Pulmonary Hypertension Association Names Actelion Pharmaceuticals Recipient of 2010 Corporation of the Year Award

SILVER SPRING, Md. and SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., June 28 /PRNewswire/ -- The Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA) and Actelion Pharmaceuticals US, Inc. today announced Actelion has been named the recipient of the 2010 Corporation of the Year Award. The annual award is presented to a company who has shown an outstanding commitment to supporting the pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) patient community and helping to realize the mission of the PHA.

Among the highlights of this year's contributions, Actelion provided physicians and other healthcare professionals with the latest information on the diagnosis and management of PAH by supporting PHA's medical education program. Importantly, Actelion is the sole sponsor of the REVEAL (Registry to Evaluate Early and Long Term PAH Disease Management) Registry, the largest PAH patient database that evaluates the clinical course and disease management of patients with PAH. Actelion also donated a matching fund to "Path to a Cure," which sent three healthcare professionals to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro to spotlight the symptoms of PAH that patients endure.

"Actelion is the first company to receive the Corporation of the Year Award twice, which is a clear demonstration of their ongoing support and commitment to the Pulmonary Hypertension Association and improving the care of patients in our small, yet active patient community," said Rino Aldrighetti, president of PHA. "From the beginning, Actelion has understood the value of supporting not only their products but the growth of the PAH community, including the sponsorship of novel resources like the REVEAL Registry."

"Actelion is honored to receive the Corporation of the Year Award and be recognized for our continued leadership and commitment to the PAH community," said Shal Jacobovitz, president of Actelion US. "We truly believe in the mission of the PHA and look forward to a continued partnership that will bring hope to the PAH community through support, education, awareness and innovative research."

Notes to Editor:

About Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a chronic, life-threatening disorder characterized by abnormally high blood pressure in the arteries between the heart and lungs of an affected individual. The function of the heart and lungs is severely compromised, manifested by a limited exercise capacity, and, ultimately, a reduced life expectancy. Approximately 100,000 people in Europe and the United States are afflicted with either primary or secondary forms of the disease related to conditions or tissue disorders that affect the lungs, such as scleroderma, lupus, HIV/AIDS or congenital heart disease. 

The available therapies have shown positive treatment effects in patients with PAH, but they do not provide a cure, and in many patients the disease will progress. PAH remains a serious life-threatening condition [1, 2]. Early recognition and an understanding of the selection and timing of therapeutic options remain critical elements in the optimal management of PAH patients.

References

1. Humbert M; Sitbon O; Simonneau G. Treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension. N. Eng. J. Med. 2004;351:1425-36.

2. Humbert M; Morrell NW; Archer SL; et al. Cellular and molecular pathobiology of pulmonary arterial hypertension. J. Am. Coll. Cardiol. 2004; 43: Suppl. 12: 13S-24S. 

About the Pulmonary Hypertension Association

Headquartered in Silver Spring, Md., PHA is the country's leading organization connecting pulmonary hypertension patients, families, and medical professionals. Its mission is to find ways to prevent and cure pulmonary hypertension and provide hope for the community through support, education, advocacy and awareness. PHA provides free access to information on its website about PH and facilitates over 200 support groups around the nation, helping many of the estimated 30,000 diagnosed patients in the U.S. To learn more, visit: www.PHAssociation.org

Actelion Ltd

Actelion Ltd is a biopharmaceutical company with its corporate headquarters in Allschwil/Basel, Switzerland. Actelion markets its medicinal products through its own subsidiaries in key markets worldwide, including the United States (based in South San Francisco), the European Union, Japan, Canada, Australia and Switzerland. Actelion, founded in late 1997, is a leading player in innovative science related to the endothelium - the single layer of cells separating every blood vessel from the blood stream. Actelion's over 2,300 employees focus on the discovery, development and marketing of innovative drugs for significant unmet medical needs. Actelion shares are traded on the SIX Swiss Exchange (ticker symbol: ATLN) as part of the Swiss blue-chip index SMI (Swiss Market Index SMI®).

SOURCE Pulmonary Hypertension Association; Actelion Ltd