The Finnish company Therapeutica Borealis received an approval in the United States for its patent concerning a combination of toothpaste and mouthwash for the prevention of Covid-19. The patent is based on strengthening the body’s own chemical defence mechanism and it does not include any actual drug molecules.
The patent enables the creation of the body’s own compound hypothiocyanite and a slightly alkaline environment which together generate a quick chemical defence as a prophylactic against the virus. The patent uses the short-term joint effect of substances commonly used in the food industry. Hypothiocyanite inhibits the binding of the spike protein of the virus to receptors by altering its three-dimensional structure. If the receptor is viewed as a lock and the spike protein as a key, the structure of the key is broken, so that it no longer fits the lock. The product can be used in the same way as ordinary toothpaste and mouthwash, and it is expected to be launched on the market during 2022.
The patented toothpaste-mouthwash combination is an easy and inexpensive method for people to use, and, as with face masks, it may be utilized independently. Regarding the operating of society, another recent concern apart from the intensive care bed capacity is the extensive number of absences due to illness among those with a milder disease, which has a considerable adverse effect on the key functions of society. In addition to vaccinations and medication, there is a need for inexpensive low-threshold solutions which can be quickly introduced for voluntary use.
Kalervo Väänänen, Professor, Chairman of the Board, Therapeutica Borealis Oy:
“The epidemic will probably threaten the health of people and hamper the functioning of societies for a long time to come, and we need a broad range of means to stop it. Therapeutica Borealis aims at launching the patented invention to the market in Finland this year. We will inform later about the progress of the commercialisation process.”
Therapeutica Borealis stresses that no pharmaceutical or non-pharmaceutical treatment can replace vaccinations in the prevention of the coronavirus.
Evidence of regional excellence
Niko Kyynäräinen, Chairman of the Board, regional business development company Turku Science Park Ltd:
”The functional toothpaste-mouthwash combination can be considered the latest addition to the long line of Turku-based functional products in the wake of xylitol and plant stanol ester. The determined co-operation in the Turku region has resulted in an ecosystem within which the active interaction between universities, enterprises and the City creates new innovations for solving global problems.”
The Turku region accounts for 75 per cent of Finland’s pharmaceutical exports, and half of Finland’s pharmaceutical and diagnostics industry is located the region. 21 out of 22 Finnish drugs launched on the market have been developed in Turku.
Based in Turku, Finland, Therapeutica Borealis is a drug innovation company founded by Professor Kalervo Väänänen, Adjunct Professor Lauri Kangas and Psychologist Matti Rihko. In spring 2021, the company was granted a US patent for a nasal spray used for the prevention and early-stage treatment of Covid-19. The process for the global patenting and preclinical studies of the nasal spray drug is in progress.
Scientific background
In addition to immune defence, the body battles microbes by means of chemical defence (i.e. innate immunity). In one of the key reactions of this defence system, lactoperoxidase catalyses the oxidation of thiocyanate by hydrogen peroxide into hypothiocyanite. It is a reactive compound that reacts actively with amino acids that contain sulphur. The surface proteins of most enveloped viruses carry several amino acids that contain sulphur. When hypothiocyanite reacts with them, it alters the three-dimensional structure of the surface proteins and thus interferes with the attachment of the viruses to the adhesion proteins on the cell surface. For instance, the surface protein of the Sars-CoV-2 virus, or the spike protein, carries more than ten amino acids that contain sulphur.
The body receives thiocyanate from ordinary plant-based food, such as carrots, cabbage, buckwheat, cashew nuts etc. In food, thiocyanate is bound to larger molecules from which the body releases it for use. In bodily fluids, for instance saliva, the aforementioned lactoperoxidase produces hydrogen peroxide which in turn oxidises the thiocyanate into active hypothiocyanite. Thiocyanate and hydrogen peroxide are substances commonly used in food industry. Dairy industry, for instance, uses thiocyanate to extend the shelf life of dairy products.
The use of toothpaste containing thiocyanate creates in the mouth a momentarily elevated thiocyanate content which is oxidised in the next phase with the mild hydrogen peroxide in the mouthwash. Short-term use of thiocyanate and hydrogen peroxide allows for temporary and quick strengthening of the chemical defence by generating hypothiocyanite without an enzymatic reaction. By using toothpaste and mouthwash the reaction will affect the surface of the mucous membrane of the oral cavity, through which the Sars-CoV-2 attempts to enter the body.