Jeffrey Modell Foundation and Talecris Biotherapeutics Expand Diagnostic Services for Primary Immunodeficiencies at Packard Hospital

Unrestricted Educational Grant Supports Diagnosis and Patient Access to Care

STANFORD, Calif. – The Jeffrey Modell Foundation (JMF) and Talecris Biotherapeutics, Inc. have donated $150,000 to Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford to expand clinical care and outreach for children with primary immunodeficiency (PI), the two organizations announced today.
PI is a term that encompasses more than 150 diseases caused by an immune system that does not function properly. Stanford’s program, one of 37 worldwide supported by the JMF, focuses on the diagnosis, care, and treatment of people suffering from PI.

“Early recognition and diagnosis of PI can save lives and improve health outcomes for children,” said David B. Lewis, M.D., professor of pediatrics, immunology and transplantation biology. “The educational and diagnostic programs made possible through this support will improve care for patients with PI, and will also generate cutting edge research opportunities,” said Lewis, who also is director of the Jeffrey Modell Center for Research and Comprehensive Care for Primary Immunodeficiencies at Stanford University School of Medicine and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital.

“We are thrilled to support this important work at Packard Children’s Hospital, in collaboration with Talecris Biotherapeutics,” said Fred Modell, co-founder of the JMF. “Experts estimate that as many as 500,000 cases of PI remain undiagnosed in the United States, and our goal is to give every child a chance to lead a healthy, normal life.”

Vicki Modell, co-founder of the JMF, noted that “a large, undiagnosed population of children and young adults continues to suffer from these diseases, which keep them from enjoying a full life. For example, they often miss 30 or 40 days of school every year. Their illness interrupts their activities, detours their plans, and shatters their dreams.”

PI affects males and females of all ages, but the most severe forms are frequently detected in childhood. PI often can present in the form of common illnesses such as sinus infections, pneumonia, ear infections, and bronchitis. For this reason, families and doctors are often unaware that the troubling conditions that they are dealing with are actually rooted in a defect in the immune system, and may treat the symptoms rather than addressing the underlying cause. Failure to diagnose and treat PI can lead to serious chronic illness, permanent organ damage, or even death.

“The JMF’s unwavering dedication to the early diagnosis and treatment of PI is evident through its many very successful endeavors, the most recent being the expansion of diagnostic services and outreach at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital,” said Larry Stern, chairman and CEO of Talecris Biotherapeutics. “Talecris is proud to collaborate with JMF and Packard — an example of our ongoing commitment to improve the lives of so many patients with PI.”

Talecris and the JMF are long-standing partners in the effort to raise awareness and increase diagnosis of PI globally. In addition to establishing diagnostic centers around the world, Talecris and the JMF have collaborated on programs to raise PI awareness in the U.S. and Europe.

About Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital

Ranked as one of the nation’s top 10 pediatric hospitals by U.S. News & World Report, Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford is a 272-bed hospital devoted to the care of children and expectant mothers. Providing pediatric and obstetric medical and surgical services and associated with the Stanford University School of Medicine, Packard Children’s offers patients locally, regionally and nationally the full range of health care programs and services, from preventive and routine care to the diagnosis and treatment of serious illness and injury. For more information, visit www.lpch.org.

About the Jeffrey Modell Foundation

The Jeffrey Modell Foundation (JMF) was established in 1987 by Vicki and Fred Modell in memory of their son, Jeffrey, who died at the age of 15 of a PI disease. The Foundation is dedicated to early and precise diagnosis, meaningful treatments, and ultimately cures of PI. Today there are 37 Jeffrey Modell Research and Diagnostic Centers and more than 200 Referral Centers worldwide. The Jeffrey Modell Immunology Center at Harvard Medical School was dedicated in November 2007, and serves as a unique graduate facility for the study of immunology. More information about PI can be found at www.info4pi.org, or by contacting the JMF at (212) 819-0200 or info@jmfworld.org.

About Talecris

Talecris Biotherapeutics is a global biotherapeutic and biotechnology company that discovers, develops, and produces critical care treatments for people with life-threatening disorders in a variety of therapeutic areas including immunology, pulmonology, and hemostasis. Talecris is proudly building upon a 60-year legacy of innovation and a commitment to improving the lives of people who rely on its therapeutic products. With an emphasis on scientific inquiry and technological excellence, Talecris is expanding its current portfolio of products, programs, and services through its own world-class product development organization as well as through strategic initiatives that leverage its strengths with those of its partners.

Talecris, with revenues of approximately $1.2 billion in 2007, is headquartered in biotech hub Research Triangle Park, N.C., and employs more than 4,000 talented people worldwide. To learn more about Talecris and how our employees are making a difference in the lives of patients and the healthcare community, visit www.talecris.com.