Health & Fitness
Tue, March 27, 2012
BURLINGTON, Mass.--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--In honor of the first ever HAE Day upcoming on May 16, 2012, Dyax Corp. (NASDAQ: DYAX), the manufacturer of KALBITOR (ecallantide) for the treatment of acute attacks of HAE in patients 16 years of age and older, announced a donation of $17,700 to the United States Hereditary Angioedema Association (HAEA), the largest Hereditary Angioedema (HAE) patient group in the world. The donation results from fundraising activities held at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI) Annual Meeting in Orlando, FL, where Dyax dedicated a significant portion of their booth to recognizing HAE Global Awareness Day on May 16, 2012 and raising funds to support the HAEA.
"We also appreciate the fundraising support that will further our mission to help patients and their families achieve lifelong health."
The Dyax booth at AAAAI featured two treadmills on which meeting attendees were invited to walk or run to benefit the HAEA. The company pledged $100 to the HAEA for every mile clocked by meeting attendees, which included clinicians, academicians and allied health professionals, with participants logging nearly 200 miles for the cause. One particularly enthusiastic physician ran ten miles, generating a single donation of $1,000. The fundraiser was the first in a series of events supported by Dyax and will culminate in a donation presented to the HAEA on HAE Day, taking place on May 16, 2012.
aOur fundraising efforts at AAAAI gave us an opportunity not only to engage those physicians who regularly treat HAE, but also some who may not be as familiar with the condition,a said Gustav Christensen, President and CEO of Dyax. aWe were thrilled to kick off our HAE Day fundraising activities with such a successful event, while raising awareness of the condition among some healthcare professionals who may not know its signs and symptoms.a
HAE is a potentially life threatening condition in which patients have a defect in the gene that controls a blood protein called C1 Inhibitor. It is often unrecognized or misdiagnosed because it is so rare, and because its symptoms are similar to many other, more common conditions such as allergic reaction, angina, rheumatism, or acute appendicitis. Thelack of an accurate diagnosis can have serious consequences. Patients with undiagnosed HAE may undergo unnecessary medical procedures (e.g., appendectomy, exploratory laparotomy) or receive ineffective treatments.
The US HAE Association and our members are grateful for Dyaxas on-going efforts to raise awareness of HAE,a said Janet Long, Executive Vice President, HAEA. aWe also appreciate the fundraising support that will further our mission to help patients and their families achieve lifelong health.a
The United States Senate recently passed a resolution recognizing May 16, 2012 as Hereditary Angioedema Awareness Day. This historic day aims to raise awareness of HAE among the general public and medical community, in order to promote better care and earlier, more accurate diagnosis. For more information about HAE Day, please visit [ www.haea.org ].
About HAE
Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is a rare acute inflammatory condition characterized by episodes of severe, often painful swelling affecting the extremities, gastrointestinal tract, genitalia, and larynx. HAE is caused by low or dysfunctional levels of C1 esterase inhibitor (C1-INH), a naturally occurring molecule that inhibits plasma kallikrein, a key mediator of inflammation, and other serine proteases in the blood. HAE is estimated to affect 1 in 10,000 to 1 in 50,000 individuals. Learn more at [ www.HAEHope.com ].
About KALBITOR (ecallantide)
KALBITOR is a plasma kallikrein inhibitor indicated for the treatment of acute attacks of hereditary angioedema (HAE) in patients 16 years of age and older. KALBITOR, which was discovered and developed by Dyax, was the first subcutaneous treatment available in the U.S. for treating acute HAE attacks.
Important KALBITOR Safety Information
Anaphylaxis has been reported after administration of KALBITOR. Because of the risk of anaphylaxis, KALBITOR should only be administered by a healthcare professional with appropriate medical support to manage anaphylaxis and hereditary angioedema. Healthcare professionals should be aware of the similarity of symptoms between hypersensitivity reactions and hereditary angioedema and patients should be monitored closely. KALBITOR should not be administered to patients with known clinical hypersensitivity to KALBITOR.
For more information about KALBITOR, including full prescribing information, visit[ www.KALBITOR.com ].
About Dyax
Dyax is a fully integrated biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of novel biotherapeutics for unmet medical needs. Dyaxas lead product, ecallantide, has been approved under the brand name KALBITOR in the United States for the treatment of acute attacks of hereditary angioedema (HAE) in patients 16 years of age and older.
Dyax is commercializing KALBITOR in the United States independently, and establishing strategic collaborations to develop and commercialize ecallantide for the treatment of HAE in key regions worldwide. Currently, Dyax has agreements for regions including Europe, Japan, Russia, the Middle East, Israel, North Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Latin America (excluding Mexico) and the Caribbean. Dyax is also exploring other potential indications for ecallantide, either alone or through collaborations, including drug-induced angioedema.
Ecallantide and other compounds in Dyaxas pipeline were identified using its patented phage display technology, which rapidly selects compounds that bind with high affinity and specificity to therapeutic targets. Dyax leverages this technology broadly through the Licensing and Funded Research Program (LFRP), which has approximately 70 revenue generating licenses and collaborations for therapeutic discovery, as well as for affinity separations, diagnostic imaging, and research reagents. The success of the Companyas LFRP portfolio is illustrated by the programas advanced licensee pipeline that includes 18 candidates in clinical development. Of those candidates, four are in Phase 3 clinical trials, four are in Phase 2 and ten are in Phase 1.
Dyax is headquartered in Burlington, Massachusetts. For online information about Dyax Corp., please visit [ www.dyax.com ].
