Dr. Ashwaq Al-Hashedi, postdoctoral researcher in the Faculty of Dentistry conducting her work under the supervision of Dr. Jocelyne Feine, is the co-founder of INViCARE, a Montreal-based biotech startup that develops innovative nanobiomaterials to prevent and treat implant infections. She founded the company alongside Dentistry professor Dr. Faleh Tamimi to address the problem of dental implant infections and failure, using innovative and proprietary inorganic crystalline hydrogels.
Having received the Mitacs Accelerate Entrepreneur award, Dr. Al-Hashedi's clinical trials are getting a welcome boost.
Mitacs Accelerate Entrepreneur program is intended for entrepreneurs that have founded companies at approved incubators to fund their own research. Dr. Al-Hashedi received this award to start her postdoc fellowship on a clinical trial entitled, "A randomized clinical trial on the effect of nanocrystal gels in the management of peri-implant diseases” at McGill University.
The research project is a clinical trial intended to test INViCARE’s two products of nanocrystal technology (Neophylaxis® and ImplanTreat®) in a statistically justified number of subjects and provide more detailed information about the safety of the products and their efficacy for all implant prosthesis wearers, with different peri-implant clinical conditions.
The study will provide INViCARE with the clinical evidence required to commercialize the products, increase customers and partners acceptance, and get the regulatory approvals for international partnerships. Likewise, the company is committed to translate the research outcomes into commercialization through their distribution channels and partners to dentists and patients. Therefore, this collaborative project has the potential to benefit Canadian patients, specifically implant supported prosthesis wearers, and dental professionals by providing an easy-to-use gel for proper and safe cleaning of dental implants during routine maintenance visits and peri-implant infection treatment. It also has the potential to benefit the Canadian economy by strengthening a Canadian biotechnology company and creating a Canadian-based technology that will reduce treatment cost in dental clinics and compete in the dental materials market.
Dr. Ashwaq Al-Hashedi is a dental specialist with over ten years’ experience in managing teeth/dental implant infections. She holds two PhDs in Implant Dentistry and has been a key participant in numerous clinical trials and research projects since 2008. Her research experience revolves around the development of new techniques and products to control infections around dental implants and teeth. Recently, Dr. Al-Hashedi founded INViCARE to translate the research knowledge and transfer its outcomes to clinical practice.