SAN RAFAEL, Calif.,
Oct. 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --
BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. (NASDAQ: BMRN) today announced the
twenty-five high school students from across the U.S. who will
participate in 'Hemophilia: The Musical,' a first-of-its-kind
theatrical production written and informed by their unique
experiences of life as a young person with a bleeding disorder. The
musical will take place at New World Stages on November 12, 2018 at 1 pm
ET. A live stream of the performance will be made available
at BreakingThroughHemophilia.com.
Prior to the performance, students will first participate in the
'Breaking Through!' Musical Theater Intensive, a three-day workshop
that includes coaching sessions on the impact of breathing and
relaxation on pain management, as well as the psychosocial benefits
and therapeutic value of self-expression in the arts. The musical
theater intensive and performance are produced in partnership with
the Los Angeles-based Believe
Limited to help empower the bleeding disorder community through the
power of music, performance and the arts.
"Young adults with bleeding disorders need a creative outlet
that allows them to express what they are thinking or feeling, and
specifically showcase how their lives are impacted," said
Patrick James Lynch, Believe Limited
CEO and 'Breaking Through!' director. "We were blown away by the
talent and thoughtfulness of the applicants. We applaud BioMarin
for helping these teens bring their stories and talent to life as
we also introduce them to just how beneficial the arts can be for
young people affected by chronic illness!"
The twenty-five high school students selected have either
hemophilia or another bleeding disorder, are genetic carriers of a
bleeding disorder, or are a sibling or child of someone with a
bleeding disorder. The participants selected for the 2018
production of 'Hemophilia: The Musical' are:
- Carson McCabe – Arvada, CO
- Kailea Whatley – Stone Mountain, GA
- Jacob Hoernlein – Monroe, NC
- Lillian Omerso – New Albany, IN
- Natalie Rubin – Tampa, FL
- William B – Bronxville,
NY
- Emma Gould – Agoura Hills, CA
- Turtle Leach – Rigby, ID
- Elijah Eke – Louisville, KY
- Dominic Fernandez – Lebanon, OR
- Porus Pavri – Allendale, NJ
- Karissa Willette – Pulaski, WI
- Patrick Zeppieri – Davenport, FL
- Khalil Dance – Fort Wayne, IN
- Samson Sperry – Cottonwood Heights, UT
- Irina Floyd – Kapaa, HI
- Zak Stengel – New York City, NY
- JonCarlos Ley – Baltimore,
MD
- Elijah Johnson – Akron, OH
- Colin Orth – Chippewa Falls, WI
- Nathan Mermilliod – Riverside, CA
- Destini Sharp – Phelan, CA
- Kaytrien Hall – Casco, ME
- Trent Clayton – Westchester, PA
- Hannah James – Prairieville, LA
"Research has shown us time and again that creative expression
and the arts can have a positive and lasting impact on the
emotions, attitudes and beliefs of people with health disorders,
contributing to greater health and wellness for those individuals,"
said Jeremy Nobel, M.D.,
Harvard Medical School faculty member,
and founder and president of The Foundation of Art & Healing
and UnLonely Project. "Programs like 'Breaking Through!' and
productions like 'Hemophilia: The Musical' provide a unique and
important opportunity for these young adults to communicate their
unique experiences in a collaborative and creative
environment."
"We are proud to sponsor this pioneering program for teens that
provides an unexpected creative outlet to young people with
bleeding disorders and can contribute to well-being," said
Hank Fuchs, M.D., President of
Worldwide Research and Development at BioMarin. "We are
thrilled to be a part in sharing this first-of-its-kind workshop
and performance. Our hope is that this program will reach
beyond the teens performing in the musical and provide learnings
for the broader community on the connection between artistic
expression and wellness."
BioMarin announced the 'Breaking Through!' Musical
Theater Intensive on July 9, 2018 and
accepted applications through September 1,
2018. Learn more about the workshop at:
BreakingThroughHemophilia.com.
About Hemophilia A
Hemophilia A, also called factor
VIII (FVIII) deficiency or classic hemophilia, is a genetic
disorder caused by missing or defective factor VIII, a clotting
protein. Although it is passed down from parents to children, about
1/3 of cases are caused by a spontaneous mutation, a new mutation
that was not inherited. Approximately 1 in 10,000 people is born
with Hemophilia A. People living with the disease are not able to
form blood clots efficiently and are at risk for excessive bleeding
from modest injuries, potentially endangering their lives. People
with severe hemophilia often bleed spontaneously into their muscles
or joints. The standard of care for the 43 percent of individuals
with hemophilia A who are severely affected is a prophylactic
regimen of Factor VIII infusions two to three times per week. Even
with prophylactic regimens, many people still experience
spontaneous bleeding events that result in progressive and
debilitating joint damage.
About Believe Limited
Believe Limited is an
award-winning boutique agency focused on creating educational,
inspirational and deeply impactful digital content, live events,
podcasts and more for rare disease communities, with a
deeply-rooted focus in hemophilia and bleeding disorders. Our work
has been honored by the National Hemophilia Foundation (NHF),
Hemophilia Federation of America (HFA) and the WEBBYs. To learn
more about our content and programming, please visit
www.BelieveLTD.com.
About BioMarin
BioMarin is a global biotechnology
company that develops and commercializes innovative therapies for
people with serious and life-threatening rare disorders. The
company's portfolio consists of seven commercialized products and
multiple clinical and pre-clinical product candidates.
BioMarin is researching a gene therapy candidate for Hemophilia A
in multiple ongoing clinical trials.
For additional information, please visit www.BMRN.com.
Information on BioMarin's website is not incorporated by reference
into this press release.
BioMarin® is a registered trademark of BioMarin Pharmaceutical
Inc.
Contacts:
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Investors:
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Media:
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Traci
McCarty
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Debra
Charlesworth
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BioMarin
Pharmaceutical Inc.
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BioMarin
Pharmaceutical Inc.
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(415)
455-7558
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(415)
455-7451
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SOURCE BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc.