Dr. Raman Bedi to exclusively represent Oragenics' oral care products

Sep 1 2009

Florida-based biopharmaceutical leader Oragenics, Inc. (OTCBB:ORNI) (NYSE Alternext Paris:ALONI) has appointed renowned international oral care authority Dr. Raman Bedi to serve as exclusive representative for the company’s award-winning line of oral care products to the Middle East.

Dr. Bedi’s R&K Bedi Limited will handle Oragenics products throughout key Middle East including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Yemen and Israel as well as Near East countries including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkmenistan and Turkey.

Based at King’s College London, Dr. Bedi served as the UK’s Chief Dental Officer from 2002 to 2005 and in 2009 helped form the Global Child Dental Health Taskforce, established to support governments impact on improving children’s oral health. Currently operating in 11 countries, the Taskforce works with national oral care programs reaching 500 million children and parents. He also holds an honorary chair at University College London where he was the co-director of the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre at the Eastman Dental Institute (1998-2008) and an honorary “Extraordinary Professorship” in Paediatric Dentistry at the University of the Western Cape, South Africa (2007-2010).

Dr. Bedi is a Past President of the British Society for Disability and Oral Health (2002), President of the Education Research Group of the International Association for Dental Research (IADR) (2002-2004) and chair of the IADR Regional Development Programme Committee (2002-2004). He has published over 170 scientific papers and 4 books and examined and lectured in over 40 countries.

As Chief Dental Officer, Dr. Bedi led a team which spearheaded the passage of three major pieces of legislation; Health and Social Care Act (dental clauses) 2004, Water Act (Fluoridation) 2004 and the Section 60 (2005) order reforming the General Dental Council. For 3 years he led the reform of NHS primary dental care and was the Department of Health sponsor for the Dental Practice Board and Dental Vocational Training Authority. He chaired the UK European Union Presidency dental programme, September 2005. In 2003 he was given the national Asian Guild award and in 2004 the Asian Jewel award. In 2005 he featured on the front cover of the Asian Power 100 and was awarded the annual national British Association for Physicians of Indian Origin award. In 2005 he was given the USA Public Health Service medal.

As exclusive Middle East and Near East representative for Oragenics, Dr. Bedi will introduce the company’s core products to both the government and private sectors within each country. In the government area, Dr. Bedi will work to integrate the Oragenics line into each country’s official oral care programs. For the private sector, he will work with local distributors and wholesalers to launch Oragenics products into such markets as dental practices, pharmacies and mass retailers.

Included among the Oragenics products to be represented in the Middle East and Near East by Dr. Bedi is EvoraPlus, the first-ever all-natural probiotic teeth whitening mint specifically designed for complete oral care. EvoraPlus represents the first time probiotics, which have traditionally been used to support digestive and immune health, have been applied for whitening teeth and eliminating bad breath while promoting gum and tooth health.

“We are extremely pleased to forge this important alliance with Dr. Raman Bedi, a globally-respected figure in oral care whose extensive work through the years has impacted the lives of millions around the world. Dr. Bedi is a renowned dental authority across the Middle East, and his exclusive representation of our product line will play a significant role as we launch within this significant international market,” said Gerry David, Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Oragenics, Inc.