Shire Strives to Increase Adherence Among Chronic Kidney Disease Stage ...( 'On Track' Initiative Provides Broad...),Health

'On Track' Initiative Provides Broader Access to FOSRENOL(R) and Resources

for Enhanced Hyperphosphatemia Management

PHILADELPHIA, April 3, 2008 /PRNewswire/ -- Shire Pharmaceuticals, the global biopharmaceutical company, today announced the launch of On Track, an innovative program designed to improve adherence to disease management regimens among chronic kidney disease (CKD) Stage 5 patients with hyperphosphatemia (elevated levels of phosphorus in the blood). In addition to offering the highly effective phosphate binder, FOSRENOL (lanthanum carbonate), Shire has created On Track, a program designed to provide resources to patients, health care professionals (HCPs) and renal care teams that can help them collectively identify "real world" solutions to adherence- related challenges.

Approximately half of all CKD Stage 5 patients fail to attain serum phosphorus control, and poor adherence is a primary barrier preventing them from achieving success. In fact, up to 73 percent of patients are repeatedly non-compliant to phosphate binder therapy. Specifically, 30 percent of patients have decided not to fill one or more prescriptions due to medication costs and/or lack of transportation to the pharmacy, while 21 percent of CKD Stage 5 patients admit to not taking medications as prescribed due to side effects, cost, and the belief that they already take "too many" medications. This is not surprising, since CKD Stage 5 patients are prescribed an average of 12 different medications for concurrent medical conditions.

"Nonadherence to phosphate binder therapy is a serious problem and has become a growing issue among CKD Stage 5 patients due to the complexity of managing the condition," said William Finn, MD, professor of Medicine, University of North Carolina School of Medicine at Chapel Hill. "It is vital for patients to work with their renal care teams to identify successful adherence strategies, as well as to utilize programs and
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