Kedrion supports initiatives for World Haemophilia Day. Partner in a project for export of blood-derived products from national plasma for humanitarian purposes

Kedrion confirms its support of the World Haemophilia Day, an initiative that is now in its 9th year in Italy and is usually celebrated on 17th April, aimed to raise awareness of haemophilia and similar conditions. The slogan chosen by the World Federation of Haemophilia (WFH) for 2013, again, is “Close the Gap”, a catchphrase that sums up the goal of promoting equal levels of treatment and access to drugs for all patients, regardless of where they live.

In Italy, Kedrion supports the activities of FedEmo (Federazione delle Associazioni Emofilici, the Federation of Haemophilic Patients’ Associations) in Rome and of Fondazione Paracelso in Milan. The former organised an Open Day at the Confraternita (former Hospital) di San Giovanni Battista de’ Genovesi, bringing together patients’ associations, volunteer associations, doctors, corporations, public authorities and the press. The purpose of the event is to present the targets that have been achieved over the last 30 years and emphasise the priority goal i.e. equal treatment and access to drugs both internationally and in all Italian regions; all this, partly in the light of the current economic problems that the National Health System is experiencing and which call for proper, sustainable therapeutic solutions.

Kedrion is also a supporter of Fondazione Paracelso, which organised a symposium at Palazzo Greppi (University of Milan), in Milan today. The meeting, named “I bisogni semplici nel confronto con i sistemi complessi” (Simple needs faced with complex systems), takes its cue from people’s fundamental needs (such as health care) and focuses on the proposals put forward by the society we live in and the answers that Fondazione Paracelso has found and provides through its initiatives.

Other international companies of the Kedrion Group have given their contribution to the World Haemophilia Day. In the United States, Kedrion Biopharma made a donation to the National Haemophilia Foundation, the main organisation dedicated to finding better treatments and cures for inheritable bleeding disorders and to preventing the complications of these disorders through education, advocacy and research. In Colombia, where Kedrion has its own distributor, the Patients’ Association of Medellin has been supported in the organisation of an outdoor event, due to take place in Medellin. The goal of such initiative is to support haemophilic patients, raise awareness of the condition, and help provide access to the required treatments, especially to children and young people living in the rural regions of that area.

Kedrion in the forefront of international projects

The workshop organised by FedEmo in Rome includes a lecture by professor Flora Peyvandi, director of the Haemophilia Centre of the hospital Ospedale Maggiore of Milan’s Policlinico. Her lecture, called “Obiettivo 100% cure: utilizzo etico e razionale del dono italiano” (Mission 100% treatment: ethical and efficient use of Italian donations), will focus on the efforts made by all partners, including Kedrion, to implement international humanitarian projects. The lecture will dwell, above all, on the implementation of projects for transferring Factor VIII produced from national plasma to disadvantaged countries.

This initiative is based on the Agreement signed between the Government, the Regions and the self-governing Provinces of Trento and Bolzano and approved on February 7th, which, for the very first time in Italy, will let blood-derived products be exported for humanitarian purposes. Firmly promoted and supported by FedEmo, the first step in such Agreement consists of a shipment of Factor VIII and Factor IX made by processing plasma from the Regions Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Veneto, Umbria and Valle d’Aosta and from the self-governing Provinces of Trento and Bolzano. Such products, allocated to Afghanistan, were shipped precisely the day before the World Haemophilia Day.

“Kedrion’s support to this and similar international projects – Danilo Medica, Italy Country Manager, pointed out – is evidence, once again, of the company’s commitment to promoting donations and improving access to treatments”.

What Kedrion is actually doing is providing its greatest financial and organisational support for an efficient and ethical use of national plasma-derived products: in particular, the company will support humanitarian initiatives for using Factor VIII made with plasma from Italian donors in such countries as India, Egypt, Afghanistan.

“These are projects which, as well as having remarkable ethical value – Danilo Medica concluded –, are perfectly in keeping with Kedrion’s goal of supporting the National Blood System in trying to achieve self-sufficient in plasma-derived products and in using the products efficiently”.



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