BARCELONA, Spain, April 17, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --Grifols, S.A. (MCE: GRF, MCE: GRF.P and NASDAQ: GRFS) today announced that it will donate up to 20 million units of coagulation therapies in each of the next three (3) years to the World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH). Grifols has been a proud supporter of the WFH and its noble efforts for nearly a decade - and this unprecedented product donation represents its largest commitment to date. According to the WFH, this donation of blood clotting factor products will secure an average of 40,000 doses to treat approximately 10,000 patients in developing countries worldwide through 2017, where access to adequate treatment is often lacking or absent.
Grifols produces plasma-derived medicines to treat rare, genetic diseases such as hemophilia, and also develops solutions for the diagnoses of bleeding disorders. The donated therapies will be delivered from Grifols' manufacturing facilities in California and North Carolina to a WFH-USA location, where it will then be distributed internationally by the WFH to patients in need. Grifols plans to increase its production volumes of varying vial sizes and concentrations in order to specifically meet its donation commitment to the WFH, with the first shipment planned for Q4 2014.
"World Hemophilia Day represents ideal timing for Grifols to reaffirm our long-standing commitment to bleeding disorders and the hemophilia community," said Christopher Healey, Vice President of Public Affairs for the company. "In addition to obtaining treatments for hemophilia patients, the WFH does a tremendous job of raising awareness about bleeding disorders and advocating for patients. We are thrilled to be prominently partnered with them in their humanitarian efforts."
An estimated 400,000 people around the world have hemophilia, yet only 25% receive adequate treatment. Grifols' donation supports the second decade of WFH's Global Alliance for Progress (GAP) program aimed at increasing the number of patients diagnosed and treated for bleeding disorders, particularly in the world's most impoverished countries.
"This generous multi-year commitment from Grifols is perfectly aligned with the WFH philosophy of providing sustainable, predictable care in developing countries," said Alain Weill, President, World Federation of Hemophilia.
Hemophilia is a hereditary bleeding disorder that prevents blood from clotting properly due to lack of a protein (clotting factor) that controls bleeding. Bleeding into joints and muscles can cause stiffness, pain, severe joint damage, disability, and sometimes death. Patients with more severe hemophilia require larger and more frequent doses of blood clotting factors.
For more information about the WFH, hemophilia and other bleeding disorders go to http://www.wfh.org/
About Grifols
Grifols is a global healthcare company with a 70-year legacy of improving people's health and well being through the development of life-saving plasma medicines, hospital pharmacy products and diagnostic technology for clinical use.
The company is present in more than 100 countries worldwide and its headquarters are located in Barcelona, Spain. Grifols is a leader in plasma collection with a network of 150 plasma donation centers in the U.S., and a leading producer of plasma-derived biological medicines. The company provides a comprehensive range of solutions for in vitro diagnostics for clinical laboratories, blood banks and blood transfusion services, and it is a point of reference in the field of transfusion medicine.
In 2013, sales exceeded 2,740 million euros with a headcount of 13,200 employees. Annually, Grifols allocates approximately 5% of income to R&D; this investment is evidence of its commitment to scientific progress.
The company's class A shares are listed on the Spanish Stock Exchange, where they are part of the Ibex-35 (MCE:GRF). Its non-voting class B shares are listed on the Mercado Continuo (MCE:GRF.P) and on the U.S. NASDAQ via ADRs (NASDAQ: GRFS). For more information visit www.grifols.com
SOURCE Grifols, S.A.
