DentalEZ Group has acquired all rights in the dental market to the Identafi 3000 Ultra optical diagnostic device from Trimira, a subsidiary of Remicalm, a biotechnology development firm.
DentalEZ also acquired the rights to the Trimira name in the dental space, according to Rick Gross, senior marketing manager at DentalEZ. Trimira retains rights to the technology and the product and company name in the medical space, he added.
Additional terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Introduced in 2009, the Identafi is a cordless, handheld device that uses three wavelengths of light to detect oral mucosal abnormalities not visible to the naked eye. The Identafi's multispectral approach uses both fluorescence and reflectance to find and monitor biochemical and morphological changes in the cells of the mouth, throat, tongue, and tonsils that may lead to oral cancer, according to Trimira.
The device first emits white light during a conventional exam, followed by an observation with violet light. Under the violet light, suspicious tissue will appear dark. If abnormalities are present, the user can switch to a greenish amber light, which distinguishes between normal and abnormal tissue vasculature, according to the company.
"We are extremely pleased to provide dental professionals with a device that can help them detect abnormal pathologies, including oral cancer in its early stages, and possibly save lives," said Randy Arner, vice president of marketing for DentalEZ Group, in a press release. "Because the signs and symptoms of oral cancer are often missed by the naked eye, Identafi technology enables dental professionals on the front line of oral cancer detection do just that -- identify changes in the mouth that may be a sign of something more serious."
The addition of the Identafi to DentalEZ's product line is part of the company's effort to offer dental practitioners a more clinical product mix, added Gordon Hagler, president and chief operating officer of DentalEZ Group.
"DentalEZ has been looking to expand our portfolio into the diagnostic and screening space for some time," Gross said.
Trimira sold more than 1,000 units over the past year, mostly in the U.S., according to David Burns, chairman and CEO of Remicalm. Remicalm is now effectively out of the dental business, he told DrBicuspid.com.
"We will leave Trimira as a company that is currently not active but existing and will turn to another company that will sell a similar device to the medical community," Burns said. "We are hoping it will become the new otoscope for emergency medical technicians and surgeons."
Going forward, in the dental market the Identafi will be marketed under DentalEZ's StarDental brand and will be sold via DentalEZ's national organization of trained sales representatives through its existing distributor network. In addition, DentalEZ will offer a number of continuing education courses, educational seminars, and online resources geared toward educating dental professionals on the specific use of the Identafi technology and oral cancer in general.
The two companies will continue to do some joint product development, according to Burns.
"Clearly this is a device that over the next five to 10 years will change some," he said. "But right now, it is as good as you need it to be. Everybody says their product is the best, but ours really is."
