Upsher-Smith Teams Up With Epilepsy Foundation of Minnesota for 2012 Stroll for Epilepsy

MAPLE GROVE, Minn., Aug. 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Upsher-Smith Laboratories, Inc. [http://www.upsher-smith.com] today announced that it teamed up with The Epilepsy Foundation of Minnesota as one of two title sponsors for the 2012 Stroll for Epilepsy.  The Stroll took place on Thursday, August 9, 2012 in five cities across the state of Minnesota and eastern North Dakota to benefit the 60,000 people in the community living with epilepsy.

"Upsher-Smith and The Epilepsy Foundation of Minnesota share a common goal, a commitment to addressing unmet patient needs in epilepsy," said Jim Hughes, Vice President, Marketing, Upsher-Smith.  "It is inspiring to see the local community come together to raise awareness and provide support for patients and family members impacted by epilepsy.  We are proud to support the continued efforts of The Epilepsy Foundation of Minnesota."

This year, more than 2,600 individuals participated in The Stroll for Epilepsy in four locations in Minnesota including Duluth, Rochester, St. Cloud, and the Twin Cities, and in Fargo, North Dakota, raising approximately $256,000 to date.  Proceeds fund programs and services that educate, connect and empower people impacted by epilepsy in these communities. 

"This is one of our largest fundraising events of the year, and people really enjoy the camaraderie of being around others who live with seizures and face similar challenges created by epilepsy," said Vicki Kopplin, Executive Director, The Epilepsy Foundation of Minnesota.  "We are thrilled that Upsher-Smith has teamed up with us as a title sponsor for The 2012 Stroll for Epilepsy."

The first Stroll for Epilepsy took place in Rochester, MN in 1999 and raised $4,784.  In 2011, The Stroll raised over $280,000, with dollars raised in each community staying in that community to help fund local programs.  For more information about The Epilepsy Foundation of Minnesota or The Stroll for Epilepsy, visit www.efmn.org.

About Epilepsy

Epilepsy is a medical condition that produces seizures affecting a variety of mental and physical functions.  More than two million people in the U.S. have some form of epilepsy with about 200,000 new cases of epilepsy diagnosed each year.¹

About The Epilepsy Foundation of Minnesota

The Epilepsy Foundation of Minnesota leads the fight to stop seizures, find a cure and overcome the challenges created by epilepsy.  One in 10 people will have a seizure in their lifetime, and one in 26 will develop epilepsy.  The Foundation's programs and services cover all of Minnesota and Eastern North Dakota.  For more information, visit www.efmn.org.

About Upsher-Smith

Upsher-Smith, founded in 1919, is an independent and privately-owned specialty pharmaceutical company headquartered in Maple Grove, Minnesota that focuses on product growth and innovation for branded, branded-generic and generic pharmaceuticals.  Upsher-Smith has a particular focus on providing therapies to assist people suffering from central nervous system diseases (including epilepsy, Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease) and also markets products relating to cardiology, dermatology and women's health.  In addition to products currently marketed, Upsher-Smith has an emerging neurology pipeline with three products in clinical development, two of which are in Phase III clinical trials.  For more information, visit www.upsher-smith.com.

1. Epilepsy Foundation. Available at: http://www.epilepsyfoundation.org/.  Accessed on August 27, 2012.

SOURCE Upsher-Smith Laboratories, Inc.