Sigrid Therapeutics appoints Professor Iain Chapple, an international authority in oral health, to the company's Scientific Advisory Board

Stockholm, May 9, 2023. Sigrid Therapeutics (Sigrid), a Swedish consumer healthcare company, announced today that Professor Iain Chapple, a world-leading expert in oral health from the University of Birmingham's College of Medical and Dental Sciences, has been appointed as the company's scientific advisor.

Professor Chapple and his research team at the University of Birmingham will identify and develop further applications based on the revolutionary SiPore ^® technology. Already described as one of the most important innovations since fluoride, SiPore ^® is a patented technology consisting of precisely engineered silica particles that can be added to a range of oral health products to limit bacteria’s access to complex sugars and their ability to form dental biofilms in the oral cavity. The research that Professor Chapple and his team at Birmingham’s College of Medical and Dental Sciences will conduct includes studies of SiPore ^® ’s potentially positive impact on the oral microbiome and systemic inflammation.

Professor Chapple comments: “Having familiarised myself with the technology and studied the scientific portfolio including safety data, it was a very easy decision to accept the appointment. It is clear to me that the potential benefits of SiPore® for both oral health and systemic effects are tangible and could change the field of research. I was particularly attracted by the physical rather than chemical mechanism of action of the technology, its flexibility and extensive functionality, which could significantly impact both the oral microbiome and the gut in a positive way. Overall, the case for significant health benefits is compelling and there is some exciting research to be done.”

Professor Tore Bengtsson, Sigrid co-founder and CSO, and the inventor behind the SiPore ^® technology adds: "Through my own research into diabetes, I am well aware of the link between poor metabolic health and poor oral health. We are therefore delighted to be able to collaborate with Iain and his team on the potential to use our technology to reduce the burden of sugar in the oral cavity and thereby improve both related conditions."

Damir Konakovic, who heads Sigrid's Oral Health and International Expansion Department, adds: "By effectively removing amylase, SiPore ^® reduces the availability of sugar, thereby limiting the growth of pathogenic bacteria and the formation of dental biofilm and plaque. Therefore, I believe that SiPore ^® could be one of the greatest innovations in preventive oral health since fluoride. In recent years, Professor Chapple and others have already shown the links between poor oral health and other systemic metabolic diseases, which opens up even more potential applications for SiPore ^® ."

SiPore ^® consists of micron-sized silica particles, which are a type of synthetic amorphous silica (SAS). SAS is naturally produced, environmentally friendly, tasteless and odorless. It is approved as a food additive, GRAS-listed (generally recognized as safe) and is widely used in food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical formulations. This means that SiPore ^® has the potential to be used for a variety of consumer/patient-friendly applications.

“It is an honour to welcome Professor Chapple and his team at the University of Birmingham to Sigrid. The engagement with them has cemented our vision for SiPore ^® ,” says Sana Alajmovic, Sigrid’s co-founder and CEO. “The links between oral health and inflammatory diseases show that SiPore ^® is a truly innovative technology that can have a major impact on a range of interrelated health conditions.”

The appointment was managed in conjunction with the Academic Consultancy Service , which is run by the University of Birmingham Enterprise and makes the expertise and knowledge of the university's academics available to industry, not-for-profit organisations, public organisations and governments.