LaSal is a US-based research-driven company recognized for its patented formulation of chelated silver solution. LaSal has developed nontoxic, nondrying, and hypoallergenic antibacterial products targeting the equine market. The company claims the solution is safe for use, kills germs at a rate of 99.999986% (better than a 6-log reduction), and enhances rapid regeneration of body cells and tissues — properties that render LaSal’s products the most efficient silver-based solutions currently on the market.
PreScouter interviewed Dr. Odell Miner, president and founder of LaSal Laboratories, to learn about his patented chelated silver solution:
Can you tell us in a nutshell what LaSal’s chelated silver solution is?
LaSal’s chelated silver solution is composed of purified, elemental silver attached chemically to organic molecules in solution. LaSal’s patents are based on this chemical process. On the other hand, colloidal silver, the other silver-based product found in the market, is achieved through electrolysis, a mechanical process.
What properties make chelated silver valuable in the pharma industry?
Chelated silver is an established, natural, and potent antibiotic. The process by which chelated silver is obtained renders the product more amenable to be combined with other elements or substances for the pharma industry.
Do you know of similar products present on the market? If so, how does your product compare to those and what makes it unique?
No, other attempts to make chelated silver, to our knowledge, have never been successfully achieved.
What advantages can be seen with using a chelated silver solution over frequently prescribed antibiotics?
Chelated silver is a potent antibiotic. Our microbiological testing over more than 15 years confirms a kill-log ratio consistently exceeding 6-log reductions. That is, once applied, the silver solution acts fast (within 60 seconds) and has a kill rate of 99.999986%. As is scientific knowledge, chelated silver interferes with the breathing mechanisms of microbes, which destroys them. It is therefore reasonably unlikely that microorganisms can develop immunity to silver, as is the case with other antibiotics.
On the same note, are there any limitations?
We know of no limitations other than the precision with which chelated silver is formulated and combined. It is a uniquely versatile solution.
What type of industry/market are you currently targeting?
Because of its versatility, targeting a specific market has remained elusive. With a slight variation in the formulation, chelated silver may be applied as a foam or spray to any skin surface on the human body, including the mouth. It is not harmful if swallowed. We currently market on our web page, social media, and Amazon Marketplace. We have a limited number of retailers who successfully market our chelated silver products. For LaSal animal products, we work with a master distributor firm located in Kansas.
What is the current market reach of your product nationally and internationally?
Amazon Marketplace helps us to reach customers and therefore cover our products’ demand domestically. Although reaching international markets is challenging, we are now open to overtake this goal and expose our products internationally. A broader, sustained marketing program will enable LaSal Laboratories, L.C., to achieve actualization of our chelated silver products. Marketing is the operative word we believe requires the acumen, expertise, and funding to become fully actualized.
Where do you see LaSal in the immediate future in reference to its patented chelated silver? Do you see LaSal extending the use of this solution other than in the veterinary industry?
We see chelated silver as yet to fulfill its full potential. It has sufficient success to be regarded in both human and animal (i.e., veterinary) applications. With cogent counsel and monetization, both applications seem to have significant upside potential.
Is the chelated silver solution safe for human consumption/use?
Properly formulated, chelated silver may safely be consumed in small quantities. We believe that with some modification in its formulation and appropriate testing, the solution could be marketed for both animal and human consumption.
Has the patented chelated silver been approved by the US FDA?
Patented chelated silver has not been approved by the US FDA. Legal counsel has advised not pursuing that costly approval process. Upon request, we have sent samples, technical information, and testing data to the US CDC. We also did receive a warning letter from the US FDA when they objected to an implied “cure” for the H1N1 virus. Subsequently, we submitted documentation as proof of successful testing of chelated silver on viruses at Utah State University in Logan, Utah.
Do you think chelated silver can play an important role in challenging any type of cancer, as has been previously claimed? If so, is LaSal currently doing anything to target this area?
The laboratory testing at the Southern Research Institute occurred by request and in concert with a firm from Connecticut. The testing was done on laboratory mice. While documented results were encouraging, no follow-up has occurred. We have not and are not currently contemplating further research or testing in cancer research.
Are there any peer-reviewed studies that support the effectiveness, applicability, and use of your product? If so, could you please share?
There seem to be ongoing studies and intermittent articles addressing the effectiveness and applicability of elemental silver. While both chelated and colloidal formulations of silver are known, our observations are that colloidal silver (particularly nanoparticle formulations and applications) is more widely known among consumers and thus receives more attention than does chelation of silver. Properly documented and cogently pursued, chelation may represent a substantial and profitable opportunity for both development and marketing of chelated silver.
Chelated silver is more easily applied and more amenable to animal and human physiology than is colloidal silver. Documented laboratory testing has also demonstrated that chelated silver is [up to 10 times] more efficacious in interdicting and eradicating a broad spectrum of microbes [including staph infections] and skin maladies.
Scope of the problem:
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria have become a worldwide crisis that poses serious threats to human societies, animal populations, and food security. There is consistent evidence of the emergence, spread, and persistence of bacteria (e.g., pneumonia, blood poisoning, tuberculosis, gonorrhea, foodborne diseases) considered to be resistant to multiple drugs. Some of the causes behind lack of responsiveness to treatments are related to excessive use of antibiotics in animals and humans, antibiotics sold over the counter, increased international travel, poor sanitation, and release of nonmetabolized antibiotics or other residues into the environment.
The Global Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System recorded high levels of resistance among 500,000 people with serious bacterial infections in both high- and low-income countries. In the United States alone, 2018 data indicates that at least 2 million people per year acquire a bacterial infection while being treated for different health issues. Thus, antibiotic resistance is responsible for nearly 99,000 deaths per year. The CDC estimates that antibiotic resistance adds $55-$70 billion USD per year in excess direct health care costs and overall economic impact.
Silver antibacterial properties as part of the solution:
Due to its therapeutic properties, silver is acknowledged as a naturally occurring element with effective antibacterial properties. Silver can act to eliminate bacteria by puncturing the bacterial cell wall, inhibiting bacteria cellular respiration, and disrupting DNA and replication cycles. There are several lines of research supporting the antibacterial properties of silver that have increasingly attracted the attention of the pharmaceutical industry. During the last decade alone, over 5,000 new patent applications related to antibacterial silver have been registered worldwide.
