Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Genzyme Form Drug Collaboration

The Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), a public institution chartered by the Brazilian Ministry of Health, and drugmaker Genzyme announced a research collaboration to advance new treatments for certain neglected diseases.

According to Fiocruz and Genzyme, the collaboration will initially focus on identifying novel biological targets within the parasite that causes Chagas disease and will include screening for potential compounds that could be developed into drugs.

The second program will test the use of monoclonal antibodies to neutralize a protein that contributes to heart damage in Chagas disease, the partners said.

Genzyme added that it is developing and testing novel compounds to treat African trypanosomiasis — a fatal infectious disease caused by a related parasite — in collaboration with the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative.