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.