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Pharming celebrates the 10th annual “hae day”

By 17/05/2021June 4th, 2021No Comments

Pharming Group N.V. (“Pharming” or “the Company”) (Euronext Amsterdam: PHARM) (NASDAQ: PHAR) supports the 10th annual “hae-day :-)”, the global awareness day for hereditary angioedema (HAE), a rare life-threatening condition.

On 16 May, the HAE community unites to raise awareness of HAE among the public and medical community to ensure every patient receives faster and more accurate diagnosis, and the care they need to manage the condition. National member organizations and HAE patient groups around the world support the event, led by HAE International (HAEi), the global umbrella organization for the world’s HAE patient groups.

Sijmen de Vries, Chief Executive Officer of Pharming, commented:

“We are proud to support the 10th annual hae-day 🙂 to raise awareness of HAE and better quality of live for patients and their families around the world. HAE is a rare genetic disorder that causes severe swelling of tissues, which can be fatal. Patients are also frequently misdiagnosed due to symptoms resembling more common conditions. Pharming remains dedicated to making a positive difference to patients with this rare life-threatening condition so they can receive an accurate diagnosis and appropriate medical care.”

About HAE

Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is a rare genetic disorder. The condition is caused by a deficiency of the C1 esterase inhibitor protein, which is normally present in blood and helps control inflammation (swelling) and parts of the immune system. Deficient C1 inhibitor does not adequately perform its regulatory function and, as a result, a biochemical imbalance can occur and produce unwanted peptides that induce the capillaries to release fluids into surrounding tissue, thereby causing swelling or edema.

HAE is characterized by spontaneous and recurrent episodes of swelling (edema attacks) of the skin in different parts of the body, as well as in the airways and internal organs. Edema of the skin usually affects the extremities, the face, and the genitals. Patients suffering from this kind of edema often withdraw from their social lives because of the disfiguration, discomfort and pain these symptoms may cause. Almost all HAE patients suffer from bouts of severe abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea caused by swelling of the intestinal wall.

Edema of the throat, nose or tongue is particularly dangerous and potentially life-threatening as it can lead to obstruction of the airway passages. Although there is currently no known cure for HAE, it is possible to treat the symptoms associated with angioedema attacks. HAE affects about 1 in 10,000 to 1 in 50,000 people worldwide. Experts believe a lot of patients are still seeking the right diagnosis: although HAE is (in principle) easy to diagnose, it is frequently identified very late or not discovered at all. The reason HAE is often misdiagnosed is because the symptoms are similar to those of many other common conditions such as allergies or appendicitis. By the time it is diagnosed correctly, the patient has often been through a long ordeal.