Kidney Stories of Hope Campaign Kicks Off Kidney Health Month
Testimonials Key to Increasing Public Awareness of Kidney Disease
Montréal, Québec – March 1, 2011 – March is Kidney Health Month, and The Kidney Foundation of Canada is once again launching its annual Kidney Stories of Hope campaign (www.kidney.ca/storiesofhope) to raise awareness of the importance of kidney health and what can be done to preserve it. This national campaign offers Canadians affected by kidney disease a chance to promote public education by sharing their personal journey for a chance to win one of five cash prizes of $500. Five participants, one each from Atlantic Canada, Quebec, Ontario, the Prairies, and B.C. will be recognized for their compelling testimonials submitted to www.kidney.ca/storiesofhope. Profiling inspiring stories, while encouraging Canadians to learn more about the risk factors for kidney disease and their role in disease prevention or detection, is central to the campaign.Kidney disease is a major health issue that can strike anyone at any age. However, a number of factors may increase the risk of developing kidney disease, including family history; medical problems such as diabetes or high blood pressure; and one’s ethnicity. Certain ethnic groups are at a higher risk. These include Aboriginal, Asian, South Asian, Pacific Island, African/Caribbean and Hispanic. Kidney disease usually progresses silently and often damages most of the kidney function before causing any symptoms. Although there is no cure for kidney disease, early detection through blood and urine tests coupled with timely treatment can help prevent or delay disease progression.i
“Knowing whether you are at risk for kidney disease, managing your diabetes and blood pressure and following a healthy lifestyle could make the crucial difference between preventing kidney disease, slowing kidney disease progression and experiencing kidney failure,” said Paul Shay, National Executive Director of The Kidney Foundation of Canada.
Nearly 38,000 Canadians are being treated for kidney failure through dialysis and organ transplantation – more than triple the number in 1990 – and this number is expected to increase dramatically.
The Kidney Stories of Hope campaign profiles powerful testimonials to improve understanding of the impact of kidney disease and kidney failure. The public awareness campaign is made possible through an educational grant from Shire Canada Inc. Shire Canada supports and helps leading Canadian researchers and scientists make progress in improving kidney disease prevention and quality of care. For details on the Kidney Stories of Hope campaign, or to find out if you are at risk for kidney disease, visit www.kidney.ca.
About The Kidney Foundation of Canada
The Kidney Foundation of Canada is the national volunteer organization committed to reducing the burden of kidney disease through funding and stimulating innovative research; providing education and support; promoting access to high quality healthcare; and increasing public awareness and commitment to advancing kidney health and organ donation. During Kidney Health Month in March, volunteer canvassers from The Kidney Foundation will be going door-to-door to raise awareness and funds for research and programs to help people living with kidney disease.
About Shire plc
Shire plc’s strategic goal is to become the leading specialty biopharmaceutical company that focuses on meeting the needs of the specialist physician. Shire focuses its business on attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), human genetic therapies (HGT) and gastrointestinal (GI) diseases as well as opportunities in other therapeutic areas to the extent they arise through acquisitions. The structure is sufficiently flexible to allow Shire to target new therapeutic areas to the extent opportunities arise through acquisitions. Shire’s in-licensing, merger and acquisition efforts are focused on products in niche markets with strong intellectual property protection and global rights. Shire believes that a carefully selected and balanced portfolio of products with strategically aligned and relatively small-scale sales forces will deliver strong results.
For further information about Shire Canada, please visit the Company’s website: www.shirecanada.com
“SAFE HARBOR” STATEMENT UNDER THE PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995
Statements included herein that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties and are subject to change at any time. In the event such risks or uncertainties materialize, the Company’s results could be materially adversely affected. The risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, risks associated with: the inherent uncertainty of research, development, approval, reimbursement, manufacturing and commercialization of the Company’s Specialty Pharmaceutical and Human Genetic Therapies products, as well as the ability to secure and integrate new products for commercialization and/or development; government regulation of the Company’s products; the Company’s ability to manufacture its products in sufficient quantities to meet demand; the impact of competitive therapies on the Company’s products; the Company’s ability to register, maintain and enforce patents and other intellectual property rights relating to its products; the Company’s ability to obtain and maintain government and other third-party reimbursement for its products; and other risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Von Jeppesen
NATIONAL Public Relations
416-848-1378
vjeppesen@national.ca
Irene Aguzzi
National Director, Communications and
Marketing
The Kidney Foundation of Canada
514-369-4806 ext. 227
irene.aguzzi@kidney.ca
Natacha Raphael
Manager, Communications & Community
Relations
Shire Canada Inc.
514-787-2364
nraphael-c@shire.com
i Kidney disease: Am I At Risk. Kidney Foundation of Canada.
