opinion

Product Spotlight: Divine Health

Divine Corporation has announced that its Divine 9 lube containing Carragel has been selected by McGill University’s Division of Cancer Epidemiology for use in their large-scale, double-blind human trial on the ability of a carrageenan-based gel to prevent the transmission of human papillomavirus (HPV).

The study is called CATCH, an acronym for Carrageenan-gel Against Transmission of Cervical HPV, and will involve tracking HPV infections in nearly 500 female volunteers for a one year period. Divine Corporation will be supplying its carrageenan-based personal lubricant Divine 9 as the active product as well as the placebo gel for all the women in the study. CATCH is funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

The possibility that a topical gel, applied before sexual contact, can block the transmission of HPV would be a breakthrough with worldwide medical significance.

The McGill University research team is led by Dr. Eduardo Franco, director of the Division of Cancer Epidemiology and is coordinated by Joseph Tota (PhD candidate).

“The CATCH study is a major initiative to determine if using a carrageenan-based gel can prevent the acquisition and transmission of HPV in a real world setting,” Dr. Franco says. “I’m extremely encouraged by the results of the laboratory studies by Dr. John Schiller’s team at the National Cancer Institute. If the trial is successful, it would mean that women have another option for protecting themselves against HPV, the causative agent for cervical cancer.”

According to the company, a research team at the National Cancer Institute has conducted both in vitro and in vivo studies and found Divine 9 was effective in inhibiting infection rates.

“The possibility that a topical gel, applied before sexual contact, can block the transmission of HPV would be a breakthrough with worldwide medical significance,” the company says. “As a result, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research is funding Dr. Franco and his team to complete the CATCH study.”

The CATCH study will recruit 465 female volunteers and each will be supplied with either the carrageenan gel or placebo gel. The volunteers will use the gels whenever they are in intimate situations. During their one-year follow-up, the women will visit designated clinics for monitoring of HPV infection rates.

“We are gratified that Dr. Franco and his team at McGill University chose Divine 9 for this remarkable study on HPV prevention,” said Dean Fresonke, CEO of Divine Corporation. “With positive results, the world will have a powerful new weapon in the battle against cancer.”

Divine Corporation was formed in April of 2000 to pursue a concept originated by two business executives, Stephanie Leavine and Dean Fresonke. The goal was to create a personal lubricant that would have great playtime characteristics but eliminate the stickiness and resulting skin irritation that could result in the evaporation cycle of lube.

Dr. Mario Tremblay, who has a PhD in chemistry, also is part of the founding team and, having managed new product development for Max Factor and CoverGirl Cosmetics, brought with him the expertise to establish an accomplished product formulation team.

The formulation team had not created personal lubricants prior and approached the task using a broad spectrum of compounds, the company said. The formulation team strived to move away from waxes and silicone, which cannot be absorbed by the skin and have to be washed off, as well as parabens and glycerins that can cause skin irritation. According to the company, it found that skin irritation problems occur from residual deposits and partial absorption of ingredients.

“After sequencing through many different compounds, a vial labeled simply ‘9’ was delivered for testing” the company says. “Unlike any of the others, it exhibited superior slip characteristics and a unique evaporation cycle which, when finished, left the skin with a smooth and silky ‘baby powder’ feel. With further refinement, composition ‘9’ became the basis of Divine 9.”

The key ingredient of Divine 9 is a special extract of sea algae commonly referred to as carrageenan. Carrageenan is an edible compound Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). According to the company, carrageenan is used as a thickener and smoothing agent in such products as baby formula and ice cream.

With many different types of sea algae and variety of methods for the extraction of carrageenan, Divine 9’s unique carrageenan extract and formulation technique is a trade secret.

Related:  

Copyright © 2024 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More Articles

opinion

Tips for Boosting Ecommerce Revenue With Behavioral Insights

At our marketing agency, we focus on using real data to make better decisions for our clients. We believe every action a visitor takes on a website can tell us something important. This helps us shape our strategies and assist our clients in turning casual website visitors into loyal customers.

Lauren Bailey ·
opinion

A Look at the Do's and Don'ts of Gift-With-Purchase Promos

Imagine you’re at a store, deciding between two products with similar packaging, features and pricing. You’re not predisposed toward either brand and you haven’t seen any reviews — but one of them offers, “Free gift with purchase!” Does that win you over?

Vanessa Rose ·
opinion

Tips for Navigating a Completely Remote Job in Sexual Wellness

Anyone working in the sexual wellness and pleasure sector has at some point had to deal with issues like bias against the industry, as well as limited marketing and advertising options.

Bryony Lees ·
trends

Meet the 2024 Class of Up-and-Coming Pleasure Brands to Watch

With each new year that rolls in, new pleasure brands emerge, and 2024 is no exception. Already this year, a slew of new entrants are rapidly gaining traction and recognition via social media, among retailers and distributors — and most importantly, end consumers.

profile

WIA Profile: Sarah Franson

When you do what you love, they say, you’ll never work a day in your life — and when your job involves educating the masses about sex toys, it’s hard not to love what you do.

Women In Adult ·
profile

Popsi Lingerie CEO Sam Golshan Discusses Brand's Growth, Mission

Lingerie: a sexy French word for an alluring little something to spark things up in the bedroom, teasingly wear out to clubs, dress up in to celebrate a special occasion or just wear under everyday clothes to feel excited and desirable.

Kim Airs ·
profile

Honey Play Box's Joreail Armstrong Reflects on Company's Growth

Today, Armstrong serves as business development manager for boutique sex toy brand Honey Play Box, but he began his role there as a one-man marketing department, assisting CEO Shirley Wang with nearly every aspect of launching the brand.

Sofia Barrett-Ibarria ·
opinion

How Awareness Revolutionized Materials Used in Pleasure Products

Today’s manufacturers and consumers are material-savvy, giving rise to pleasure products that are safe to use, beautiful to look at, high-quality and even environmentally responsible.

Eric Lee ·
opinion

How Sex-Ed Lays the Groundwork for Well-Informed Shopping

We often do some research before making purchases, whether by delving into a company’s background, exploring specific products or simply making sure we understand how to use something before we buy it.

Nathan Hammerle ·
opinion

A Look at How Customer Demographics of Full-Size Sex Dolls Have Evolved

For a long time, sex dolls were dismissed as cheap novelties used by lonely heterosexual men. This was especially true of early, inflatable versions, which became the butt of jokes in pop culture. However, things have changed dramatically.

Rebecca Weinberg ·
Show More