McGill University's Division of Cancer Epidemiology, in coordination with the National Cancer Institute (NCI), is launching a new clinical trial with over 450 women to determine the effectiveness of using a carrageenan-based topical gel to block HPV infections. The McGill research team has picked Divine Corporation's Divine 9® personal lubricant containing Carragel® as the carrageenan gel for the study, due to positive results in earlier laboratory tests performed by the NCI.
Orlando, Florida (PRWEB) January 07, 2013
Divine Corporation announced today its Divine 9® personal lubricant containing Carragel® has been selected by McGill University's Division of Cancer Epidemiology for use in their large-scale, double-blind human trial on the ability of a personal lubricant with a special form of carrageenan gel to prevent the transmission of human papillomavirus (HPV). The study is called CATCH, an acronym for Carrageenan-gel Against Transmission of Cervical HPV, and will involve tracking HPV infections in over four hundred female volunteers for a one year period. Divine Corporation's unique carrageenan-based personal lubricant Divine 9 was the only personal lubricant selected for the trial due to earlier laboratory studies by the National Cancer Institute that showed it to be a strong inhibitor of HPV transmission. CATCH is funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
The McGill University research team is led by Dr. Eduardo Franco, Director of the Division of Cancer Epidemiology and is coordinated by Joseph Tota (PhD candidate). Dr. Franco, a renowned expert on the prevention of cervical cancer and HPV-associated diseases, has published over 300 scientific articles and spoken at over 300 conferences worldwide.
“The CATCH study is a major initiative to determine if using a carrageenan-based gel can prevent the acquisition and transmission of HPV in a real world setting,” explained Dr. Franco. “I'm extremely encouraged by the results of the laboratory studies by Dr. John Schiller's team at the National Cancer Institute. If the trial is successful, it would mean that women have another option for protecting themselves against HPV, the causative agent for cervical cancer.”
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control considers HPV the most common sexually transmitted disease and estimates at least 20 million Americans are currently infected with the virus. Worldwide, approximately 257 million women are infected with HPV according to the World Health Organization.
While most HPV infections are cleared by the body naturally, those that do not can cause cancers of the cervix, anus, vulva, vagina, penis, tongue, tonsils and throat. Virtually all cases of cervical cancer are caused by persistent infections by specific types of HPV. The World Health Organization lists cervical cancer as the second-leading cause of female cancer fatalities worldwide, accounting for more than 250,000 deaths each year. More than 85 percent of these cases occur in developing countries. In addition to the cancer concerns, certain types of HPV cause genital warts on both men and women.
“To date, the options to fight the spread of HPV have been limited," explained Michael Swor, M.D., Chief Medical Officer at Divine Corporation. "Vaccines do not provide protection for women already infected by HPV and only work against either two or four of the more than one hundred HPV types, depending on which of the two available vaccines are used.”
A research team at the National Cancer Institute has conducted both in vitro (laboratory) and in vivo (animal) studies and found Divine 9 was highly effective in inhibiting infection rates. The possibility that Divine 9 with Carragel, applied before sexual contact, can block the transmission of HPV would be a breakthrough with worldwide medical significance. As a result, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research is funding Dr. Franco and his team to complete the CATCH study.
The CATCH study will recruit 465 female volunteers and each will be supplied with either Divine 9 personal lubricant or a placebo lubricant. The volunteers will use the personal lubricants whenever they are in intimate situations for a period of one year. During their monthly follow-ups, the women will visit designated clinics to determine their HPV infection rates.
“We have worked closely with Dr. Franco and his team at McGill University on this remarkable study to reduce HPV prevention using our special Carragel formulation contained in Divine 9 personal lubricant,” said Dean Fresonke, CEO of Divine Corporation. “With positive results, the world will have a powerful new weapon in the battle against cancer.”
About Divine Corporation
Divine Corporation is dedicated to improving your sexual wellbeing. Intensive research has led to a line of products formulated with the company's proprietary carrageenan formula called Carragel®. Carragel is showing promise in its ability to block HPV infection in government-funded, independent laboratory studies. In addition to potential health benefits, Divine 9® delivers a sensual experience with its exotic, slippery feel that dries clean, never sticky. Look for Divine personal lubricants in health food stores, on-line drugstores such as Amazon.com and Drugstore.com, and other discriminating websites. Divine 9 with Carragel is “The Ultimate in Pleasure & Protection”® Learn more at http://www.divine9lubricants.com.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Jeff Hawkins 310-720-0215, jeff(at)divine9lubricants(dot)com
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