Biopharmaceuticals

 News Release - January 6, 2009

Kawasaki Disease Treated with Plasma-Derived Therapy

Patients with this Pediatric Disease Depend on Plasma Donation

ANNAPOLIS, Md., Jan. 6 -- (Healthcare Sales & Marketing Network) --Kawasaki disease is an uncommon illness that typically affects children between the ages of two and five and is a leading cause of acquired heart disease in children in the United States according to the American Heart Association (AHA). Kawasaki disease is treated with intravenous immune globulin (IVIG), a plasma-derived therapy that replaces vital missing antibodies in a person's plasma and that is manufactured by member companies of the Plasma Protein Therapeutics Association (PPTA).

As reported recently in the news, Backstreet Boys singer Brian Littrell's six-year-old son Baylee has been diagnosed with atypical Kawasaki disease. According to Littrell's website posting, "He received IVIG, which is a treatment to bring down the inflammation in his coronary arteries. Baylee will be closely monitored for the next 6-8 weeks by a Pediatric Cardiologist to see if the treatment was effective." Kawasaki disease can inflame and weaken coronary arteries, creating the risk of blood clots that can cause heart attacks.

"IVIG is produced from plasma donated by healthy, committed donors across the country," said Julie Birkofer, PPTA Vice President, North America. Plasma is the straw-colored, liquid portion of whole blood that remains when red blood cells, platelets and other cellular components are removed. It is rich in proteins needed to fight infection, clot blood, and ensure proper lung function.

Source plasma used to produce life-saving therapies like IVIG is donated by healthy, committed individuals at 363 government licensed and International Quality Plasma Program-certified plasma collections centers in the U.S., Europe and Canada.

"Nationwide, tens of thousands of individuals rely on plasma protein therapies to treat rare, chronic diseases and disorders, which include hemophilia and other bleeding disorders, primary immunodeficiency diseases, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, Kawasaki disease, and certain autoimmune and neurological disorders," said Birkofer. "These protein replacement therapies are life-saving."

To learn more about life-saving plasma protein therapies, visit www.pptaglobal.org. To find out how to become a plasma donor and become an important part of saving someone's life this holiday season, visit www.donatingplasma.org.

The Plasma Protein Therapeutics Association (PPTA) is the trade association and standard setting organization for the world's major producers of plasmaderived and recombinant analog therapies (collectively, "plasma protein therapies"). These therapies are used by more than 1 million people worldwide each year to treat a variety of diseases and serious medical conditions. PPTA members produce over 80 percent of the plasma therapies for the United States market and more than 60 percent worldwide. Some of the critical therapies produced by PPTA members include: blood clotting factors for people with hemophilia, immune globulin intravenous used to prevent infections in people with immune deficiencies and other serious conditions, and alpha1 proteinase inhibitor used to treat people with alpha1antitrypsin deficiency, also known as genetic emphysema.

Source: Plasma Protein Therapeutics Association

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