GBS|CIDP Foundation Launches Campus Plasma Awareness Campaign

CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa., Oct. 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The GBS|CIDP Foundation International is committed to raising awareness about the importance of source plasma, the basic element used to produce Immunoglobulin (IG) therapy. Among other conditions, IG is used to treat the set of rare peripheral nerve conditions of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS), Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP), and variants of the condition such as multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN).

GBS, which causes a temporary paralysis of the body, is typically treated in the hospital with plasma-based immune globulin (IG) . CIDP and MMN, chronic conditions of the peripheral nerves that cause mobility issues, weakness, and fatigue, and patients take IG therapy often. It takes hundreds of plasma donations to treat a single CIDP patient for a year, and the Foundation estimates about 30,000 CIDP patients in the United States. If left untreated, GBS, CIDP, and MMN can cause severe long-term disability.

In an effort to increase awareness of the need for source plasma, the Foundation is pleased to announce the launch of Project Plasma, a sweeping outreach program aimed at helping college students learn more about plasma donation. Project Plasma is anchored around a toolkit that students can utilize to organize their own plasma awareness drives around their college campuses, potentially as a way to increase community service hours, fulfill a humanitarian need for a class, or to inspire social consciousness on campus. The toolkit contains everything a student might need to create an in-person or virtual awareness campaign, including templates for social media posts, flyer suggestions, and information on the conditions treated by medicines made from source plasma donations.

Crystal, who lives with CIDP, explain what IG means to her –"Without plasma, I would probably be in a nursing home, or quite frankly, dead. I was in bad shape without it. It took me a few years to get to the point where I am now, but I am able to walk to the bathroom by myself and I am able to walk two miles with my walker. I am able to do things in the house that I couldn't do for a long time. I can travel. I can go to the theater, which I love. In other words, Plasma has literally given me my life back. Without the generosity of people who donate plasma, I would not be here!"

The Foundation hopes that raising awareness will help inspire more everyday heroes to ensure that source plasma remains available to create the medicines needed to treat GBS, CIDP, MMN, variants of the conditions, and all of the other serious and rare diseases treated with medicines created from plasma. If you are interested in Project Plasma, or making finding a plasma donation center. https://www.gbs-cidp.org/plasma-please/

The GBS | CIDP Foundation International is a global nonprofit organization supporting individuals and their families affected by Guillain-Barre' syndrome (GBS), chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP), and related conditions through a commitment to support, education, research and advocacy. The Foundation supports patients by nurturing a global network of volunteers, healthcare professionals, researchers and industry partners to provide them with critical, timely, and accurate information. Additionally, the Foundation educates doctors, clinicians, patients and caregivers to increase awareness of these rare conditions. As well, the Foundation funds research through grants, establishing fellowships and other appropriate avenues to identify the causes of the conditions and discovery of new treatments. The Foundation advocates at the federal, state, and grassroots levels to educate policymakers and help them make informed decisions that benefit our patient community.

SOURCE GBS|CIDP Foundation International