company Toregem Biopharma, associated with Kyoto University, announced the development of the world's first drug for growing human teeth. It is assumed that at the initial stage, the therapy of the new type will be focused on people with congenital adentia.

It is noted that congenital adentia occurs in about 0.1% of the population. In this pathology, there is a partial or complete absence of teeth. If you do not see a doctor in time, the illness can lead to the formation of an incorrect bite, speech disorders and problems with chewing food. Patients with adentation are usually given implants or dentures in adulthood. As of the beginning of 2024, there are no treatments that can eliminate the root cause of pathology.

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The technology developed by Toregem Biopharma specialists involves the use of antibodies targeting a specific protein that inhibits tooth growth. Tests in mice showed that the drug stimulates rodents to form new teeth in place of missing ones.

In September 2024, Toregem Biopharma organizes clinical trials of the drug. At the first stage, the company intends to make sure that the drug is safe: 30 healthy adult men will take part in testing. The second phase of trials will begin in 2025: it provides for an assessment of the effectiveness of the drug in the treatment of congenital adentia in patients aged 2 to 7 years. Toregem Biopharma expects to bring the drug to the commercial market by 2030. In the future, the new technology is expected to be applied to the restoration of teeth in patients who lost them in adulthood. According to preliminary estimates, the cost of the drug will be approximately $9,800.^[1]

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