Horizon Pharma plc Announces "UCD in Common" for the Urea Cycle Disorder (UCD) Community
17 March 2017 - 12:30AM
Horizon Pharma plc (NASDAQ:HZNP), a biopharmaceutical company
focused on improving patients’ lives by identifying, developing,
acquiring and commercializing differentiated and accessible
medicines that address unmet medical needs, today announced the
launch of UCD in Common, an initiative for people impacted by a
urea cycle disorder (UCD), a rare genetic disease characterized by
toxic levels of ammonia in the blood.1
Created in collaboration with people living with a UCD, their
families, caregivers and healthcare professionals, UCD in Common
offers supportive, educational and interactive resources. A
website and Facebook page provide shareable videos and lifestyle
tips as well as low-protein recipes for people living with a UCD
who must restrict their protein intake because of its effect of
elevating ammonia levels.
“UCD in Common is a labor of love for those of us who
collaborated with Horizon on its creation,” said Guadalupe M.,
mother of a young daughter with a UCD and one of 13 members of
Horizon Pharma’s UCD patient and caregiver working group. “In
working together with other families, we noticed many challenges we
had in common at different stages of our journey. As the
initiative evolves, we’re excited to hear from more families so
that we can find strength through our individual experiences and
inspire others to confidently face the challenges of managing a
UCD.”
A UCD is a rare genetic disorder that affects approximately 1 in
35,000 live births in the United States.1 It is caused by an
enzyme deficiency in the urea cycle, a process that is responsible
for converting excess ammonia from the bloodstream and ultimately
removing it from the body.1 Because of this, people with a
UCD experience hyperammonemia, or elevated ammonia levels in their
blood that can then reach the brain where it can cause irreversible
brain damage, coma or death. UCD symptoms may first occur at
any age depending on the severity of the disorder, with more severe
defects presenting earlier in life.1
“At Horizon we have a long-term commitment to helping people
living with rare diseases in ways that go beyond our medicines, and
we’ve used our resources to empower the UCD community to generate
ideas and create tools that will help others living with this rare,
isolating disease,” said Dave Happel, executive vice president,
Orphan Business Unit, Horizon Pharma plc. “We are grateful
for the opportunity to work with such a passionate group of
patients, caregivers and families whose journeys and insights led
to the development of UCD in Common.”
About Horizon Pharma plcHorizon Pharma plc is a
biopharmaceutical company focused on improving patients' lives by
identifying, developing, acquiring and commercializing
differentiated and accessible medicines that address unmet medical
needs. The Company markets 11 medicines through its orphan,
rheumatology and primary care business units. For more
information, please visit www.horizonpharma.com.
Follow @HZNPplc on Twitter or view careers on
our LinkedIn page.
References:
- Ah Mew N, Lanpher BC, Gropman A, et al.; Urea Cycle Disorders
Consortium. Urea Cycle Disorders Overview. 2003 Apr 29 [Updated
2015 Apr 9]. In: Pagon RA, Adam MP, Ardinger HH, et al., editors.
GeneReviews® [Internet]. Seattle (WA): University of Washington,
Seattle; 1993-2017. Available from:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK1217/
Contacts:
U.S. Media Contact:
Matt Flesch
Executive Director, Product Communications
media@horizonpharma.com
Ireland Media Contact:
Ray Gordon
Gordon MRM
ray@gordonmrm.ie
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