CSL Behring awards four advocacy grants to patient organizations in the U.S.

CSL Behring, a global leader in the plasma-protein biotherapies industry and a subsidiary of CSL Limited (ASX:CSL), has awarded four advocacy grants totaling $87,000 to patient organizations in the United States through the Local Empowerment for Advocacy Development (LEAD) program. LEAD grants support grassroots advocacy efforts by organizations committed to helping people who use plasma-derived or recombinant therapies manage their health conditions. Since the LEAD program’s inception in 2008, CSL Behring has awarded more than $340,000 in four semi-annual grant cycles. The deadline for the fifth round of grant requests is April 30, 2010. Applications, specific criteria for applying and more information about the LEAD program are available at www.cslbehring.com/leadgrants.

“The creation of the Advocacy Boot Camp program gives us the structure needed to provide comprehensive advocacy training to our chapter leaders that can be easily replicated at the state level. The funds received from the LEAD grant will assist us in rolling out this important program.”

“CSL Behring is pleased to recognize four patient organizations who advocate for patient access to care with LEAD Grants,” said Dennis Jackman, Senior Vice President, Public Affairs, CSL Behring. “Each of these organizations shares our company’s commitment to saving and improving the lives of people with rare and serious diseases. Each has also made a significant difference in helping people with chronic illnesses gain access to the therapies they need to live normal healthy lives. Whether working at the state or the federal level, these organizations make a real difference in the lives of people who rely on biotherapies for their health and well-being.”

In this most recent round of awards, LEAD grants were awarded to four patient organizations focused on chronic illness:

• National Hemophilia Foundation
• Advocacy for Patients with Chronic Illness, Inc.
• Hemophilia and Bleeding Disorders of Alabama
• Great Lakes Hemophilia Foundation

The National Hemophilia Foundation (NHF), located in New York City, received funding to conduct advocacy boot camps in conjunction with 2010 regional training programs. The boot camps are designed to give bleeding disorder community members the skills necessary to advocate for their healthcare. The camps will also train advocacy officers to serve as next year’s boot camp volunteer instructors, thereby growing a nationwide Hemophilia Advocacy Corps.

“To fully achieve our organization’s vision, we must build our national capacity to maintain and achieve access to care for people with bleeding disorders,” remarked Val Bias, Chief Executive Officer, NHF. “The creation of the Advocacy Boot Camp program gives us the structure needed to provide comprehensive advocacy training to our chapter leaders that can be easily replicated at the state level. The funds received from the LEAD grant will assist us in rolling out this important program.”

Advocacy for Patients with Chronic Illness, Inc., located in Farmington, CT, received funding to develop an online patient resource center. This online center will help patients who rely on intravenous immune globulin (IVIg) therapies find the resources they need to maintain insurance coverage for their therapy. The founder of the organization, Jennifer C. Jaff, Esq., elaborated, “Advocacy for Patients with Chronic Illness is committed to ensuring that patients with chronic illnesses – including immune and auto-immune diseases – have access to the healthcare they need to lead productive lives. The creation of an IVIg Patient Resource Center will give patients the necessary tools to find insurance coverage for their medication. We are proud that CSL Behring has chosen to support this important project.”

Hemophilia and Bleeding Disorders of Alabama (HBDA), headquartered in Montgomery, AL, was awarded a grant to help enact standards of care legislation in the Alabama legislature. These standards of care would establish a baseline of services that a home healthcare company must offer in order to be a recognized provider of blood clotting factors. In addition, these standards would also require reimbursement by state regulated insurers of all blood clotting factors licensed by the FDA. The Executive Director of HBDA, Vicki Jackson, expressed her pleasure at receiving the grant. “On behalf of Hemophilia and Bleeding Disorders of Alabama, we would like to express our sincere gratitude to CSL Behring for their generous contribution of a LEAD Grant. These funds will go a long way in helping us achieve our advocacy goals as part of our mission to improve the quality of life for individuals and their families who suffer with bleeding disorders. The goal is to implement a ‘standard of care’ that is consistent for all providers in the state of Alabama.”

Similarly, the Great Lakes Hemophilia Foundation (GLHF) of Milwaukee, WI received a grant to assist with the Foundation’s outreach efforts to legislators and regulators to ensure access to all blood clotting factors through the Wisconsin Medicaid program or the Wisconsin Chronic Disease program. “Great Lakes Hemophilia Foundation is committed to ensuring an open formulary as well as adequate funding, coverage and reimbursement for clotting factor concentrates for Wisconsin bleeding disorders patients through Medicaid and the Wisconsin Chronic Disease program. We are grateful to CSL Behring for supporting our government advocacy goals with a LEAD grant,” said the Executive Director of GLHF, Sandra L. Lampman.

LEAD grants are awarded semi-annually. The deadline for the fifth round of grant requests is April 30, 2010. Grants will be awarded by June.