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Posted 10-25-00
CLEVELAND --Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG) named it "Apollo" after the Greek sun god, the mythological giver of light and life. The Apollo technology, originally developed to improve the bleach contained in some laundry detergents, holds bright potential for use in cancer therapy, as well. Today, P&G formally donated to Case Western Reserve University the rights to all of Apollo's 300 worldwide patents and patent applications and the accompanying intellectual property.
CWRU will research Apollo's potential in developing a new generation of photodynamic cancer drugs. In addition, the University will further develop and eventually commercialize Apollo's applications for improving bleaching benefits of laundry detergents. CWRU will realize all future revenues resulting from Apollo's commercialization, which for both laundry and cancer applications could reach potentially tens of millions of dollars annually. This is P&G's first technology donation to a higher education institution in Ohio.
"P&G turns out such a wealth of technology, we can't possibly develop it all," said P&G Chairman John E. Pepper. "We're thrilled that Case Western Reserve is able to continue the development of this promising technology so that it can improve peoples' lives."
P&G is not able to devote resources to develop all of the more than 27,000 patents which are in its portfolio, so it donates technologies which are not essential to current product development activities and can best be developed elsewhere. Each year the company invests nearly $2 billion in research and development, resulting in the company receiving each year nearly 3,000 new patents worldwide.
"This technology has the potential to save countless lives through the development of new cancer therapies. It recognizes and reinforces the University's position as a world leader in medical research and biotechnology," said CWRU President David Auston. "We're also looking forward to making the most of Apollo's potential in laundry detergent, which will drive revenue as we commercialize the technology to a sizeable global market."
Apollo technology involves chemical molecules called silicon phthalocyanines, compounds that are able to absorb sunlight and then, using oxygen in the air, bleach out stains. Similar phthalocyanine molecules have the potential to absorb laser light and, with oxygen from the blood, destroy tumors.
Malcolm Kenney, CWRU's Hinman Hurlbut Professor of Chemistry, has devoted most of his research career to working with silicon phthalocyanines. For the past 15 years, he has collaborated with Professor Nancy Oleinick and other researchers from CWRU's School of Medicine on developing silicon phthalocyanine drugs for photodynamic cancer therapy, where they are more effective than current drugs.
"Great parallels exist in the chemistry required for photodynamic therapy and that required for photobleaching clothes, which was the original intent of P&G's technology," said Kenney. "Just as bleach adheres to a stain to clean it, the molecules used in photodynamic cancer therapy bind to a tumor to destroy it."
In photodynamic cancer therapy, special compounds are introduced into a patient's system, they destroy cancer cells when the cells are exposed to a focused beam of red light. The current compound is effective, yet it is not sufficiently selective; therefore, patients must stay in subdued light for weeks after treatment to prevent healthy cells from being damaged or destroyed. Apollo technology holds promise for being more selective, which could significantly reduce the amount of time a patient will be required to live in subdued light.
In laundry terms, Apollo technology's photobleach whitens clothes as they hang to dry in the sun. The bleach is attracted to and adheres to stains during the washing cycle. Left in the stain after washing, the bleach absorbs sunlight during line-drying and removes the stains to which it has adhered. The amount of photobleach in the detergent is very small and sunlight decomposes it before the end of drying. Line-drying clothes is popular in southern Europe, Asia, northern Africa, and other countries that prefer this drying technique. It represents a $10 billion global laundry market.
While several of today's detergents in line-drying countries currently use photobleach, the existing molecules work only on water-based stains. P&G's new Apollo technology can also blast stains made of fat -- which includes the general yellowing of clothing that results from natural body oils.
CWRU is the largest private research university in Ohio. It ranks 12th among the nation's private research universities in federal awards to support research and development. CWRU received more than $200 million in 1998-99 from government, industry, and private sources for research and sponsored projects. CWRU enrolls 9,600 students from all 50 states and 95 nations. Through its College of Arts and Sciences, Case School of Engineering, School of Graduate Studies and professional schools in dentistry, law, management, medicine, nursing, and social work, CWRU offers educational programs in more than 60 fields of study. Around 70 percent of current freshmen were in the top 10 percent of their high school graduating class, and around 90 percent were in the top 20 percent.
P&G markets 300 brands to nearly five billion consumers in 140 countries. P&G invests nearly $2 billion a year to develop and improve its products -- leading the way in R&D globally among consumer products companies. P&G's Global Licensing Organization is promoting the full development and use of the company's innovations. This includes selling, licensing and, in select cases, donating P&G's technologies.