LEXINGTON, Massachusetts, February 28, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --
- Global Initiatives Underscore Company's Long-Term Commitment to the Rare Disease Community
Shire plc (LSE: SHP, NASDAQ: SHPG) today announced its support of Rare Disease Day, joining patients, healthcare providers, and patient organizations around the world to support a day that focuses attention on rare diseases as a public health issue, and highlights the need for more understanding and awareness about these diseases.
Observed annually on the last day of February, Rare Disease Day is coordinated at the international level by the European Organisation for Rare Diseases (EURORDIS) and the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) in the US. The Rare Disease Day 2013 slogan is "Rare Disorders Without Borders" to convey the global solidarity of the rare disease community worldwide and the need for collaboration and mutual support in the field of rare diseases.
According to EURORDIS and NORD there are between 6,000 and 8,000 known rare diseases affecting approximately 30 million Europeans and 30 million Americans. As a leader in rare diseases, Shire's Human Genetic Therapies (HGT) business focuses its work on researching, developing, and marketing therapies for Fabry disease, Hereditary Angioedema, Hunter syndrome, and Gaucher disease, and has built and invested in a pipeline of innovative products and solutions for rare diseases.
"Shire's purpose is to enable people with life-altering conditions to lead better lives - and for us, this includes improving access to information and diagnosis as well as providing much-needed treatment for rare diseases," said Sylvie Grégoire, President of HGT. "Rare Disease Day is an occasion to show our commitment to the rare disease community. We hope that this day can highlight the need for consistent, reliable, and effective treatments and services for patients and give hope to those affected by rare diseases."
Shire's Global Rare Disease Day Initiatives
As part of its external initiatives, Shire is supporting the R.A.R.E Project, a leading non-profit rare disease advocacy organization, in their Global Genes Project "Wear That You Care™" denim campaign in which denim jeans are used to raise awareness of rare genetic disorders. The company distributed over 3,500 blue ribbons to employees at various corporate locations worldwide.
Shire is also supporting a variety of other initiatives surrounding Rare Disease Day, including: EURORDIS "Black Pearl" Gala Dinner on February 26th in Brussels; MassBio's Rare Disease Day celebration at the State House in Boston on February 28th; the "Troisième Journée des Maladies Rares en Suisse" in Zürich, Switzerland on February 23rd; the Royal Free Hospital in London in the development of films to give insights into the patient journey for rare conditions, Fabry disease and Gaucher disease; a special "Supplement on Rare Diseases" in the UK's Independent newspaper; The National Action Day for Rare Diseases organised by the University of Cologne on March 2nd; the launch of "Rare Voices Australia" (RVA) in Canberra in March 2013; and the "Awareness Campaign on Rare Diseases", called for by the Federation on Rare Diseases of Argentina (FADEPOF).
NOTES TO EDITORS
Shire enables people with life-altering conditions to lead better lives.
Through our deep understanding of patients' needs, we develop and provide healthcare in the areas of:
- Behavioral Health and Gastro Intestinal conditions
- Rare Diseases
- Regenerative Medicine
as well as other symptomatic conditions treated by specialist physicians.
We aspire to imagine and lead the future of healthcare, creating value for patients, physicians, policymakers, payors and our shareholders.
FORWARD - LOOKING STATEMENTS - "SAFE HARBOR" STATEMENT UNDER THE PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995
Statements included in this announcement that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties and are subject to change at any time. In the event such risks or uncertainties materialize, Shire's results could be materially adversely affected. The risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, that:
- Shire's products may not be a commercial success;
- revenues from ADDERALL XR are subject to generic erosion;
- the failure to obtain and maintain reimbursement, or an adequate level of reimbursement, by third-party payors in a timely manner for Shire's products may impact future revenues and earnings;
- Shire relies on a single source for manufacture of certain of its products and a disruption to the supply chain for those products may result in Shire being unable to continue marketing or developing a product or may result in Shire being unable to do so on a commercially viable basis;
- Shire uses third party manufacturers to manufacture many of its products and is reliant upon third party contractors for certain goods and services, and any inability of these third party manufacturers to manufacture products, or any failure of these third party contractors to provide these goods and services, in each case in accordance with its respective contractual obligations, could adversely affect Shire's ability to manage its manufacturing processes or to operate its business;
- the development, approval and manufacturing of Shire's products is subject to extensive oversight by various regulatory agencies and regulatory approvals or interventions associated with changes to manufacturing sites, ingredients or manufacturing processes could lead to significant delays, increase in operating costs, lost product sales, an interruption of research activities or the delay of new product launches;
- the actions of certain customers could affect Shire's ability to sell or market products profitably and fluctuations in buying or distribution patterns by such customers could adversely impact Shire's revenues, financial conditions or results of operations;
- investigations or enforcement action by regulatory authorities or law enforcement agencies relating to Shire's activities in the highly regulated markets in which it operates may result in the distraction of senior management, significant legal costs and the payment of substantial compensation or fines;
- adverse outcomes in legal matters and other disputes, including Shire's ability to obtain, maintain, enforce and defend patents and other intellectual property rights required for its business, could have a material adverse effect on Shire's revenues, financial condition or results of operations;
and other risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in Shire's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K.
For further information please contact:
Jessica Mann
jmann@shire.com
+44-(0)1256-894-280
Jessica Cotrone
jcotrone@shire.com
+1-781-482-9538
Nicole Barraud
nbarraud@shire.com
+41-22-419-40-56
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