Ortek Therapeutics

Ortek Therapeutics

Ortek Therapeutics, Inc. is a private health care company based in Roslyn Heights, New York which specializes in researching and commercializing oral care products. It was founded in 1998.

To date, Ortek's commercial success is based on the company's patented AlkaGen Technology (an arginine bicarbonate/calcium carbonate complex). The Company plans on incorporating this technology in their sugarless confection, BasicBites. Arginine, a common amino acid found in saliva, is broken down by oral plaque bacteria to acid-neutralizing alkali. This results in a sustained neutral or elevated oral plaque pH, which creates an optimal environment for remineralization of the teeth. The calcium component is available for enhanced remineralization and the bicarbonate, carbonate components also aids in buffering the teeth from acid attacks. The AlkaGen technology, which is based on over 40 years of research in saliva chemistry, was licensed to the company by The Research Foundation of the State University of New York after being developed by Department of Oral Biology and Pathology at Stony Brook University. A 2008 clinical trial published in the Journal of Clinical Dentistry found that a confection with AlkaGen Technology was highly effective in preventing caries in Venezuelan children, as those consuming the confections had 62% less cavities than the placebo group. Ortek developed and commercialized two dental pastes for sensitive teeth and were based on the arginine bicarbonate/calcium carbonate technology. These products, DenClude and ProClude were sold to Colgate Palmolive in 2008. ProClude, is now called Colgate Sensitive Pro Relief Desensitizing Paste with Pro Argin Technology. BasicBites have not been commercialized, but the company is planning a launch in the near future. The company is also in late stage development of an electronic early cavity detector, called the Ortek ECD.