CSL Behring Announces GameFaces™, a New Program to Promote Physical Activity in Patients with Hemophilia A
Hemophilia patients, families take part in physical challenges as a fun, safe way to stay active and fit.
King of Prussia, PA (PRWEB) October 22, 2008
CSL Behring today unveiled GameFaces™, a family-oriented online initiative for patients with hemophilia A. GameFaces is designed to encourage real-life physical activity through customized challenges based on the individual's disease severity.
CSL Behring, the providers of the hemophilia treatment Helixate® FS (Antihemophilic Factor, Recombinant), developed GameFaces to inspire hemophilia A patients to participate in physical activities and also to allow them to feel connected to other patients with this serious bleeding disorder. Registering for the program now at www. HFSGameFaces. com will provide hemophilia A patients with the opportunity to win a Nintendo Wii™ game console prior to the program's launch in November. Nintendo Wii has been recognized as the next generation of video games and is known to inspire physical activity through games that require movement.
"Daily physical activity is important for young people with hemophilia A because it keeps their muscles healthy, their joints strong and it boosts their self-esteem," said Garrett E. Bergman, M. D., Senior Director Medical Affairs, U. S. Commercial Operations at CSL Behring. "GameFaces reinforces CSL Behring's commitment to promoting physical activity for this patient population. Leveraging kid-friendly technology, this program can inspire them to take on new physical challenges that are safe and healthy options for individuals with bleeding disorders."
Through their own GameFaces character, hemophilia A patients can participate in the program's challenges, which will be customized based on the severity of their medical condition. Challenges include both outdoor and indoor activities, such as playing a physically active video game like the Nintendo Wii, which patients can complete on their own or with family and friends. Participants track their progress by logging on to the program's website at www. HFSGameFaces. com. When a participant has completed a challenge, he or she will be entered into another sweepstakes where they will have the opportunity to win a Nintendo Wii game console. Children under 18 must have a parent's permission to join.
About Hemophilia:
Hemophilia is an inherited bleeding disorder characterized by prolonged or spontaneous bleeding, especially into the muscles, joints, or internal organs. About 17,000 Americans have hemophilia. The disease is caused by deficient or defective blood coagulation proteins known as factor VIII or IX. The most common form of the disease is hemophilia A, or classic hemophilia, in which the clotting factor VIII is either deficient or defective. Hemophilia B is characterized by deficient or defective factor IX.
About Helixate® FS
Helixate® FS is a recombinant factor VIII product indicated for the treatment of hemophilia A that offers convenient administration with a 2.5-mL volume diluent; no available factor VIII product has a smaller diluent size. The 2000 vial size requires a 5.0 mL volume diluent.
No albumin is used in the formulation or purification of Helixate FS, and its manufacture includes a solvent/detergent viral inactivation step. The most frequently reported adverse event is local injection-site reaction. Known intolerance or allergic reactions to constituents of the preparation is a contraindication to the use of Helixate FS. Known hypersensitivity to mouse or hamster protein may be a contraindication to the use of Helixate FS. In 2006, the FDA gave approval for Helixate FS to be stored at room temperature (up to 25°C, 77°F) for three months. The storage guidelines for the hemophilia treatment provide users with greater flexibility and simplify storage options
Helixate® FS is manufactured by Bayer HealthCare LLC for CSL Behring LLC.
About CSL Behring:
CSL Behring is a global leader in the plasma protein biotherapeutics industry. Passionate about improving the quality of patients' lives, CSL Behring manufactures and markets a range of safe and effective plasma-derived and recombinant products and related services. The company's therapies are used in the treatment of immune deficiency disorders, hemophilia, von Willebrand disease, other bleeding disorders and inherited emphysema. Other products are used for the prevention of hemolytic diseases in the newborn, in cardiac surgery, organ transplantation and in the treatment of burns. The company also operates one of the world's largest plasma collection networks, ZLB Plasma. CSL Behring is a subsidiary of CSL Limited, a biopharmaceutical company with headquarters in Melbourne, Australia. For more information, visit www. cslbehring. com.
Contact:
Sheila A. Burke, Director, Communications & Public Relations
Worldwide Commercial Operations
CSL Behring
610-878-4209 (o)
484-919-2618 (c)
Sheila. Burke @ cslbehring. com
"Nintendo" and "Wii" are trademarks of Nintendo of America, Inc.
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