Viddler

CSL Behring Provides $1.2M Grant for World's First Study of Postpartum Women with VWD, Common Bleeding Disorder

CSL Behring is providing a $1.2 million grant to fund a first-of-its kind, nationwide study that when completed could serve as the basis for determining optimal prophylaxis treatment for postpartum women with von Willebrand disease (VWD). Investigators anticipate that the study results will produce a better understanding of the physiology of VWD in the postpartum period, whether treatment is needed and, if so, for how long.

Von Willebrand disease (VWD) is the most common hereditary bleeding disorder in the United States, and is caused by a deficiency or abnormality of von Willebrand factor in the blood. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), von Willebrand disease affects 1 to 2 percent of Americans - as many as 2.8 million people - more than half of whom are women. VWD occurs in males and females. Women, though, may suffer severe health consequences, such as life-threatening bleeding following childbirth, if their condition is not correctly diagnosed and managed. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, recently issued the first clinical guidelines in the U.S. for the diagnosis and treatment of VWD, citing issues specific to women, such as labor and delivery, as an ongoing research need and opportunity. For more information on the guidelines go to www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/vwd/index.htm.

To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/cslbehring/32474/