NEW YORK, April 14, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals (NYSE:MNK) has been named National Corporate Sponsor for the 2015 Kidney Walk and will sponsor 100 Kidney Walk events in major U.S. cities as part of its support of the National Kidney Foundation (NKF).
The Kidney Walk is the nation's largest fundraiser to fight kidney disease. Each year, more than 75,000 walkers join NKF to raise over $9 million. More than 80 cents of every dollar donated directly supports NKF awareness, prevention and treatment programs and services.
"The Kidney Walk raises awareness across the country and funds life-saving programs that educate and support patients, their families and those at risk," said Krystn Kuckelman, the Senior National Walk Director. "Mallinckrodt's support will help us reach millions with these important messages of awareness and funds for patient and prevention programs."
According to the foundation, kidney disease is the ninth leading cause of death in the United States, killing more people than breast and prostate cancer each year. One in three American adults — 73 million — is at risk due to high blood pressure, diabetes, a family history of kidney failure or being over age 60. More than 101,000 Americans currently await a life-saving kidney transplant.
"Raising awareness, prevention and treatment of kidney disease is very important. Mallinckrodt educates clinicians on the seriousness of proteinuria, or excess protein in the urine, which is often an early sign of kidney disease," said Derek Naten, Senior Director, Government Affairs and Advocacy Relations. "We are proud to support an organization like NKF that continues to make great strides in combating kidney disease by educating, supporting and advocating for patients and those affected."
The National Kidney Foundation is the leading organization in the U.S. dedicated to the awareness, prevention and treatment of kidney disease for hundreds of thousands of healthcare professionals, millions of patients and their families, and tens of millions of Americans at risk. For more information, visit www.kidney.org.
Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals is a global specialty biopharmaceutical and medical imaging business that develops, manufactures, markets and distributes specialty pharmaceutical products and medical imaging agents. Areas of focus include therapeutic drugs for autoimmune and rare disease specialty areas like neurology, rheumatology, nephrology and pulmonology along with analgesics and central nervous system drugs for prescribing by office- and hospital-based physicians. The company's core strengths include the acquisition and management of highly regulated raw materials; deep regulatory expertise; and specialized chemistry, formulation and manufacturing capabilities. The company's Specialty Brands segment includes branded medicines; its Specialty Generics segment includes specialty generic drugs, active pharmaceutical ingredients and external manufacturing; and the Global Medical Imaging segment includes contrast media and nuclear imaging agents. Mallinckrodt has approximately 5,500 employees worldwide and a commercial presence in roughly 65 countries. The company's fiscal 2014 revenue totaled $2.54 billion. To learn more about Mallinckrodt, visit www.mallinckrodt.com.
Twitter: @NKF