CSL Behring Marks World Hemophilia Day with Coagulation Factor Donation to World Federation of Hemophilia

KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa. and MONTREAL, Feb. 16, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- As a means of aiding the World Federation of Hemophilia's (WFH) progress in improving the diagnosis and treatment of hemophilia in developing countries through its Global Alliance for Progress (GAP) program, CSL Behring has committed to donating more factor VIII concentrate (FVIII) to WFH. The donated product will be used in South America, Thailand, the Philippines, parts of eastern Europe, parts of the Middle East, and in Tunisia. The donation, the total market value of which is approximately $500,000, will be made using coagulation factor concentrate with a minimum shelf-life of one year.

CSL Behring has pledged to support the WFH with separate financial contributions totaling nearly $1 million over a period of three years. This most recent donation is part of that commitment.

"As a long-standing contributor to GAP, CSL Behring is pleased to once again be in a position to assist hemophilia patients who have a critical need for safe, effective medical therapies," said Peter Turner, President and Chief Executive Officer of CSL Behring. "We are also gratified to be a partner with WFH in this effort, an organization that continues to make a large and positive difference in the world. Our commitment to their progress remains strong."

"The WFH relies on product donations to help introduce clotting factor concentrates in developing countries and these donations serve as a catalyst for improving care," said Claudia Black, Chief Executive Officer of the WFH. "We are grateful to our industry partners such as CSL Behring, who provide, among other resources, valuable and life-saving medicine, including this most recent donation of coagulation factor. "

Factor VIII is an essential blood clotting factor that can be given to hemophiliacs to restore hemostasis.

About the Global Alliance for Progress

The Global Alliance for Progress (GAP) is a 10-year healthcare development program, launched in April 2003. GAP's goal is to greatly increase the diagnosis and treatment of people with hemophilia and other bleeding disorders in developing countries.

The program aims to close the gap between the number of people born with hemophilia and those who reach adulthood, the gap between the estimated and actual number of people diagnosed with bleeding disorders, and the gap between the amount of treatment product needed versus what is available.

GAP partners include CSL Behring, Baxter, Bayer, Biogen Idec Hemophilia, Biotest, Pfizer, Talecris, the Irish Hemophilia Society, the Jan Willem Andre de la Porte Family Foundation, and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Sixteen countries have participated in GAP: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, China, Ecuador, Egypt, Georgia, Jordan, Lebanon, Mexico, Peru, Philippines, Russia, Syria, Thailand, and Tunisia.

About the World Federation of Hemophilia

The World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH) is an international not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of people with hemophilia and other inherited bleeding disorders.

Since it was established in 1963, the WFH has grown into a truly global network with member organizations in 118 countries and official recognition from the World Health Organization. It works in partnership with healthcare professionals and people with hemophilia, governments and regulators, industry and foundations, to improve care for people with bleeding disorders throughout the world. For more information, visit www.wfh.org.

About CSL Behring

CSL Behring is a leader in the plasma protein therapeutics industry. Committed to saving lives and improving the quality of life for people with rare and serious diseases, the company manufactures and markets a range of plasma-derived and recombinant therapies worldwide.

CSL Behring therapies are indicated for the treatment of coagulation disorders including hemophilia and von Willebrand disease, primary immune deficiencies, hereditary angioedema and inherited respiratory disease. The company's products are also used in cardiac surgery, organ transplantation, burn treatment and to prevent hemolytic diseases in newborns.

CSL Behring operates one of the world's largest plasma collection networks, CSL Plasma. CSL Behring is a subsidiary of CSL Limited (ASX:CSL), a biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Melbourne, Australia. For more information, visit www.cslbehring.com.

SOURCE CSL Behring