CORPORATE PRESS RELEASE
CALL TO ACTION TO IMPROVE DETECTION AND MANAGEMENT OF HEPATIC ENCEPHALOPATHY IN EUROPE
LONDON, UK, Monday 28 September 2015, 07:00 GMT+1 – Norgine B.V. today announced that it has sponsored a new campaign led by the European Liver Patients Association (ELPA). Time to DeLiver: Optimising Patient Outcomes in Hepatic Encephalopathy, Abstract P38 was presented at the weekend at the EASL Special Conference, 25-27 September, Glasgow.1
The campaign ‘Time to DeLiver’ aims to drive greater awareness of hepatic encephalopathy and its impact on patients and their families, health systems and policy makers, and to improve identification and management of this debilitating condition.[1] The full campaign report ‘Time To DeLiver: Getting a Grip on Hepatic Encephalopathy’ will be launched on Monday 12 October at 18:30 at the European Parliament, Brussels.
Hepatic encephalopathy is a potentially life-threatening neuropsychiatric condition associated with liver disease. Hepatic encephalopathy affects approximately 200,000 people in Europe who suffer from advanced chronic liver disease.[2],[3] Hepatic encephalopathy remains underdiagnosed and under-treated, resulting in poor quality of life for patients and high burden on their carers, families and society.
To register to attend the launch of the report on Monday 12 October 2015 please contact: timetodeliver@toniclc.com.
Ends
GL/COR/0915/0043
September 2015
Notes to Editors
About Hepatic Encephalopathy (HE)
HE is a serious and potentially life-threatening neuropsychiatric condition associated with liver cirrhosis.[4] Severe HE has been estimated to affect 30-45 per cent of people with cirrhosis and symptoms include disorientation, confusion, inappropriate behaviour and personality change.[5] Hepatic encephalopathy results from a damaged liver that is not able to detoxify the blood as efficiently as usual. Toxins build up in the bloodstream and eventually in the brain, which leads to neurological
disorders. 2, [6]
About ELPA
ELPA's aim is to promote the interests of people with liver disease and in particular:
- to highlight the size of the problem;
- to promote awareness and prevention;
- to address the low profile of liver disease as compared to other areas of medicine such as heart disease;
- to share experience of successful initiatives;
- to work with professional bodies such as EASL and with the EU to ensure that treatment and care are harmonised across Europe to the highest standards.
ELPA emerged from a desire amongst European liver patient groups to share their experiences of the often very different approaches adopted in different countries. In June 2004, 13 patient groups from 10 European and Mediterranean Basin countries met to create the association. ELPA was formally launched in Paris on April 14th 2005 during the annual conference of the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) and now has 35 members from 27 countries.
About Norgine
Norgine is a European specialist pharmaceutical company that has been established for over 100 years. In 2014, Norgine’s total revenue was €296 million and the company employs over 1,000 people.
Norgine provides expertise and ‘know how’ in Europe to develop, manufacture and market products that offer real value to healthcare professionals, payers and patients. Norgine’s approach and infrastructure is integrated and focused upon ensuring that Norgine wins partnership opportunities for growth.
Norgine is headquartered in the Netherlands and its global operations are based in Amsterdam and in Harefield, UK. Norgine owns a R&D site in Hengoed, Wales and two manufacturing sites, one in Hengoed, Wales and one in Dreux, France.
For more information, please visit www.norgine.com
In 2012, Norgine established a complementary business Norgine Ventures, supporting innovative healthcare companies through the provision of debt-like financing in Europe and the US. For more information, please visit www.norgineventures.com.
NORGINE and the sail logo are trademarks of the Norgine group of companies.
Media Contacts:
Norgine
Isabelle Jouin, T: +44 (0)1895 453643
Charlotte Andrews, T: +44 (0)1895 453607
Follow us @norgine
ELPA
Margaret Walker, M: +44 (0) 7747 12175
References
[1] EASL Special Conference, Abstract: P38. Time to DeLiver: Optimising Patient Outcomes in Hepatic Encephalopathy
[2] Blachier M et al, EASL Burden of Liver Disease in Europe, 2013
[3] Amodio P et al, J Hepatol, 35 (2001) 37-45, 2001
[4] Morgan M. Chapter 8: Hepatic Encephalopathy in Patients with Cirrhosis. In: Dooley JS, Lok A, Burroughs A, Heathcote J, editors. Sherlock's Diseases of the Liver and Biliary System. 12th ed: Blackwell Publishing Ltd; 2011.
[5] Poordad F. Review article: the burden of hepatic encephalopathy, Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2006;25 (S1):3-9.
[6] Mullen KD. Review of the final report of the 1998 Working Party on definition, nomenclature and diagnosis of hepatic encephalopathy. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2007 Feb;25 Suppl 1:11-6