Eve Schwartz 
Co-founder

Doug Granger
Co-founder

Salimetrics, a global leader in salivary bioscience, has been successfully bridging the areas of academic research and product development for nearly twenty years. The company was co-founded by Penn State researchers Doug Granger and Eve Schwartz, together with State College investor Dick Supina, and began in a tiny basement lab at Penn State—the Behavioral Endocrinology Lab (BEL).

Researchers at the BEL study the relationship between biomarkers (e.g. the hormones cortisol and testosterone) and behavioral patterns such as aggressiveness. Measurement of these biomarkers was historically made using blood serum, which has obvious drawbacks. The creative genius behind work at Penn State’s BEL, eventually transferred to Salimetrics for commercial applications, was to substitute the use of blood-serum assays with salivary assays.

In the late 1990s, as Penn State worked on plans to modernize the BEL facilities, the Salimetrics founders approached Ben Franklin Technology Partners and Penn State’s Research Commercialization Office (headed by the Park’s own Dan Leri) about how to combine the BEL work with their newly formed start-up company. Many researchers around the world were sending samples to the BEL for specialized saliva testing, and the lab needed greater resources to serve the research community and to expand the scientific foundation of saliva assays.

The result, which was bolstered by Leri’s commitment to business incubation and funding from Ben Franklin and Fulton Bank (thanks to supportive lender John Rodgers), was a hybrid facility in Innovation Park that served as both an academic lab and Salimetrics’ headquarters.

Granger notes, “What I always thought was important for Penn Staters to know, is that since founding the company in 1998, millions and millions of saliva samples have been collected and tested using Salimetrics products. In the process, access to these tools enabled a network of scientists around the world to create enough scientific critical mass to launch an entire scientific field called Salivary Bioscience. The foundational work to get this rolling was all done in that tiny little lab in the basement of EHHD.”

 

Understanding the Work

The key principle underlying Salimetrics’ business is to develop methods to allow researchers to substitute saliva for blood samples to reduce patient (or research subject) discomfort, improve repeatability, reduce risk to the practitioner from needle sticks, and reduce the cost of sample collection. Along its journey, the company has pioneered the collection methods, science, and assay technologies that support the field of salivary bioscience.

Co-founder Eve Schwartz explained the genesis of her interest in Salimetrics as follows:

Early in my career, I worked as a medical technologist at Robert Packer Hospital. Blood collection from infants and the elderly often resulted in no sample and very bruised collection sites.  Saliva is the best substance to obtain for repeat collections with minimal discomfort.

Salimetrics started as a spin-off of the PSU Behavioral Endocrinology Laboratory started by Dr. Elizabeth Susman. The lab began testing for cortisol in saliva in order to measure stress. Doug Granger was hired to run the lab, and I was hired to develop more salivary hormone tests.

At first, we modified serum hormone tests to work in saliva. That was okay, but not ideal, so we then began developing our own kits specifically for saliva.

We developed a salivary cortisol enzyme immunoassay and it worked so well, we decided to market it. We licensed it from Penn State and started Salimetrics. After completing a 510(k) for the FDA, the kit was cleared for diagnostic use.

The company’s manufacturing operations are headquartered in Innovation Park, where 20 employees produce and distribute salivary immunoassay kits worldwide. Today, Salimetrics is the umbrella organization, and its activities focus on the design, manufacture, and distribution of immunoassay kits and operation of an analytical lab.

In addition to its State College facilities, the company operates a Research and Technology Center and Company Headquarters in Carlsbad, CA. Salimetrics also holds a majority equity position in Salimetrics Europe (a joint venture), located near Cambridge, UK and maintains key distributors positioned in Japan, Australia, UK, and continental Europe. 

In 2013, the company also formed Salivabio LLC, based on technology transferred from Doug Granger’s lab at Johns Hopkins. Salivabio is also based in Carlsbad, CA.  

Salimetrics' product line of immunoassay kits has expanded over the years, from just cortisol to more than 20 kits currently. These kits are used extensively in research with some applications in diagnostics. The company estimates that about 70% of the research using salivary biomarkers is conducted using Salimetrics products.   

“Among the core goals of my research is to use the minimally invasive measurement tools we have developed to make a difference in the lives of children, youth, and families,” said Granger. “The field of salivary bioscience is emerging and our ability to harness the new knowledge has the potential to make a major difference in people's lives.”

“My experience in developing Salimetrics has been well worth the time and effort. I would highly recommend taking the road to commercialization to anyone considering it. However, before taking the plunge, there is a considerable amount of homework and new learning that should be done. The challenges and issues are very different than those faculty face in academia—but certainly they are no more challenging than running a large research grant.” 

To learn more about Doug’s current academic work, check out this link: https://news.uci.edu/feature/spit-personality/

 

What the Future Holds

Schwartz, who has since moved on from the company, noted in a previous interview: “The opportunities to develop assays for saliva are numerous. I would like to see drug levels monitored in saliva. Right now a few doses of drugs are available, but people have very different drug metabolisms. I think we are moving toward more customized medicine. I think we can do better in regard to over-medicating people. Many people may be able to get by with smaller doses resulting in longer life due to less toxicity and less liver damage.”

As an example of diagnostic applications, the company is launching a program (in Europe now, and soon in the US) with a strategic partner that uses salivary estradiol and progesterone assays as a substitute for blood tests for these hormones in the context of in-vitro fertilization. 

The Salivabio product line has also expanded, and the company has been granted a patent for its Saliva Collection Aid device which is designed to enable the collection of whole saliva in clinical settings. The line also includes a propriety foam-based material which is used to collect saliva from animals, infants, and children. 

So let’s recap: A company born in a basement lab takes in millions of research samples from around the world to help scientist conduct their studies, develops methods and products to allow other researchers to expand their work, and then sets its sights on developing products that doctors and nurses can use to improve healthcare outcomes. Salimetrics exemplifies the collaboration, persistence, and innovation required to combine scientific expertise with entrepreneurial success.

 

Juicy Facts from Spit Camp

  • An adult human being can produce up to 1.5L of saliva per day.
  • An average human produces enough saliva over their lifetime to fill up 2 swimming pools.
  • Saliva consists of approximately 99% water containing a variety of electrolytes and proteins, such as enzymes, immunoglobulins, and glycoproteins.
  • There are more than 250 different species of bacteria in the mouth.
  • One milliliter of saliva contains approximately 100,000,000 bacteria.
  • It is a myth that a dog’s mouth is cleaner than a human’s mouth.
  • It’s good to know the bite of a leech does not hurt because its saliva contains an anaesthetic.
  • Saliva contains molecules that aid in wound healing; a possible reason why animals lick their wounds.
  • Injuries in your mouth heal much faster than in other areas of your body.
  • Human saliva contains antibacterial agents such as secretory IgA, Lactoferrin, lysozyme, and peroxidase.
  • Salimetrics was founded in 1998 because the immunodiagnostic industry did not realize the potential of saliva as a research and diagnostic specimen.
  • Salivary cortisol measurements are used to monitor metabolic disorders such as Addison’s Disease and Cushing’s syndrome. 
  • According to anthropologists, men’s preference for sloppier kisses is due to the subconscious transfer of salivary testosterone to women.
  • Saliva can be used to test for use of illicit drugs, such as THC, cocaine, and amphetamines.
  • DNA extracted from saliva is often used in criminal investigations.
  • Studies have collected saliva from cats, dogs, cows, sheep, rhinoceroses, elephants, pigs, monkeys, baboons, guinea pigs, hamsters, rats, manatees, walruses, sea dolphins, killer whales, horses, wolves, antelopes, gorillas, and sea lions.