Colgate-Palmolive and Omron Healthcare have signed a cooperation agreement to market and develop oral care products including electric toothbrushes, which are slated to launch this year. The companies will focus their joint efforts on producing new oral care solutions that contribute to improved health for consumers around the world, they said in announcing the partnership.

Each party brings distinctive strengths, they noted: Colgate offers global marketing reach, consumer insights and capabilities in research and development while Omron provides world-class engineering and manufacturing capabilities and unique sensing and control technologies.

Together, the companies plan to launch their initial electric toothbrush line based on Omron technology. Colgate will market the products that roll out.

The deal marks an expansion into the electric toothbrush category for Colgate, which is the global leader in manual toothbrushes and also markets battery powered brushes, the companies noted.

"We are extremely pleased to have found a partner like Omron, with their innovative technologies and strong development capabilities," said Issam Bachaalani, vp and general manager of Colgate-Palmolive's global toothbrush division. "At Colgate, we are committed to improving oral health around the world and through this new relationship with Omron, we will be further expanding our ability to meet the oral care needs of more consumers and dental professionals."

Kiichiro Miyata, Omron president and CEO, stated "Collaborating with a company like Colgate-Palmolive provides Omron with the perfect opportunity to extend our products and technologies across geographies, given Colgate's global presence.”