Japanese Startup Aims to Develop World’s First Drug for Growing New Teeth

Japanese pharmaceutical startup Tregem Biopharma is about to launch a groundbreaking drug designed to stimulate the growth of new teeth.

According to the Japan Times, the team behind this amazing achievement, led by Tregem Biopharma and funded by Kyoto University, has been working hard on the project for years. Their efforts have culminated in the development of a drug aimed at inhibiting a protein that inhibits tooth growth.

Futurism.com reports that patients are receiving an antibody treatment that inactivates a protein called USAG-1, which is thought to prevent “tooth buds” from growing into baby and permanent teeth.

Initial experiments on mice in 2018 showed promising results, with the drug successfully stimulating the growth of new teeth. After the success of the mouse experiment, the team carried out additional experiments in ferrets.

Toregem Biopharma plans to begin clinical trials in healthy adults by July 2024 to confirm the drug’s safety. This important step marks a key milestone in making this treatment available to the public.

According to Katsu Takahashi, co-founder of Tregem Biopharma and head of the Department of Dentistry and Oral Surgery at Kitano Hospital in Osaka, the potential effects of the drug go beyond simply filling gaps in smiles. Professor Takahashi said, “When children have missing teeth, it can affect the development of the jaw bone. We hope that this drug will be the key to solving these problems.

In addition, the startup plans clinical trials in 2025 targeting children aged 2 to 6 with odontitis, a disease in children that causes them to be born with missing teeth, especially all of their permanent teeth. If successful, this could provide a much-needed solution for children with such dental problems.

There are also efforts underway to expand the drug’s use to adults who have lost teeth to decay, potentially offering a noninvasive alternative to traditional dental treatments.