ALEXANDRIA, Va., April 15 -- United States Patent no. 12,599,159, issued on April 14, was assigned to NICOVENTURES TRADING Ltd. (London).

"Oral products with improved binding of active ingredients" was invented by Anthony Richard Gerardi (Winston-Salem, N.C.), Dwayne William Beeson (Kernersville, N.C.), Ronald K. Hutchens (East Bend, N.C.), Christopher Keller (Advance, N.C.), Thomas H. Poole (Winston-Salem, N.C.), Andries Don Sebastian (Winston-Salem, N.C.) and Frank Kelley St. Charles (Bowling Green, Ky.).

According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "The disclosure provides products configured for oral use, the products including compositions comprising a filler component including negatively charged groups...