On FCS Awareness Day, Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ARWR) announced the launch of its new disease awareness campaign, “We’ll Get There Soon,” aimed at providing hope to the community affected by Familial Chylomicronemia Syndrome (FCS). The campaign focuses on raising awareness about FCS, a rare and severe condition characterized by persistently high triglyceride levels despite standard treatments. This condition can lead to serious and potentially life-threatening complications, including acute pancreatitis.
Campaign Launch for FCS Awareness
The new campaign includes a dedicated website, www.LowerTriglycerides.com, and social media pages on Instagram and Facebook, designed to create a platform for individuals affected by Familial Chylomicronemia Syndrome (FCS) to share their stories. A central goal of the initiative is to educate the community about expert guidelines, which advise keeping triglyceride levels below 500 mg/dL to minimize the risk of acute pancreatitis.
Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals recently hosted a launch event at its Pasadena headquarters, featuring special guests Julie Klueckman and her husband Gary. They shared their personal experiences with FCS, highlighting the struggles faced by patients, including misdiagnoses, lengthy hospital stays, the absence of effective treatments, and the challenges of adhering to a strict low-fat diet of no more than 20 grams per day—less than three tablespoons of peanut butter.
Julie reflected on her challenging journey to diagnosis, which spanned a decade filled with extensive research and advocacy for her health. “My experience with this condition has included numerous hospitalizations, surgeries, and even relocating my family to be closer to my healthcare providers,” she said. Despite these challenges, Julie remains hopeful for the future of FCS patients and is actively collaborating with Arrowhead to provide patient insights, believing that “hope is on the horizon.”
Alexendra Roeser, Director of Patient Advocacy at Arrowhead, expressed gratitude for the opportunity to support FCS patients. “Julie’s presence in our offices reminds us of our mission: to improve patients’ lives,” she stated.
About Familial Chylomicronemia Syndrome
Familial Chylomicronemia Syndrome (FCS) is a rare genetic disorder often caused by specific monogenic mutations. It results in extremely high triglyceride levels, typically exceeding 880 mg/dL, which can lead to serious complications such as acute pancreatitis, chronic abdominal pain, diabetes, hepatic steatosis, and cognitive difficulties. Currently, there are no effective treatments available for FCS.
About Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals
Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals develops innovative therapies aimed at treating difficult diseases by silencing the genes responsible for them. Utilizing a diverse array of RNA chemistries and effective delivery methods, Arrowhead’s therapies employ RNA interference (RNAi) to achieve significant and sustained reductions in target gene expression. RNAi is a natural cellular mechanism that inhibits specific gene expression, thereby impacting protein production. Arrowhead’s RNAi-based therapeutics harness this gene-silencing pathway.
