Merck KGaA Acquires Exclusive Rights For Innovative Glass-Encapsulated Sunscreens
Merck KGaA and Sol-Gel Technologies Ltd. today announced that Merck has acquired exclusive worldwide distribution rights to use Sol-Gel Technologies Ltd. patented inert sol-gel glass microparticles to encapsulate its specialty sunscreen chemicals. Merck has acquired a minority of shares of Sol-Gel Technologies. Financial details of the agreement were not disclosed.
Merck is currently preparing for the market launch of a new generation of UV absorbers, the "Eusolex® UV-Pearls", which are based on the new technology.
This encapsulation of organic sunscreen chemicals provides new opportunities to cosmetic formulators. As the UV-Filters are encased in glass microparticles, incompatibilities between cosmetic ingredients can be prevented. In addition, Eusolex® UV-Pearls can provide photostable compositions and can be used in innovative oil-free sun or day care products.
"We're extremely pleased to be able to supply new solutions to our customers of the cosmetic industry," said Klaus Bischoff, Head of Merck KGaA's Cosmetics Business. "By using organic sunscreens entrapped in sol-gel glass, our customers are now able to create new products designated for sensitive skin."
The UV-Pearls will be manufactured at Sol-Gel's new facility in Bet Shemesh, Israel, using Merck's specialty sunscreen chemicals. As most organic UV-Filters can be encapsulated, this technology can be used for cosmetic products worldwide.
The world market for end consumer sun-care products is estimated at US-$ 3 billion and is growing annually as consumers become increasingly aware of the dangers caused by sun-exposure, such as skin cancer, premature skin aging and sunburns.
The proprietary sol-gel technology was developed at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem by Sol-Gel Technologies Ltd. co-founder Prof. David Avnir and his colleagues. Due to the relatively low temperature needed for the preparation of sol-gel matrices, most existing organic and bioorganic molecules can now be entrapped in inert sol-gel silica glass. Normally, glass is prepared at temperatures of about 1,000 degrees Celsius, which would incinerate the molecules.
Sol-Gel Technologies Ltd. (www.sol-gel.com) was founded in Bet Shemesh in 1997 with seed capital from a group of investors headed by Evergreen, a Canadian-Israeli venture capital fund. In early 2000, the company raised first-round capital from initial as well as new investors in order to finish development of its innovative sunscreen products and to build a manufacturing plant.
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