Tattoo removal cream licensed to Cipher

A topical tattoo removal cream developed by a PhD student at Dalhousie Univ has been licenced to Cipher Pharmaceuticals Inc, a Mississauga-based specialty pharmaceutical dermatology company. Alec Falkenham's investigational cream des-troys macrophages (white blood cells) that hold tattoo inks, resulting in a faded or eliminated tattoo. The cream is seen as an alternative to costly and painful laser treatments. The agreement was facilitated by Dalhousie's industry liaison and innovation office and Cipher plans to commercialize the cream. It's estimated that one in eight Americans with tattoos reg