It was my perception in meeting Miraculins Inc. (TSXV: MOM), CEO Chris Moreau last night that he is dedicated to his company and truly wants to help people. Miraculins have a diagnostic device for painless screening of pre-diabetes that has the potential for many other uses, called the Scout DS® – I told him about the time I had a diabetes screening and was bruised halfway up my arm. Because of this, the Scout’s needle free, light activated test really appeals to me.
This morning Miraculins announced they will present a peer reviewed scientific poster at the 23rd World Congress of Dermatology. The poster will present secure information from patient trials, including a study done with Amway. Aside from predicting diabetes (the fastest growing disease in history), the Scout also has the ability to determine skin damage from the sun by assessing advanced glycation end products, (AGE’s). For this reason Miraculins is teaming up with Amway Corporation’s Open Innovation Team, who market skin products and supplements.
The conference is the world’s oldest and continuous international dermatology meeting, and will be held in Vancouver, BC from June 8-13, 2015. The poster will be entitled, The Association of Skin Glycation with Facial Skin Aging. This device could be used to screen for many other possible health issues, since AGE’s are also potential biomarkers for atherosclerosis, chronic renal failure, and Alzheimer’s disease. The device is a kiosk, much like the blood pressure cuffs found in most pharmacies. Because the device is painless, quick and doesn’t require a doctor, there is potential for high numbers of people to make use of this state of the art diagnostic tool.
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Many people don’t like going to the doctor, or waiting weeks for test results, the Scout changes all that. Of course people are advised to follow up with their doctors. But as people become more aware of the risks of diabetes, and UV radiation, the desire to find out so easily is likely to be greater than the desire to have your blood drawn. And some people spend more on skin care products in a year than they do on food. Being able to know how much your skin is aging, and the vitamin supplements that can help slow the aging process is a big business. And Amway sells those products for the skin, including Nutrilite™ vitamin, mineral and dietary supplements, and Artistry™ skincare and colour cosmetics, amongst many other supplements and products. World wide sales in 2014 made Amway the #1 direct selling business globally, according to Direct Selling News.
Miraculins and Amway collaborated on a study, using the Scout on 555 women between the ages of 16 and 82, including a mixed race cohort. Subjects were evaluated through a cross-sectional survey using a questionnaire that accounted for age, ethnicity, BMI, smoking, sun protection habits, years working outdoors, vitamin supplementation, skin care habits, tanning, history of type 1 or 2 diabetes, as well as kidney, heart and skin disease. Skin AGE’s were measured utilizing the Scout, and facial wrinkling and skin lightness were measured using standardized facial photography and analysis techniques.
The Scout is an easy to use kiosk that provides results in 90 seconds. This is very unlike other tests for diabetes that require needles, trips to the doctor, and weeks to get results. That the device can also be used to determine the aging of the skin is perhaps only the first of many other unmet needs that Miraculins’ device could be used for. The simplicity of getting results in 90 seconds for the fastest growing disease in history is an advantage that could see the device installed not just in pharmacies, but airports and other public areas worldwide. For instance, Miraculins released news May 22nd 2015 that it has now completed all required preparations for the submission of its Scout device for product testing in compliance with Chinese Food and Drug Administration (CFDA). Maybe we will be seeing this device at many locations near you in the not too distant future.