WIMTACH and Navco Pharmaceuticals successfully develop an Invisible Glove

The effects of Covid-19 has touched everyone and created a new set of challenges for many people but it has also inspired innovation and technological advancement. The development of the Invisible Glove, a hand sanitization cream by Navco Pharmaceuticals, marked one instance of advancement. The Invisible Glove has been specifically engineered to be friendlier towards sensitive skin, reliably antimicrobial, and biodegradable. These conditions are not always widely available and met for sanitization creams so, it makes it the perfect product for medical professionals to use during business operations.

Navco Pharmaceuticals initially developed another cream to help protect against bacteria and viruses, and when the company decided to expand their product line to include an alcohol-free hand sanitizing cream, the company decided to partner with WIMTACH. Marek Jasinski, the Chief Technology Officer at Navco explained that the collaboration with WIMTACH was a natural next step to pursue an innovative research project. “We wanted to get more collaborative aspects with the community, especially local community,” he said. “It was an easy project for us to do with the college, something that would be like a first stepping stone and hopefully lead into many more.”

The Invisible Glove uses Navco Pharmaceutical’s antimicrobial nanotechnology and their Computerized Nanometer Algorithms (CNA). Their Nano-particle, called BioactiveTM, is a non-toxic, non-flammable, alcohol-free hand sanitizing material that protects against pathogens. The cream combines properties of a moisturizer with the antimicrobial properties of the BioactiveTM, features, which separates the cream from many on the market.

Through the careful diligence of the WIMTACH research team, the cream has received great initial testing results including a success rate of 99.99% efficacy at repelling micro-organisms for continued use of 4-hours or more. It’s reported to have the ability to kill common pathogens within 10-minutes. Even a single application of 0.5ml is said to retain an efficacy for 4-hours and it has the added benefit of maintaining its stability after contact with sweat. Navco Pharmaceutical representatives were especially pleased with the results of the project collaboration. “It was a great experience,” said Dr. Tarek Bader, a scientist at Navco Pharmaceuticals. “We had biweekly meetings to update on progress on both sides and I think we got a really great relationship during this project.”

Jasinski, was also pleased with the contributions of the Student Researchers on the WIMTACH team. He noted that the cream is a new product for the Navco team so he was impressed with the student’s ability to take leading roles in the development of the cream. Additionally, Dr. Bader, was especially satisfied with the ease of communication and collaboration with the WIMTACH team saying, “We did develop very good rapport and it allowed for a free flow of information between us, the college, and the students,” he said. “It went really well, more than what we expected. This collaboration, technically speaking, is not easy.” Dr. Bader emphasized further that he was pleased with the contributions of the students. “The students showed that they were really talented,” he said. “They were thinking outside of the box and looking at different ways to make [the cream] more practical for real life situations so that was really amazing from their team because they did most of the lab work.”

Navco Pharmaceuticals is doing final testing to check for efficacy, stability, as well as long term effects of the cream after continued use before commercialization. “It was just an amazing experience as the first laboratory collaboration [for Navco Pharmaceuticals] with another partner in this industry,” said Jasinski. “The initial testing with [WIMTACH] showed great results and it shows the practicality of the product.” He added that WIMTACH has provided the Navco team with a clear path moving forward. “There’s quite a few more steps involved in this but basically what this project provided us with is a viable path to full commercialization which is fantastic,” he said.

Following the successful development of the hand sanitizing cream, Navco Pharmaceuticals and WIMTACH will partner again for another innovative research project. Jasinski is looking forward to pursuing another collaboration with the WIMTACH team and he hopes that other companies will find WIMTACH useful as well. “Absolutely,” he said. “I recommend [WIMTACH] and I would like to explore more projects … I think [WIMTACH] is fantastic.”

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