I’ll believe it when I see it work.

A newspaper in Japan reports that a new drug has been developed that prevents canine gum disease (and, I assume, eliminates the need to brush dogs’ teeth). The drug is made from genetically modified strawberries. That’s all that’s in the report. I don’t know the product’s name, chemical composition, or mechanism of action. Here’s the whole article:

SAPPORO (Kyodo) — A group of Japanese researchers plans to apply later this year for approval to sell a drug made from genetically modified strawberries to cure gum disease in dogs.

The use of genetically modified farm products in the development of drugs could cut total costs by a thousandth, the developers from three entities including the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology said recently.

The researchers are now in the final stage of clinical testing, they said. About 80 percent of dogs aged 2 or older can develop the disease, but to date there has been no drug available because of the high cost of developing one. The group envisions supplying the drug in powder form so that it can be applied to the dog’s gums on a daily basis, it said.

Takeshi Matsumura, one of the institute’s top scientists, said, “Making the breakthrough to commercial sales (for canine use) is our priority for now, although it will be a long time before we can use the drug for humans.”

(Mainichi Japan) January 30, 2011

To me this sounds like a corporate press release that has been published as-is by a newspaper.

I’ll keep watch on this story and keep readers abreast of developments as they occur. Meanwhile, I’ll continue to brush Buster’s teeth.