WARRINGTON, Pa., Nov. 19, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- In recognition of Prematurity Awareness Month, Discovery Laboratories, Inc. (Nasdaq: DSCO), a specialty biotechnology company dedicated to advancing a new standard in respiratory critical care with an initial focus on neonatology and improving the management of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) in premature infants, today announced that they are a March of Dimes’ southeast Pennsylvania partner for their 2015 Prematurity Awareness Campaign. The program is designed to raise awareness of the urgency of the public health crisis of preterm birth and the ramifications of prematurity on infants and their families, and to thank healthcare professionals in neonatal intensive care units for their great efforts in caring for premature infants. Through this partnership, March of Dimes and Discovery Labs will share educational pieces for women of child bearing age in the five-county Philadelphia area to help educate mothers-to-be on prematurity and to foster awareness to help families have full-term, healthy babies.
“We are pleased that Discovery Labs has partnered with us on prematurity education and awareness in the southeast Pennsylvania region, and shares our mission of helping to reduce the impact and number of premature births, locally, nationally and globally,” commented James Dennis, Pennsylvania Chapter Director of the March of Dimes. “Premature births are an epidemic in the U.S., and have devastating consequences on hundreds of thousands of families every year. We believe that through education and awareness, we can help more mothers have full term pregnancies and help reduce the issues that threaten the health of their babies.”
Components of the Partnership for Prematurity Awareness program include 2014 Days of Gratitude, designed to thank the healthcare providers in the southeast Pennsylvania region who work every day with premature babies; public service announcements and public relations campaigns to raise awareness of prematurity; and multi-format awareness campaign for women of child-bearing age and their families.
“The statistics on prematurity are alarming, and highlight the great need for awareness programming such as this,” commented Will Roberts, Discovery Labs’ Vice President of Corporate Communications and Investor Relations. “Our core goal at Discovery Labs is to do what we can to ensure the best support for premature infants, their families and the healthcare professionals who take care of them. We are excited to partner with March of Dimes in this effort to increase awareness and education on premature birth.”
November is Prematurity Awareness Month®, and the March of Dimes and partner organizations worldwide like Discovery Labs are asking everyone to help spread the word on the serious problem of premature birth. According to March of Dimes, in the United States every year, nearly half a million babies are born too soon. One in nine infants in the U.S. is born prematurely, and worldwide that number has risen to approximately 15 million each year. Premature birth costs society more than $26 billion a year and takes a high toll on families. Babies born just a few weeks early are at risk of severe health problems and lifelong disabilities. In addition, premature birth is the leading killer of newborns.
About The March of Dimes
The March of Dimes works to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. The March of Dimes is the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health. For more than 75 years, moms and babies have benefited from the March of Dimes research, education, vaccines, and breakthroughs. For the latest resources and information, visit marchofdimes.org or nacersano.org. Find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
About Discovery Labs
Discovery Laboratories, Inc. is a specialty biotechnology company focused on advancing a new standard in respiratory critical care. Discovery Labs’ technology platform includes its novel proprietary KL4 surfactant, a synthetic, peptide-containing surfactant that is structurally similar to pulmonary surfactant, and its proprietary drug delivery technologies being developed to enable efficient delivery of aerosolized KL4 surfactant. Discovery Labs’ strategy is initially focused on neonatology and improving the management of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) in premature infants. Discovery Labs believes that its RDS product portfolio, including AEROSURF®, if approved, has the potential to become the new standard of care for RDS and, over time, enable the treatment of a significantly greater number of premature infants who could benefit from surfactant therapy but are currently not treated. SURFAXIN® (lucinactant) Intratracheal Suspension, Discovery Labs’ first KL4 surfactant-based product, is the only available synthetic alternative to animal derived surfactants approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Full prescribing information can be found at http:///www.surfaxin.com.
For more information, please visit the Company’s website at www.Discoverylabs.com.
SOURCE Discovery Laboratories, Inc.
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