Antimicrobial technology firm Nobio finalizes $3.6 million investment

Nobio Ltd., developer of embedded, long-acting antimicrobial particle technology, announced the closing of a $3.6 million investment by aMoon Fund and Dr. Ole Jensen. The proprietary, non-soluble Nobio particles feature high anti-microbial activity that doesn't involve chemical interaction with the microorganisms nor release of any substance and are designed to have a nontoxic and long-lasting effect, unlike soluble antimicrobial substances. Contrary to coatings, Nobio particles are designed to be permanently embedded within a broad range of materials, thereby converting the material into an antibacterial version without changing its properties.

The company recently completed development of a line of dental restorative products, including an adhesive and resin-based composites, incorporating the Nobio antimicrobial technology. The investment will fund the regulatory submissions for the dental products, the establishment of a manufacturing facility and market introduction.

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Protecting composite restorations from the harmful effect of oral bacteria in the form of plaque has been a challenge, and Nobio’s technology was specifically designed to address this major, unmet need,” says Nobio CEO Yoram Ashery. “We’re fortunate to have strategic investors like the aMoon Fund and Dr. Jensen who bring valuable insights and share our vision for the potential of our antimicrobial technology to become a new standard.”

Dental caries (tooth decay) is the most common chronic infection in the world. Composite restorations (tooth-colored fillings) are very popular, but fail primarily due to caries forming at the restoration margins. About two-thirds of procedures are replacements of failed earlier restorations. Replacement dentistry costs $5 billion a year in the U.S. alone.

Nobio is also developing the use of its technology in several high-volume industrial applications as well as medical devices to prevent device-related infections, a major healthcare-associated complication and cost driver. The company has enlisted the services of Cellerant Consulting Group and Norman Hicks Consulting to bring their antimicrobial technology to the U.S.