In a world of 7,000 rare diseases, many stories go untold. That’s why CSL Behring chose to turn a spotlight on Hemophilia B through an episode of “Medical Stories,” a new series headed for U.S. public television through the Public Broadcasting System (PBS).
Hemophilia B, a bleeding disorder, affects 4,000 to 5,000 people in the United States and thousands more around the world. A hereditary disease, someone who has Hemophilia B lacks Factor IX, one of the components of blood that’s needed to help blood clot as it should. Clotting is the body’s process for stopping bleeding. Hemophilia B can vary in severity and may require treatment with replacement therapy.
”Focusing on our patients starts with raising awareness of rare conditions, like hemophilia B,” shares Nicole McInerney Rich, CSL Behring’s director of US marketing for coagulation products. “This series is a terrific opportunity to reach a large audience, via PBS, and elevate the understanding of the history of hemophilia B and highlight just how far treatment and the hemophilia B community has come.
The company partnered with producers Inventi Media Group, which says the series is about “improving and transforming lives through amazing untold stories of courage and triumph, while bestowing viewers with newfound knowledge and awareness, and inspiring and encouraging the audience with a patient’s hope for an optimistic future and the stamina to survive.”
The episode on Hemophilia B digs into the history of this disease and different eras of treatments. The show features Mark Reding, a hematologist and associate professor of medicine at University of Minnesota Medical School; Hemophilia B patient Ben Shuldiner; Dawn Rotellini, a leader at the National Hemophilia Foundation; and the dolphins of Island Dolphin Care in Key Largo, Florida.
We’ll share air dates when the schedule is released and we’ll also host the full episode on CSLBehring.com. Coming soon!
