CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Feb. 29, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:AEGR), an emerging biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of novel therapeutics to treat debilitating rare diseases, announced today its alliance with the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD), Rare Diseases Europe (EURORDIS) and Canadian Organization of Rare Disorders (CORD), and The Global Genes Project in observance of the annual Rare Disease Day.
Chief Executive Officer Mary Szela commented, “We are proud to join with others in the community to raise awareness of rare diseases and ensure the voice of the patient is heard. We are motivated every day by a passion to support awareness, advocacy and the development of treatments that can have a meaningful impact for these rare diseases.”
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.us or www.rarediseaseday.org.
About Aegerion Pharmaceuticals
Aegerion Pharmaceuticals is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development and commercialization of innovative therapies for patients with debilitating rare diseases. For more information about the company, please visit www.aegerion.com.