PhotOral Licenses Technology

Life sciences startup PhotOral has licensed patented technology from Harvard-affiliated Forsyth Institute to develop a novel intraoral device that uses blue light for targeting and obliterating potentially harmful dental plaque microorganisms, the company announced.

The agreement enables PhotOral to commercialize Forsyth’s photomedicine portfolio, which addresses the $7 billion oral care market. Stamatis Astra, PhotOral’s founder and CEO, is fundraising an initial round to support prototype production, clinical trials and marketing operations. The company’s goal is to have its first intraoral light cleaning device available by late 2012.

Forsyth Institute, a nonprofit research organization focused on oral, craniofacial and related biomedical science based in Cambridge, will conduct PhotOral’s clinical trials.

In 2005, Forsyth founder Dr. Nikos Soukos and Dr. Max Goodson demonstrated the susceptibility of key periodontal pathogens to blue light. Their findings suggested the potential use of phototherapy as a targeted antimicrobial method to control dental plaque growth.

For more information, visit: www.photoral.com