CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Feb. 29, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:AEGR), an emerging biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of novel therapeutics to treat severe lipid disorders, announced today its alliance with the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD), Rare Diseases Europe (EURORDIS) and Canadian Organization of Rare Disorders (CORD) in observance of the annual Rare Disease Day.
"In alliance with the patients, advocacy groups and other companies in the rare disease space, we are committed to creating awareness about rare diseases and to finding treatments for these underserved patients," said Marc D. Beer, Chief Executive Officer. "It is our ongoing mission to advance lomitapide development in order to improve care for people with rare lipid disorders."
In the United States, a rare disease is defined as one that affects fewer than 200,000 persons. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), there are nearly 7,000 rare diseases affecting nearly 30 million Americans. Rare Disease Day was established by EURORDIS and was first observed in Europe in 2008. In 2009, EURORDIS partnered with NORD for this initiative in the U.S. For more information about Rare Disease Day, visit www.rarediseaseday.org.
Aegerion recently completed a Phase III pivotal trial for orphan drug candidate, lomitapide, a small molecule, once-a-day, oral therapy to treat homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HoFH). HoFH is a rare genetic lipid disorder resulting in an accumulation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C), often referred to as bad cholesterol, in the blood. Patients with HoFH are at severely high risk of experiencing a heart attack or stroke in their twenties, and if untreated, patients with HoFH generally die before the age of thirty.
About Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:AEGR) aspires to change the way rare, genetic lipid disorders are treated. We are an emerging biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of a novel life-altering therapeutic for debilitating and often fatal orphan diseases. Aegerion is motivated by its commitment to patients first. We are also attentive to our core values of integrity, innovation, responsibility to healthcare providers, development of employees and always – scientific and clinical excellence.