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

KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa. and MONTREAL, April 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Hemophilia B patients in the developing world will benefit from a recent donation of 1 million international units (IU) of factor IX medication made by CSL Behring to the World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH). The donation, channeled through WFH's United Kingdom chapter, marks World Hemophilia Day 2010 and will support WFH's progress in improving the diagnosis and treatment of hemophilia in developing countries through its Global Alliance for Progress (GAP) program.

The total value of the donation is estimated at $700,000 (US) and is in addition to a $2 million donation of coagulation factor (to extend over a period of three years) that CSL Behring made to WFH last year.  The factor IX product is manufactured in the Kankakee, IL, USA facility of CSL Behring.  CSL Ltd., parent company to CSL Behring, is committed to contributing to the economic, social and environmental well-being of its communities.

CSL Behring has also renewed its pledge to continue supporting the WFH with separate financial contributions totaling nearly $1 million, also over a period of three years.

"As a long-standing contributor to GAP, CSL Behring is pleased and proud to increase our support of the World Federation of Hemophilia," said Peter Turner, President and Chief Executive Officer of CSL Behring. "WFH's efforts to bring about improvements and change in the delivery of healthcare services and medicines to hemophilia patients in areas of the world where the need is greatest is a mission that aligns closely with ours. We share a focus on serving patients with rare and serious bleeding disorders and continually seek ways to make large and positive differences for them and their communities."

"The WFH relies on product donations in fulfilling its commitment to introduce clotting factor concentrates in developing countries where it might not otherwise be available," said Mark Skinner, President of the WFH. "In turn, these donations serve as a catalyst for improving the overall care of people with bleeding disorders in need. CSL Behring's generous and ongoing support enables WFH to deliver on that promise, leading to the creation of sustainable national hemophilia care programs that are a vital part of the global public health care system. We are grateful to all our industry partners who provide, among other resources, valuable and life-saving medicine, including CSL Behring's most recent donation of factor IX for the treatment of hemophilia B."

Factor IX is an essential blood clotting factor. FIX is concentrated from donated blood or is manufactured using recombinant technology, and 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 project, launched in 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, Biotest, the Irish Hemophilia Society, the Jan Willem Andre de la Porte Family Foundation, Pfizer, Talecris, and the World Health Organization (WHO).

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

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 related bleeding disorders.

Since it was established in 1963, the WFH has grown into a truly global network with member organizations in 113 countries and official recognition from the World Health Organization. WFH works in partnership with healthcare professionals and people with hemophilia, governments and regulators, industry and foundations, to improve hemophilia care 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; World Federation of Hemophilia