Preserving the History of Anticay®
The Historical Archive has been established to preserve the story of Anticay®, the people who developed it, the organisations involved in its creation, and the documents that record its history.
The materials in this archive have been assembled from historical publications, scientific literature, archival collections and personal records to help ensure that this unique chapter of Australian oral care innovation is not lost.
THE ANTICAY® TIMELINE
1950s
Research begins into calcium and phosphate chemistry and its potential role in oral health.
Early 1960s
Development of Anticay® technology.
Mid 1960s
Laboratory, animal and human studies commence.
Late 1960s
Food and oral care applications are developed, and commercial products begin to appear.
Early 1970s
Dedicated production facilities established in Sydney.
1973
CSR exits its chemical operations and commercial development of Anticay® slows and stops.
1973–2005
Research into calcium sucrose phosphate technologies continues internationally, although Anticay® itself is no longer commercially available and only small amounts of CSR legacy Anticay are available.
2005
Redevelopment of Anticay® technology begins.
2006
John Curtin assists with laboratory redevelopment work and knowledge transfer.
2009
Further laboratory-scale development, analytical work and process evaluation continue in Sydney, with John Curtin assisting in the redevelopment programme.
2013
Commercial production of Anticay manufacturing commences and manufacturing of calcium sucrose phosphate-based oral care products expands into India.
2014
Earlier commercial operations cease, and the manufacturing base established at that time is lost.
2018 to Present Day
Further development work leads to New Anticay® and Anticay® Products, continuing the story of the original Anticay® technology for a new generation of oral care products.
THE PEOPLE BEHIND ANTICAY®
John H. Curtin
CSR scientist and one of the principal developers of Anticay® technology.
John Curtin played a central role in the development of both the material and the manufacturing processes required for commercial production.
His work helped transform Anticay® from a laboratory concept into a commercially manufactured technology.
Dr Graham Craig
Prominent Australian dentist and researcher.
Dr Craig conducted clinical investigations into Anticay® and remained a strong supporter of the technology throughout his career.
Robert Harris
Researcher involved in the original schoolchildren studies and later investigations into dentine hypersensitivity.
Professor Brian Smythe
Researcher who contributed significantly to the scientific understanding of enamel mineralisation and hydroxyapatite chemistry.
Dr David Napper
Researcher who conducted important mechanistic studies investigating enamel dissolution and mineralisation processes.
ORIGINAL CSR PUBLICATIONS
An original CSR publication providing a detailed overview of Anticay® calcium sucrose phosphates, including the scientific rationale, product applications and commercial use of the technology.
The manual is an important historical document from the original Anticay® programme and shows how CSR presented the technology to food, dental and healthcare markets during the early 1970s.
Anticay: A Review of Research (1970)
CSR publication summarising the scientific development and evaluation of Anticay®.
Historical explanation of the scientific principles underlying Anticay® technology.
Mode of Action of Anticay - Diagram
A graphical representation of the mode of action of Anticay as it was understood in 1973.
COMMERCIAL HISTORY
Oral Care Products
Historical Anticay® toothpastes, gels and oral care formulations.
Food Applications
Products incorporating Anticay® as a food additive.
Development and evaluation of Anticay® chewing gum formulations.
Packaging & Advertising
Historical brochures, packaging and promotional materials.
HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS
This collection contains documents, notes, records and historical materials relating to the work of John H. Curtin and the development of Anticay® technology.
Materials will be added progressively as they are catalogued and prepared for publication.
CSR Publications
Manufacturing Documents
Regulatory Documents
Patents
Technical Reports
ANU Archive Material
Historical Correspondence
THE JOHN CURTIN COLLECTION
This collection contains documents, notes, records and historical materials relating to the work of John H. Curtin and the development of Anticay® technology.
Materials will be added progressively as they are catalogued and prepared for publication.
Help build the archive
Do you remember Anticay®?
Did you work for CSR, Melbourne University or one of the organisations associated with Anticay® research?
We are interested in locating:
• Historical documents
• Product samples
• Packaging
• Advertisements
• Research papers
• Photographs
• Personal recollections
If you have information that may assist in preserving the history of Anticay®, contact us here, we would love to hear from you.