Questcor Recognized by Child Neurology Foundation for Outstanding Corporate
Responsibility and Leadership
Company honored for its long-standing support of child neurology as well as
specific efforts to fund research and education related to infantile spasms
HAYWARD, Calif., Feb. 21, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Questcor
Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (QCOR) announced that it has been named the recipient of
the Child Neurology Foundation's first-ever Corporate Citizenship Award. The
Award honors Questcor's long-term commitment to support the child neurology
community as well as its specific efforts to fund education and research related
to infantile spasms (IS), a very rare but potentially catastrophic childhood
seizure disorder.
"One out of four children has a neurological problem, and it will take everyone's
advocacy to ensure the best quality of life for all affected children," said
Lawrence W. Brown, MD, Associate Professor of Neurology and Pediatrics at the
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and President of the Child Neurology
Foundation (CNF).
Dr. Brown, who is also the president of the CNF Board of Directors, noted that in
addition to specific initiatives focused on infantile spasms, Questcor also
supports the Swaiman Medical Scholarship Program, a mentoring program funded by
CNF that provides up to 10 summer clinical research scholarships. He also praised
the company for making a 10-year commitment to funding the Child Neurology
Society's Phillip R. Dodge Young Investigator Award.
"Questcor has shown outstanding corporate responsibility and leadership,
demonstrating how industry can be full partners with physicians, scientists, and
parents," Dr. Brown said. "The Child Neurology Foundation is pleased to recognize
Questcor's comprehensive scope and extraordinary efforts toward this goal with
the first CNF Corporate Citizenship Award. Questcor has been creative and
extremely generous with projects from Infantile Spasms Awareness Week to the
restoration of the Swaiman Medical Student Summer Scholarship Program and the
signature commitment that will go far to endow the Child Neurology Society's
Dodge Young Investigator Award."
Steve Cartt, Executive Vice President and Chief Business Officer for Questcor,
accepted the Corporate Citizenship Award on behalf of the company this past
Saturday at CNF's annual fundraiser in Minneapolis.
"We are honored to receive this recognition from the Child Neurology Foundation,"
Cartt said. "Further research into infantile spasms is imperative and we feel
strongly about supporting initiatives that will advance the knowledge and
treatment of this devastating condition. We also feel very strongly about
supporting the child neurology community in general and to help advance the cause
of research and education related to pediatric neurological disorders, including
infantile spasms."
For the past three years, Questcor has supplied CNF an unrestricted educational
grant to help fund Infantile Spasms Awareness Week. The goal of IS Awareness Week
is to provide pediatricians, child neurologists, parents, and caregivers with
objective educational tools that will help increase awareness and understanding
of infantile spasms.
As part of this education effort, CNF has developed a website,
infantilespasmsinfo.org, an educational IS brochure and DVD that
provides information on IS from leading child neurologists and shares stories
from families coping with this devastating condition. Questcor also provided CNF
a grant for the IS Hero Award that recognizes a deserving child neurologist and
medical institution, nominated by a parent, for making a positive difference in
the life of a child with IS. In addition, the company funds a yearly grant which
supports basic research into IS.
Infantile Spasms
Infantile Spasms is a severe, ultra-rare form of epilepsy that affects infants,
with onset typically occurring during the first year of life in about 90 percent
of cases. IS incidence is estimated at approximately 2,000 new cases in the U.S.
per year, which can be classified as an ultra-orphan disease. For comparison,
orphan disease designation pertains to diseases that affect fewer than 200,000
people in the US. IS patients experience rapid, characteristic muscular
contraction or extensions lasting one to two seconds and occurring in clusters
ranging from a few spasms to more than 100 spasms per cluster. Often, in the
beginning, the attacks are brief, infrequent and not typical, so it is quite
common for the diagnosis to be delayed. Frequently, due to the pattern of the
attacks and the cry that an infant gives during or after an attack, the attacks
are sometimes initially thought to be due to colic or gastric distress.
About the Child Neurology Foundation
Founded in October 2000, the Child Neurology Foundation was created as the
outreach and philanthropic arm of the Child Neurology Society. Members of the CNS
include more than 1,300 child neurologists from the United States, Canada, as
well as more than 30 other countries around the world.
The Foundation's mission is to advocate for children and adolescents with
neurologic and developmental disorders; fund neurologic research of young
investigators; promote awareness of career opportunities in child neurology;
provide public, professional, and patient education programs; and support the
activities and mission of the CNS.
For more information on the CNF, please visit
childneurologyfoundation.org.
About Questcor Pharmaceuticals
Questcor is a biopharmaceutical company whose products help patients with
serious, difficult-to-treat medical conditions. Questcor's specific areas of
focus are in the fields of neurology and nephrology and the company is currently
supporting research efforts in a variety of conditions having significant unmet
medical need. Questcor was recently selected by Forbes as the #1 rated small
company in America. For more information, please visit questcor.com. |
