UCB Fun Run for Epilepsy raises 20,000 euro for the International Bureau for Epilepsy's Promising Strategy Programme
Brussels, BELGIUM - November 30, 2007 at 7:00 am CET - Over 300 people working at UCB took part in the 5 kilometer run held at six sites in Europe and the US on 16 November 2007, in aid of the International Bureau for Epilepsy's (IBE) Promising Strategy Programme. This Program provides financial support to IBE member organizations, on a competitive basis, for initiatives aimed at raising awareness, reducing stigma and improving the quality of life for people with epilepsy in developing nations.
"Patients are the central focus of everything we do at UCB, and the Fun Run in support of the IBE Promising Strategies Programme generated great interest because employees wanted to reach out and make a difference to the lives of those affected by epilepsy in developing countries," explained Troy Cox, President CNS Operations, UCB.
IBE members in developing countries apply for Promising Strategy funding for innovative, realistic and sustainable projects which will make a difference to local people with epilepsy in terms of information, education, services and/or employment and, ideally, will be replicable in similar populations. Promising Strategies has already provided funding for projects as diverse as tomato farming in Cameroon, tailoring workshops in Sierra Leone and the Gambia, and poultry rearing in Zambia.
"We would like to thank all those UCB employees who gave of their time and energy to help raise funds for this worthy program. The IBE is committed to identifying solutions to the problems impacting people with epilepsy and their families worldwide," said Susanne Lund, President, IBE. "The funds generated through the UCB Fun Run will be used in developing countries to support more projects that foster effective and innovative public health practice and provide training and employment opportunities to help people with epilepsy to live independent and self supporting lives."
About UCB in Epilepsy: UCB is committed to improving the lives of people with epilepsy, those who live with them and who care for them. UCB connects patients, people and science through an extensive range of educational programmes to improve understanding about epilepsy, and supportive initiatives to enable people to live well with their epilepsy. Visit www.action-zone.info and www.freedominmind.com.
About Epilepsy [1],[2],[3]: Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder affecting 40 million people worldwide. It is caused by abnormal, excessive electrical discharges of the nerve cells or neurons in the brain. Epilepsy is characterized by a tendency to have recurrent seizures and defined by two or more unprovoked seizures. There are many different seizure types and epileptic syndromes and effective classification guides treatment and prognosis.
References
1. Epilepsy Foundation. Epilepsy and Seizure Statistics. Available at: http://www.epilepsyfoundation.org/about/. Accessed on October 29, 2007.
2. European White Paper on Epilepsy, EUCARE 2001
3.http://www.who.int/whr/1997/media_centre/50facts/en/index.html (Accessed October 9th 2007)
Further information
Antje Witte, Vice-President Corporate Communications & Investor Relations, UCB Group
T +32.2.559.9414, Antje.witte@ucb-group.com
Ursula Davis, Epilepsy Patient Program Manager, UCB Group
T +32.2.559.9531, Ursula.davis@ucb-group.com
About UCB
UCB, Brussels, Belgium (www.ucb-group.com) is a global leader in the biopharmaceutical industry dedicated to the research, development and commercialisation of innovative pharmaceutical and biotechnology products in the fields of central nervous system disorders, allergy/respiratory diseases, immune and inflammatory disorders and oncology. UCB focuses on securing a leading position in severe disease categories. Employing more than 10,000 people in over 40 countries, UCB achieved revenue of 3.5 billion euro in 2006 on a pro forma basis. UCB S.A. is listed on the Euronext Brussels Exchange and through its affiliate, owns approx. 89% of the shares of SCHWARZ PHARMA AG. SCHWARZ PHARMA AG (Monheim, Germany) is a member of the UCB Group.
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