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Daiichi Sankyo, Inc. and the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation Launch Get Iron Informed

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March 27, 2018

New campaign aims to educate people about Iron Deficiency Anemia, a condition that affects 36 to 76 percent of people with inflammatory bowel diseases¹

Basking Ridge, N.J. and New York, N.Y. (March 27, 2018) – Daiichi Sankyo, Inc. and the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation today announced the launch of Get Iron Informed, a new campaign that aims to raise awareness of Iron Deficiency Anemia (IDA) among people living with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Known collectively as inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis affect an estimated 1.6 million people in the United States.² At GetIronInformed.com, patients can access easy-to-understand information, educational resources, and videos about IDA, and learn the importance of knowing their iron levels.

“So many IBD patients are living with IDA without even knowing it. And for those who do know, there are limited tools and resources for them to find out more about their disease,” said Michael Osso, President and CEO of the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation. “To help address this gap in resources, we’ve collaborated with Daiichi Sankyo, Inc. and Dr. Jason Hou to develop a campaign that empowers people living with IBD to learn about IDA and talk with their doctors about their iron levels.”

IDA is a common type of anemia that usually occurs when iron levels are insufficient to generate healthy red blood cells.³ In the United States, IDA is estimated to affect five million adults.⁴ Mild to moderate IDA may have no signs or symptoms, but as it progresses, IDA patients can present with fatigue, shortness of breath, chest pain, headaches, dizziness, or brittle nails. Severe IDA can also lead to heart problems, infections, and other complications.³

“It’s important that people with IBD listen to their bodies and talk to their doctors if they notice any signs or symptoms of IDA,” said Dr. Jason Hou, Gastroenterologist at Baylor College of Medicine. “I always encourage my patients to speak up when they feel symptoms, so that we can work together to manage their health and develop a plan that best suits their individual needs.”

IDA is estimated to affect 36 to 76 percent of people living with IBD. IDA is especially common in IBD patients because they may have ulcerations or small tears in their digestive tract, leading to iron loss. IBD also causes intestinal inflammation, making it more difficult for IBD patients to absorb iron from their diet.¹ Because signs and symptoms alone cannot diagnose IDA, it’s important for people living with IBD to speak openly about their health with their doctors.

“Iron is an essential mineral that helps to keep you in good health – without it, your body is not able to produce red blood cells and transport oxygen³,” said Dr. Linda Mundy, Chief Medical Officer at Luitpold Pharmaceuticals, a member of the Daiichi Sankyo Group. “Our goal is to provide people living with IBD access to information about IDA. Through our partnership with the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, we are proud to develop new content that reinforces our commitment to enhancements in patient-physician dialogue.”

For more information about IDA and the Get Iron Informed campaign, please visit GetIronInformed.com.

About Get Iron Informed

Get Iron Informed is a campaign developed in collaboration between Daiichi Sankyo, Inc. and the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation to raise awareness about Iron Deficiency Anemia (IDA), a condition that affects 36 to 76 percent of people living with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD).¹ At GetIronInformed.com, patients can access easy-to-understand information and resources, including educational videos and an infographic about IDA, and learn the importance of knowing their iron levels. For more information, visit GetIronInformed.com.

About Daiichi Sankyo

Daiichi Sankyo Group is dedicated to the creation and supply of innovative pharmaceutical products to address diversified, unmet medical needs of patients in both mature and emerging markets. With over 100 years of scientific expertise and a presence in more than 20 countries, Daiichi Sankyo and its 15,000 employees around the world draw upon a rich legacy of innovation and a robust pipeline of promising new medicines to help people. In addition to a strong portfolio of medicines for hypertension and thrombotic disorders, under the Group's 2025 Vision to become a "Global Pharma Innovator with a Competitive Advantage in Oncology," Daiichi Sankyo research and development is primarily focused on bringing forth novel therapies in oncology, including immuno-oncology, with additional focus on new horizon areas, such as pain management, neurodegenerative diseases, heart and kidney diseases, and other rare diseases. For more information, please visit: www.daiichisankyo.com. Daiichi Sankyo, Inc., headquartered in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, is a member of the Daiichi Sankyo Group. For more information on Daiichi Sankyo, Inc., please visit: www.dsi.com.

About Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation

The Crohn's & Colitis Foundation is the largest non-profit, voluntary, health organization dedicated to finding cures for inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). The Foundation’s mission is to cure Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, and to improve the quality of life of children and adults who are affected by these diseases. The Foundation works to fulfill its mission by funding research; providing educational resources for patients and their families, medical professionals, and the public; and furnishing supportive services for those afflicted with IBD. For more information visit www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org, call 888-694-8872, or email info@crohnscolitisfoundation.org.

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1 Stein J, Hartmann F, Dignass AU. Diagnosis and management of iron deficiency anemia in patients with IBD. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2010;7(11):599-610.

2 Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation. What are Crohn’s & Colitis? http://www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/what-are-crohns-and-colitis/. Accessed December 2017.

3 U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Explore Iron Deficiency Anemia. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/ida. Accessed December 2017.

4 Miller, J. L. Iron Deficiency Anemia: A Common and Curable Disease. Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Medicine. 2013;3:a011866.

Alyssa Dargento
Daiichi Sankyo, Inc.
adargento@dsi.com
908-992-6632

Rebecca Kaplan
Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation
rkaplan@crohnscolitisfoundation.org
646-943-7415