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Divergence Selected to Present at the Partnering for Global Health Forum
St. Louis (December 4, 2002) - Divergence, Inc. was a presenting company at the first Partnering for Global Health Forum in Washington D.C. today sponsored by the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The goal of the forum is to examine opportunities to apply cutting-edge biotechnology to the health problems of developing countries.
"The Divergence discovery approach has immediate application to the development of drugs and vaccines against human parasitic nematodes" said James P. McCarter, M.D., Ph.D., President and Chief Scientific Officer of Divergence and forum presenter. "We have identified numerous targets that are specific to nematodes and essential to their lifecycles, and most of these targets are present in important human parasites. We are pleased to have been selected to share our recent results with an audience interested in world health."
"Nearly half the world's population is infected with one or more nematode species including hookworm, Ascaris, whipworm, and the filarial worms that cause elephantiasis," continued McCarter. Parasitic nematode diseases are the most important human tropical diseases after malaria, and the morbidity they cause rivals diabetes and lung cancer. No vaccines exist, and more classes of effective drugs are needed. In parallel with the substantial strides Divergence has made in applying our discoveries to plant and animal health, we are very interested in opportunities to direct our findings to human parasites. For instance, one of our lead chemistries that shows promise for the control of plant parasitic nematodes is also effective in vitro against human filarial nematodes."
Divergence is a research and development company dedicated to the discovery of effective and ecologically sound strategies for the control of parasites and other pests. The company's initial focus is on parasitic nematodes, one of the world's major pest groups. Nematodes are roundworms that cause billions of dollars in damage annually to numerous crops, including soybeans, corn, and cotton, as well as most fruits and vegetables. Nematodes also cause widespread disease in animals, including infections such as heartworm in dogs and cats and intestinal worms in livestock. Nematode-induced human diseases include elephantiasis and African river blindness.
For more information on Divergence, visit www.divergence.com.
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