FRAMINGHAM, Mass. -- (BUSINESS WIRE) -- rEVO Biologics announced today that hereditary antithrombin (AT) deficiency, and the use of the company’s lead product ATryn Antithrombin (Recombinant), in the successful treatment of a pregnant patient with hereditary AT deficiency to prevent thromboembolic events (blood clots) is the focus of a TV segment on Behind the Mystery: Rare and Genetic Diseases, the ground breaking series on The Balancing Act™, America’s premier morning show that airs weekday mornings on Lifetime Television.
The segment aired on Lifetime this morning at 7:00 am (ET/PT) and will air again at the same time on February 11 and 12, 2013. Along with raising awareness about hereditary AT deficiency, the segment discusses the need for women to seek simple blood tests to diagnose this rare but important genetic disorder. View the segment at: http://www.thebalancingact.com/video/?v=WXQR2RL6Q04412
Dr. Michael Paidas, professor at Yale School of Medicine, and co-director of the Yale Women and Children’s Center for Blood Disorders, appears on the Behind the Mystery segment to provide important information about hereditary AT deficiency diagnosis and treatment.
“This disorder affects one out of every two to three thousand Americans,” said Dr. Paidas. “People with hereditary AT deficiency are at much higher risk for getting clots in the veins, lungs, and brain throughout their lifetime, but especially during surgery and pregnancy. There are many people who have this disorder but do not know it.”
The primary viewers of The Balancing Act™ are women, and Dr. Paidas emphasized that women with hereditary AT deficiency are at high risk for clots during pregnancy and after delivery. “They have increased risk of losing the baby, either early (miscarriage) or late (stillbirth). Any woman with a family or personal history of serious blood clots should be tested for hereditary AT deficiency.”
Also appearing on the show to share her personal experiences is Kristina Veilleux, who has hereditary AT deficiency. Ms. Veilleux offers hope to other women with this disorder by reporting that she has been successfully treated with ATryn while delivering her children.
“rEVO Biologics recognized that The Balancing Act™ offered a big opportunity to raise public awareness of hereditary AT deficiency,” commented Robert Greif, Vice President of Commercial Operations for rEVO.
Mr. Greif shared that the Behind the Mystery segment will resonate with people who have a history of blood clots and motivate them to take action: “We hope that this will lead more people, particularly pregnant women at risk, to get tested for hereditary AT deficiency.”
About The Balancing Act™ on Lifetime Television
The Balancing Act™, America’s premier morning show airs weekday mornings on Lifetime Television at 7:00 am (ET/PT). These days the modern woman is trying to balance it all and the mission at The Balancing Act™ is to bring solutions to them to help them balance life, career, family and most importantly themselves. The Balancing Act™ is a Branded Entertainment show that entertains, educates, and engages the viewer.
Behind the Mystery: Rare and Genetic Diseases made its debut on The Balancing Act™ on November 19, 2012. This series is dedicated to educating the public about rare and genetic diseases and treatments, and provides support through collaborations in education with pharmaceutical companies, foundations, and patient advocacy groups.
About rEVO Biologics
rEVO Biologics is a rare disease company focused on developing and delivering first and next-generation therapeutics that are more cost effective to produce than traditional recombinant therapies. Through its proprietary rPRO Technology platform -- a scalable, transgenic, and cost-effective method of protein production-- rEVO Biologics is bringing safe and reliable therapeutic proteins to address critical medical needs. The company’s lead product, ATryn® Antithrombin (Recombinant), is the first and only plasma-free antithrombin concentrate. ATryn received FDA approval in 2009. The company has a number of products in its pipeline and in clinical trials in the areas of hematology, oncology, genetic disorders and autoimmune disease, and is actively seeking additional indications for its lead product.
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rEVO Biologics
Holly Grimshaw, 508-620-9700