Media Advisory - Public Briefing: Uniting the Global Research Community Against Neglected Diseases

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC--(Marketwire - June 24, 2008) - Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi), an independent non-profit pharmaceutical organization working to develop new drugs for neglected tropical diseases, will co-host a public briefing with SCYNEXIS in North Carolina in conjunction with the opening of DNDi's North American regional office. The event is open to the public.

WHAT:

The briefing, "Uniting the Global Research Community Against Neglected Diseases," will bring together research scientists from around the world to discuss how international R&D partnerships can most effectively move new drugs for neglected diseases through the product development pipeline.

  --  More than one billion people a year are infected with a neglected
      tropical disease, and millions will die because effective treatments
      are not available
  --  Neglected diseases are so-called because they chronically fail to
      attract adequate R&D investments to develop effective, safe,
      easy-to-use, and affordable medicines for afflicted patients

  --  Speakers will address:
        --  Key success factors for product development partnerships (PDPs)
        --  Small pharma's role in developing new medicines for neglected
            diseases
        --  Critical insights on making field-adapted medicines that can
            meet patient needs in the field
        --  Challenges of conducting clinical trials in neglected
            disease-endemic countries
        --  How to foster R&D innovation within international,
            multi-partner research consortia
        --  Research partnership between DNDi and SCYNEXIS on development
            of new treatments for sleeping sickness

WHEN:

Friday, June 27, 2008 - 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

WHERE:

North Carolina Biotechnology Center, located at 15 T.W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709

WHO:

Keynote Speakers:

  --  Dr. Marcel Tanner, Director, Swiss Tropical Institute, Chair DNDi
      Board
  --  Dr. Bernard Pecoul, Executive Director, DNDi
  --  Dr. Yves J. Ribeill, President and CEO, SCYNEXIS, Inc.
  --  Dr. Dawson Mbulamberi, Assistant Commissioner, Ministry of Health,
      Uganda
  --  Dr. Monique Wasunna, Acting Director, Kenya Medical Research
      Institute (KEMRI); Head, DNDi Africa

For more information or to set up interviews with the speakers in North Carolina, please contact Rick Rountree at 919-878-1144 or rick@rickrountree.com or Michelle French at 212-298-3743 or mfrench@dndi.org.

About DNDi

DNDi is an independent, non-profit product development partnership working to research and develop new and improved treatments for neglected diseases such as malaria, leishmaniasis, sleeping sickness and Chagas disease. With the objective to address unmet patient needs for these diseases, DNDi has developed the largest ever R&D portfolio for the kinetoplastid diseases and has already released two new malaria medicines. For further information, please visit http://www.dndi.org.

About neglected tropical diseases

Tropical diseases such as malaria, leishmaniasis, lymphatic filariasis, Chagas disease, human African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness), dengue fever, and schistomiasis cause significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Most existing treatments are archaic, ineffective, highly toxic, difficult to administer, or unaffordable. Collectively called "neglected diseases," these disabling and/or deadly infections fail to attract adequate R&D resources for new medical treatments and represent an enduring unmet medical need.

Contact Information: Media Contact: Michelle French DNDi North America (212) 298-3743 or (646) 552-4600 Email: