Brooke Shields Lends Her Support to Encourage Women to Take Action Early if They Have Trouble Conceiving
November 03 2005 - 8:01AM
PR Newswire (US)
Actress Shares Personal Battle with Infertility and Urges Women to
Get Informed NEW YORK, Nov. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Brooke Shields
teams up with Fertility LifeLines(TM) to announce a national
infertility awareness campaign encouraging women to know their
options and take action early. Fertility LifeLines(TM), provided by
Serono, Inc., is a free and confidential educational service with
trained staff available to talk to people about their fertility
concerns. Ms. Shields, who tried unsuccessfully for over a year to
have a baby before getting the help of a fertility specialist, is
now the proud mother of daughter Rowan. She acknowledges that her
experience with infertility was isolating, causing feelings of
failure and frustration and says that until she and her husband
consulted a fertility specialist, they didn't know how many options
were available to them. Today, as she prepares to expand her
family, Ms. Shields encourages women to address their challenges
with fertility by reaching out for information and support. "When
you're having trouble conceiving, it's often tough to know where to
turn for answers, and when you're undergoing fertility treatment,
it's not always easy to find the support that you need," said Ms.
Shields. "Today I am partnering with Fertility LifeLines to let
women know that resources are available to help them understand
their options for having a family." Infertility is defined as the
inability to achieve pregnancy after one year of regular,
unprotected intercourse (six months if the woman is over 35). It
affects about 6.1 million Americans, which represents about one in
seven couples in their childbearing years. The majority of patients
who complete treatment succeed in having a child. "It is important
for women to talk to their doctors early if they have concerns
about their fertility," said Richard Scott, M.D., a reproductive
endocrinologist (RE) and director of Reproductive Medicine
Associates of New Jersey in Morristown, NJ. "Fertility declines
with age in both men and women, which means the sooner couples seek
information and talk to their doctor, the sooner they can learn
about their options and make the decisions that are right for
them." Round-the-Clock Information and Support Fertility LifeLines
is a free and confidential educational service provided by Serono,
Inc. Available toll-free at 1-866-LETS-TRY (1-866-538- 7879), it
offers a single destination for information and support to people
with concerns about infertility, including access to special
benefits and potential savings on all Serono fertility products.
Staffed with fertility nurses, insurance specialists and patient
advocates, Fertility LifeLines is available Monday to Friday from 8
am to midnight ET and Saturday and Sunday from 8 am to 6 pm with
24-hour access to fertility nurses and Freedom Fertility Drug(TM)
pharmacists. Fertility LifeLines is not meant to substitute for the
advice provided by a medical professional. Callers should always
consult a healthcare provider if they have health concerns. For
more information about Fertility LifeLines, call toll-free
1-866-LETS-TRY (1-866- 538-7879) or visit
http://www.fertilitylifelines.com/. About Serono, Inc. and
Fertility Serono, Inc., a subsidiary of Serono S.A., is a leader in
fertility health, dedicated to developing patient-friendly,
innovative products that help people build families. It is the only
company to offer a full portfolio of fertility medications for
every stage of the reproductive cycle and recombinant versions of
three hormones used in the treatment of infertility, including the
Gonal-f(R) RFF Pen (follitropin alfa injection). About Serono S.A.
Serono, Inc., located in Rockland, MA, is the US affiliate of
Serono, a global biotechnology leader, headquartered in Geneva,
Switzerland. The Company has seven recombinant products, Rebif(R)
(interferon beta-1a), Gonal-f(R) (follitropin alfa for injection),
Luveris(R) (lutropin alfa), Ovidrel Prefilled
Syringe(R)/Ovitrelle(R) (choriogonadotropin alfa injection),
Serostim(R) [somatropin (rDNA origin) for injection], Saizen(R)
[somatropin (rDNA origin) for injection] and Zorbtive(TM)
[somatropin (rDNA origin) for injection] on the market in the U.S.
In addition to being the world leader in reproductive health,
Serono has strong market positions in neurology, metabolism and
growth. The Company's research programs are focused on growing
these businesses and on establishing new therapeutic areas,
including oncology. Currently, there are approximately 25 ongoing
development projects. In 2004, Serono achieved worldwide revenues
of US $2,458.1 million, and a net income of US $494.2 million,
making it the third largest biotech company in the world. Its
products are sold in over 90 countries. Bearer shares of Serono
S.A., the holding company, are traded on the virt-x (SEO) and its
American Depositary Shares are traded on the New York Stock
Exchange (SRA). Package inserts for Serono's US marketed products
are available at http://www.seronousa.com/ or by calling
1-888-275-7376. Some of the statements in this press release are
forward looking. Such statements are inherently subject to known
and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause
actual results, performance or achievements of Serono S.A. and
affiliates to be materially different from those expected or
anticipated in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking
statements are based on Serono's current expectations and
assumptions, which may be affected by a number of factors,
including those discussed in this press release and more fully
described in Serono's Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on March 16, 2005. These
factors include any failure or delay in Serono's ability to develop
new products, any failure to receive anticipated regulatory
approvals, any problems in commercializing current products as a
result of competition or other factors, our ability to obtain
reimbursement coverage for our products, the outcome of government
investigations and litigation and government regulations limiting
our ability to sell our products. Serono has no responsibility to
update the forward-looking statements contained in this press
release to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date
of this press release For more information, please contact: Serono,
Inc., Rockland, MA Media Relations: Dana Jessup Tel. +1 781 681
2443 Fax: +1 781 681 2935 http://www.fertilitylifelines.com/
Website: http://www.seronousa.com http://www.fertilitylifelines.com
DATASOURCE: Serono, Inc. CONTACT: Dana Jessup for Serono, Inc.,
+1-781-681-2443
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