Shire Launches Online Educational Resource Center for US Patients with Ulcerative Colitis
CHESTERBROOK, Pennsylvania, December 12, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --
Patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) can find information, tips and tools to help manage their disease at http://www.ShireUCentral.com
Shire plc (LSE: SHP, NASDAQ: SHPGY), the global specialty biopharmaceutical company, is pleased to announce the launch of http://www.ShireUCentral.com, an online disease information and resource center for US patients with ulcerative colitis. UC is a chronic, life-changing disease in which the inner lining of all or part of the colon and rectum is inflamed. At Shire UCentral, patients and their caregivers will find educational information and a variety of resources to support them along their journey with UC.
"The patient is at the heart of everything we do at Shire, and that includes Shire UCentral, which was designed with patient needs in mind and to provide an optimal viewing experience on smart phones, tablets, or desktop computers," says Shire Gastrointestinal Business Unit Head Roger Adsett. "Our new online resource center also reflects Shire's commitment to being a leader in gastroenterology. It offers a wealth of information for patients suffering from UC."
Shire UCentral offers the following to patients who are newly diagnosed with UC, experiencing flares or in remission:
- UC resources, including an interactive and customizable Doctor Discussion Guide to help prepare patients for their next doctor's appointment;
- Tips and advice from medical experts, including the Experts Speak video series featuring key opinion experts in the UC therapeutic area;
- Connections to patient advocacy communities;
- General information about nutrition and planning a healthy diet;
- Hotline access to an on-call nurse representative who can answer general questions about UC, including the incidence, causes and symptoms.
"The Doctor Discussion Guide on Shire UCentral is an excellent tool that can help patients prepare for more productive interactions with their healthcare providers," says Dr. Charles Sninsky, MD, a gastroenterologist in Gainesville, FL. "Patients may help control their UC better when they have open communications with their doctor."
After December 18, the new on-call nurse representative hotline service, "Shire UCentral LIVE," will be available Monday through Friday from 8 am to 8 pm ET. Callers may opt-in to receive periodic communications with information and support about their disease after speaking with a nurse representative.
Laura D. Wingate, Vice President of Patient & Professional Services at the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America, adds, "Patient education and support are essential components to empowering patients and encouraging shared decision making. Shire UCentral is another resource for patients with UC and caregivers in the spectrum of support and information."
To learn more, watch an overview video or visit http://www.ShireUCentral.com
Notes to editors
Shire enables people with life-altering conditions to lead better lives.
Our strategy is to focus on developing and marketing innovative specialty medicines to meet significant unmet patient needs.
We provide treatments in Neuroscience, Rare Diseases, Gastrointestinal, Internal Medicine and Regenerative Medicine, and we are developing treatments for symptomatic conditions treated by specialist physicians in other targeted therapeutic areas.
For further information please contact: Media, Gwen Fisher, 1-484-595-9836
SOURCE Shire plc
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