ViroPharma Proudly Supports HAE Day :-) 2013

MAIDENHEAD, England, May 16, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

HAE Day:-) takes place on 16 May 2013 and aims to raise awareness of Hereditary Angioedema (HAE)

ViroPharma Incorporated (NASDAQ: VPHM), today announced its support of the second annual international Hereditary Angioedema Day.

HAE Day:-)  is coordinated by the HAEi, the International Patient Organization for C1 Inhibitor Deficiency, along with the support of its National Member Organizations and encourages patient organisations from across the globe to organise awareness-raising activities around the theme 'Many faces, one family'. The day aims to raise awareness of HAE among the general public and medical community in order to create an environment with earlier and more accurate diagnosis, improved care and knowledge that HAE patients can lead a normal life.

HAE is a rare, debilitating and potentially life-threatening genetic disorder affecting about 10,000 people across Europe.^[1] People living with the condition suffer from recurrent and disabling attacks of swelling that can affect the larynx, abdomen, face, extremities and urogenital tract.

"HAE is a complicated disease that can take many years to diagnose. HAE Day is an exciting event which raises awareness of the condition and helps to ensure patients are diagnosed and treated quickly," said Kristina Broadbelt, Director, Global Advocacy, ViroPharma. "At ViroPharma, we have been working with the HAE community for nearly five years. We are delighted to support this year's HAE Day and we are proud of the difference that we may be able to make in patients' lives."

To learn more about HAE Day events happening in your local area, please visit http://www.haeday.org  

ViroPharma provides treatments for patients living with rare diseases including hereditary angioedema, adrenal insufficiency, prolonged, acute, convulsive seizures in children, and Clostridium difficile infection.

As part of its commitment to improving the lives of patients with HAE in Europe, ViroPharma sponsors and funds the Hereditary Angioedema Burden of Illness Study in Europe (HAE-BOIS-Europe), an innovative, patient-centric, multi-country study of the humanistic and economic burden of HAE to address and improve current knowledge gaps surrounding the condition.

ViroPharma Incorporated is based in Exton, Pennsylvania, US, and also has offices in Canada and in eight European countries including Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. ViroPharma is continuing to grow its footprint and presence in Europe, and to support this growth, ViroPharma's wholly-owned European subsidiary was set up in 2007, leveraging in Europe the company's expertise in the development and commercialisation of biotechnology products, and in business development.

About Hereditary Angioedema (HAE)

HAE is a rare, severely debilitating, life-threatening genetic disorder caused by a deficiency of C1 inhibitor, a human plasma protein. This condition is the result of a defect in the gene controlling the synthesis of C1 inhibitor. C1 inhibitor maintains the natural regulation of the contact, complement, and fibrinolytic systems, and when left unregulated, can initiate or perpetuate an attack by consuming the already low levels of endogenous C1 inhibitor in HAE patients. Patients with C1 inhibitor deficiency experience recurrent, unpredictable, debilitating, and potentially life threatening attacks of inflammation affecting the larynx, abdomen, face, extremities and urogenital tract. Patients with HAE experience approximately 20 to 100 days of incapacitation per year. There are estimated to be at least 10,000 people in Europe with HAE, with up to 1,850 cases in the UK.^[1]

For more information on HAE, please visit the HAEi's (International Patient Organization for C1 Inhibitor Deficiencies) website at  http://www.haei.org/

About ViroPharma Incorporated

ViroPharma Incorporated is an international biopharmaceutical company committed to developing and commercialising novel solutions for physician specialists to address unmet medical needs of patients living with diseases that have few, if any, clinical therapeutic options, including C1 esterase inhibitor deficiency, treatment of seizures in children and adolescents, adrenal insufficiency, and Clostridium difficile infection (CDI). Our goal is to provide rewarding careers to employees, to create new standards of care in the way serious diseases are treated, and to build international partnerships with the patients, advocates, and healthcare professionals we serve.

Forward Looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release contain forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements provide our current expectations or forecasts of future events, including our ability to continue to deliver solutions that address critical gaps in care for patients living with few, if any, clinical treatment options. There can be no assurance that we will be successful in our efforts to make a difference to patients' lives. These factors, and other factors, including, but not limited to those described in our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012 and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission for the periods ended March 31, 2013, could cause future results to differ materially from the expectations expressed in this press release. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date hereof and may become outdated over time. ViroPharma does not assume any responsibility for updating any forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing our assessments as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release

References;

1. Agostoni A, Aygoren-Pursun E, Binkley KE, et al. Hereditary and acquired angioedema: problems and progress: proceedings of the third C1 esterase inhibitor deficiency workshop and beyond. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2004;114(3 Suppl):S51-131.. Last accessed on February 6, 2012.