NANOMETICS LLC — Department of Health and Human Services SBIR Phase I: 102

Description

PROJECT SUMMARYABSTRACT Problem to be Solved and SignificanceExposure to Ultraviolet radiationUVRis a risk factor for the development of skin cancerand health care agencies recommend that sunscreens be used as a preventative measureA major limitation of commercial sunscreens is the need to continually reapply to gain full benefitThis is because sunscreens contain UV filters that lack affinity with skin and are easily removed by normal wearThe development of durable filters with improved retention on skin has the potential to mitigate UVmediated toxicities and remains a significant priorityProduct and Long Term GoalNanometicsd b aPHD BiosciencesPHDis developing novel titanium dioxide and zinc oxide UV filters that contain a coating that interacts with skin proteins to improve topical retention timeThe novel UV filters are synthesized from inexpensive starting materials and will be sold globally as ingredients for sunscreens and other topical productsIt is anticipated that these UV filters will alleviate the need for constant product reapplicationTechnological InnovationThe surface of commercial titanium dioxide and zinc oxide UV filters is covalently modified to contain a coating that interacts with skin proteins to improve topical retention timeThe coating is designed to form a stable interaction at skin pHand can easily be removed by washing with soapSpecific AimTo determine the SPF and water resistance properties of the HPGA Filters on healthy volunteersThe hypotheses to be tested arethe new filters will exhibit no significant differences in the Sun Protection FactorSPFon healthy volunteers compared to commercial controlsare more resistant to removal with water from healthy volunteers than commercial controlsand are readily removed by washing with soapCommercial OpportunityThe global market for UV filters is estimated to exceed $million byPhase II SBIR studies will include additional studies to confirm the safety on a larger number of volunteersexamine the performance against leading commercial sunscreensand optimize the chemistrymanufacturingand controlCMCprocesses to produce the filters in multi kilogram quantitiesThe technology is covered by a pending patent that protects the PHD commercial and development interests PROJECT NARRATIVE Exposure to ultraviolet radiationUVRis a known risk factor for the development of skin cancerwhich is the most common form of cancer in the United StatesCurrently available UV sunscreen filters lack affinity for the skin and must continually be reappliedThis project seeks to further the development of long wear UV sunscreen filters with high affinity and improved retention on skinThe novel filters provide extended protection from UVmediated toxicities and their continued development remains a significant priority