New Drug May Help Dentists

I found the following extract here.

Novel Dentistry Drug Enters Phase II


Acologix Inc., Hayward, Calif., a privately held biopharmaceutical company, announced today the initiation of the first phase II study using AC-100 (Dentonin) in dentistry. This study is being conducted under an Investigational New Drug Application in the United States. Based on activities observed in preclinical studies, it is expected that AC-100 can be used as an adjunct to many common dental procedures. AC-100 is a synthetic peptide derived from an endogenous human protein produced by bone and dental cells. In several preclinical models, AC-100 has demonstrated potent and selective dental tissue and bone formation activity. The company says that the drug uses a natural, biological approach to solving dental problems, unlike the mechanical restorative approaches that dominate dentistry today. AC-100 appears to work by stimulating the innate biological defenses of the tooth reducing both post-operative pain and the occurrence of complications after restorative dental procedures, resulting in less pain and more predictable dentistry, they say.