Shire conducts initiatives to support World Rare Disease Day

Shire has conducted a number of initiatives across various territories in order to support World Rare Disease Day 2011, which took place on the last day of February.

In order to mark the event, the company has expanded its BraveCommunity.com online resource for genetic disease information to UK audiences, as well as sponsoring awareness events in Switzerland.

Additionally, it supported the Global Genes Project's Wear That You Care campaign by handing out denim blue ribbons to staff members at its worldwide corporate sites.

World Rare Disease Day is coordinated in Europe annually by the European Organisation for Rare Diseases and is designed to highlight the unmet medical needs of patients suffering from uncommon conditions.

Sylvie Gregoire, president for human genetic therapies at Shire, said: "We are proud to support World Rare Disease Day and hope that this day can highlight the amazing people who encompass the rare disease community."

Last month, the company published its financial report for 2010, a year which saw Shire achieve its best-ever annual product sales performance.