PTC Therapeutics Announces Five Winners In Its First-ever Global Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Patient Group Award

STRIVE Awards Program Recognizes Excellence and Innovation in the Global Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Community

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Sep 04, 2015, 08:00 ET

SOUTH PLAINFIELD, N.J., Sept. 4, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- PTC Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: PTCT) is pleased to announce five recipients of its first-ever global awards program, the STRIVE Awards (Strategies to Realize Innovation, Vision and Empowerment), designed to aid nonprofit organizations that are committed to serving the Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) community. The announcement is made as the global DMD community prepares for the international World Duchenne Awareness Day on Monday, September 7, 2015.

"We are thrilled to present our STRIVE Awards to these organizations who are deeply passionate about making a positive difference in the lives of boys and young men affected by Duchenne muscular dystrophy," said Stuart W. Peltz, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer, PTC Therapeutics, Inc. "Our support through STRIVE helps these patient groups make their visions a reality, which will undoubtedly benefit the entire Duchenne community."

The impact of the STRIVE Awards will be felt around the world with awards granted to patient organizations in India, Israel, the Netherlands, Spain and the United States.

India	Muscular Dystrophy Foundation will establish a resource center in Tamil Nadu to help the local patient community
Israel	Little Steps Association for Children with Becker/Duchenne will create an assistant dog program to support and provide companionship to patients
The Netherlands	Dutch Duchenne Parent Project will update current standard of care guidelines to include emergency and adult care information
Spain	ASEM Federation will provide a week-long summer camp for children with neuromuscular diseases, including Duchenne
The United States	Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy will create a campaign for healthcare professionals and at-risk women to raise awareness about carrier issues in the DMD community

For complete information about STRIVE and each award recipient, please visit the STRIVE website at: http://www.ptcbio.com/en/about-ptc/ptc-strive-awards-program/

DMD is a rare genetic disorder that results in progressive muscle weakness from early childhood with subsequent loss of lower and then upper body function, leading to loss of the ability to walk at around 12 years of age. The STRIVE Awards recognize the vital role patient advocacy groups play in giving a voice to individuals affected by DMD, with the ultimate goal of facilitating unique, inventive ideas, methods or programs supporting patients and families within the DMD community. Award entries were received from 27 organizations from across 19 countries.

This awards program was established to support initiatives that will benefit the DMD community by increasing awareness, diagnosis and education, and fostering the development of future patient advocates. An independent panel of external experts with knowledge in rare diseases, patient advocacy and funding initiatives judged entries for feasibility, creativity, budget, impact and sustainability. Five one-year awards of $30,000 are being presented to each of the recipients.

"We have a tremendous amount of respect for the important services and programs provided by these organizations for the Duchenne muscular dystrophy community," said Mary Frances Harmon, Global Head of Patient Advocacy, PTC Therapeutics, Inc. "PTC Therapeutics shares the same commitment as each of these organizations with patients at the center of everything we do. We are delighted to have received such a positive response and really look forward to seeing these initiatives make a real impact on the lives of people living with this devastating condition."

About Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD)
Primarily affecting males, Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a progressive muscle disorder caused by the lack of functional dystrophin protein. Dystrophin is critical to the structural stability of skeletal, diaphragm, and heart muscles. Patients with DMD, the more severe form of the disorder, lose the ability to walk as early as age 10 and experience life-threatening lung and heart complications in their late teens and twenties. More information about DMD is available through the Muscular Dystrophy Association (www.mdausa.org), Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (www.parentprojectmd.org), Action Duchenne (www.actionduchenne.org), United Parent Projects Muscular Dystrophy (uppmd.org), Muscular Dystrophy Campaign (www.muscular-dystrophy.org) and AFM (l'Association francaise contre les myopathies), (www.afm-telethon.fr).

About PTC Therapeutics
PTC is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of orally administered, proprietary small molecule drugs targeting an area of RNA biology we refer to as post-transcriptional control. Post-transcriptional control processes are the regulatory events that occur in cells during and after a messenger RNA is copied from DNA through the transcription process. PTC's internally discovered pipeline addresses multiple therapeutic areas, including rare disorders, oncology and infectious diseases. PTC has discovered all of its compounds currently under development using its proprietary technologies. PTC plans to continue to develop these compounds both on its own and through selective collaboration arrangements with leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. For more information on the company, please visit our website www.ptcbio.com.

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SOURCE PTC Therapeutics, Inc.