International pharmaceutical company Vifor Pharma raised awareness of iron deficiency, a malady affecting chronic disease sufferers, during the Feb. 15-18 European Crohn's and Colitis Organization (ECCO) Congress in Barcelona.
The drugmaker sponsored a duo of educational events, underwrote funding for a year of research into the disease, and donated 5,000 euros to a group in Spain that treats inflammatory bowel disease, a condition that often accompanies iron deficiency, Vifor Pharma said in a release.
“Iron deficiency can represent a significant burden for sufferers, particularly for those also having to deal with chronic conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease,” Dr. Thierry Teil, Vifor’s head of global medical affairs, said in the release. “By optimizing treatment, we can significantly improve the lives of these patients.
According to ECCO President Julian Panes, professor of gastroenterology at Barcelona Hospital, Vifor’s advocacy is designed to raise awareness of iron deficiency and its treatment.
"ECCO and Vifor Pharma's collaborative effort to promote research with a grant in iron deficiency for patients with inflammatory bowel disease is an excellent opportunity to advance our knowledge of how to manage this condition, which complicates IBD and significantly reduces the quality of life of our patients," Panes said in the release.
