Chiesi USA Partners With March of Dimes for Prematurity Awareness Month

CARY, NC--(Marketwired - Nov 13, 2014) - Chiesi USA, dedicated to assisting with the advancement of neonatal research and the treatment of preterm infant Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS), has partnered with the March of Dimes to support the group's awareness efforts during Prematurity Awareness Month in November. Chiesi USA is committed to advancing the field of neonatology through its portfolio of innovative treatments, education initiatives and partnerships with leading organizations that share a mission to provide the highest level of care to the youngest of patients.

"At Chiesi, we have a longstanding tradition of enhancing neonatal care and one of those areas is RDS primarily affecting preterm infants," said Ken McBean, President and Chief Executive Officer of Chiesi USA. "The March of Dimes shares our concern to provide educational opportunities and initiatives to effectively treat this life-threatening condition and support families affected by it. We are proud to partner to support their initiatives during Prematurity Awareness Month."

Premature birth is the leading killer of America's newborns. According to the March of Dimes, in the United States, one in nine babies is born prematurely. The most common risk preterm infants face is the development of RDS. Coupled with ongoing advances in treatment options for RDS, including antenatal corticosteroids and surfactant replacement therapy, the RDS mortality rate has decreased by nearly 30 percent since the 1960s.¹ However, each year in the United States, approximately 50,000 premature infants born are at risk for RDS,² which is commonly experienced by premature babies born before 32 weeks of gestation and most frequently in those born before 28 weeks.³

To help provide parents needed comfort and encouragement during the critical time following a preterm delivery, Chiesi USA has partnered with March of Dimes to support its NICU Family Support Program. The program is designed to assist families during their baby's NICU stay by providing special materials including a keepsake journal that is specific to the NICU experience and a guide for parenting in the NICU. NICU Family Support also provides ongoing education for hospital staff focused on best practices in supporting families. Chiesi USA also is sponsoring Share Your Story, the March of Dimes online community for NICU families where families can find comfort, support and information from others who understand the challenges and uncertainties of the NICU experience.

"When families face the overwhelming world of the NICU, with all the equipment, highly-specialized doctors, nurses and technicians, and medical terms they may not understand, the March of Dimes NICU Family Support Program is there to provide information and resources to help make the NICU experience more manageable," said Scott D. Berns, MD, MPH, FAAP, Senior Vice President & Deputy Medical Officer of the March of Dimes. "We thank Chiesi USA for its support of this important part of our Prematurity Awareness efforts."

The March of Dimes created Prematurity Awareness Month to build awareness and create communities among parents experiencing the challenge of a preterm delivery. For more information on March of Dimes programs, please visit marchofdimes.org.

About Chiesi USA
Chiesi USA, Inc., headquartered in Cary, N.C., is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on commercializing products for the hospital and adjacent specialty markets. Key elements of the Company's strategy are to focus its commercial and development efforts in the hospital and adjacent specialty product sector within the U.S. pharmaceutical marketplace; continue to seek opportunities to acquire companies, marketed or registration-stage products and late-stage development products that fit within the Company's focus areas; and generate revenues by marketing approved generic products through the Company's wholly-owned subsidiary, Aristos Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Chiesi USA, Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Chiesi Farmaceutici S.p.A. For more information, visit www.chiesiusa.com.

About 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 March of Dimes research, education, vaccines, and breakthroughs.

For the latest resources and health information, visit our websites marchofdimes.org and nacersano.org. To participate in our annual signature fundraising event, visit marchforbabies.org. If you have been affected by prematurity or birth defects, visit our shareyourstory.org community to find comfort and support. For detailed national, state and local perinatal statistics, visit persistats.org. You can also find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

1. American Thoracic Society. (2014). Respiratory distress syndrome of the newborn. In Schraufnagel DE (Ed.), Breathing in America: Diseases, progress, and hope (pp. 197-205). New York, NY: The American Thoracic Society. 
2. Whitsett JA et al. Acute respiratory disorders.(2005). In: MacDonald MG et al (Eds.),Avery's Neonatology: Pathophysiology and Management of the Newborn. (p. 554). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
3. What is respiratory distress syndrome? (2012). Retrieved June 17, 2012, from http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/rds/#

C-Q414-12