Press Release

Ferring Presents $3,000 in Prizes to Honorable Mention Winners

Krissy Schenck, endocrine and reproductive specialist, Ferring Pharmaceuticals, presents honorable mention winners of its My Little Miracle Essay Contest each with a $1,000 education fund for their children born with the help of the Company’s fertility treatments.

Pictured from left to right: Back row: James G. Donahue, M.D., Family Beginnings; Kenneth King; Krissy Schenck, Ferring Pharmaceuticals; Wayne Borton holding Brooke; Laurent Euzen holding Jean-Luc. Front row: Thalia King holding Katherine Elizabeth; Christine Borton holding Alex and Carter; Eileen Euzen holding Ronan.

INDIANAPOLIS – November 15, 2004 – Family Beginnings, PC, announced today that three of its patients each received a $1,000 honorable mention prize from Ferring Pharmaceuticals for their entries in Ferring’s My Little Miracle Essay Contest. Krissy Schenck, endocrine and reproductive specialist, Ferring Pharmaceuticals, presented Christine Borton, Eileen Euzen and Thalia King each with a check to be deposited into education funds for their children born with the help of Ferring’s fertility treatments. The presentations were made on November 12th at the Family Beginnings office in Indianapolis.

“We couldn’t be more proud of our family,” said Christine Borton. “We are grateful to Ferring Pharmaceuticals for the scholarship funds.”

“I am very excited and honored that Ferring chose my essay to receive one of the $1,000 prizes for the My Little Miracle Essay Contest. As I sat down to write my essay, I found myself flooded with so many of the feelings and memories that my husband and I had experienced on our journey to become parents,” added Eileen Euzen. “It was a joy to write the essay, and the fact that I was able to win a $1,000 educational fund for my boys just adds to that joy.”

“I was completely thrilled to learn I had won honorable mention and a scholarship for my little girl,” added Thalia King. “I had a wonderful time writing the essay and this is just the icing on the cake!”

“I am delighted that three of my patients have been selected as honorable mention winners. Ferring’s unique program helps these families begin to plan for their children’s futures,” added James G. Donahue, M.D., Family Beginnings, PC. “For every patient, we must individualize treatment protocols. Some patients produce better eggs when stimulated with LH containing drugs. The cost is about half of the recombinant drugs and the results are very good. Additionally, our in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedure cost is only $3,500, which makes the technology much more affordable.”

The My Little Miracle Essay Contest celebrated the births of children made possible through Ferring’s fertility treatments, Bravelle™ (urofollitropin for injection, purified) and Repronex™ (menotropins for injection, USP). Ferring awarded $25,000 in education funds to 12 winners from around the country.

“Ferring is delighted to offer this program to help fertility patients contribute to their children’s future,” added Krissy Schenck, reproductive and endocrine specialist, Ferring Pharmaceuticals. “Ferring is committed to providing patients with safe, effective and affordable fertility treatments. The My Little Miracle Essay Contest is an extension of Ferring’s support of its patients.”

The Contest Winners

The Bortons unsuccessfully tried to conceive for seven years. On Christmas Eve 2002, Christine told her husband, Wayne, that she could not bear another Christmas without a child. Twins ran in Christine’s family, but she was unable to conceive naturally. They applied for adoption and soon discovered that their daughter, Brooke, had been born in China and that she would be home by Christmas 2003. The Bortons wanted their daughter to have siblings, so they called their physician, Dr. James Donahue, to see if any new medications had been approved that might be helpful. He informed her that a new medication by the name of Bravelle™ (urofollitropin for injection, purified) had been approved and he was having great success with it. They scheduled an appointment. In her essay, Christine speaks of her experience:

[With] the first three in vitro [fertilization] attempts two years earlier, I had not stimulated well for my age and had poor quality embryos. This time we used a new protocol [with] Bravelle™, which the doctor believed would provide better egg quality, and therefore better embryo quality. On the first try with Bravelle™ we found out [that] we were pregnant. Our first ultrasound showed a healthy heartbeat. A month later we were astonished when our doctor found two heartbeats, and the day before Wayne left for China to … get Brooke, we found out we were having twin boys (Alex and Carter). Our family couldn’t be more perfect … This Christmas is promising to be the best Christmas ever, and we couldn’t have planned it better.

The Euzens tried unsuccessfully to conceive for almost four years; after two years of trying on their own, they decided to consult a physician. With continued heartaches, the Euzens endured many attempts to achieve pregnancy with the help of fertility treatments. After two cycles of in vitro fertilization (IVF), Dr. Donahue suggested a new protocol with Bravelle™ and Repronex™ (menotropins for injection, USP). In her essay, Eileen speaks of her experience:

[With Bravelle™ and Repronex™], I had my best follicle stimulation. … When we saw the photograph of our four little embryos, we were amazed to see how the miracle of modern medicine had helped us to create these little miracles of life. Soon thereafter, God answered ‘yes’ to my prayers, and we found out that I was pregnant with twins. My pregnancy went well, and I loved being pregnant. I still cherish every moment of that miraculous process. During week 38 of my pregnancy, I delivered two big, healthy boys – Jean-Luc (6 lbs., 1 oz.) and Ronan (7 lbs., 1 oz.). Everyday I look at my two little miracles, and I am so thankful…

The Kings tried to conceive for three years. After enduring major surgeries, unsuccessful treatments with oral medications, and a failed intrauterine insemination (IUI), they decided that IVF was their last hope. Dr. Donahue was confident that the procedure would work with the help of Bravelle™, a newer fertility treatment. The Kings achieved success with their first attempt. In her essay, Thalia speaks of her experience:

Sometimes I get caught up in the wonder of it all. Our beautiful daughter (Katherine Elizabeth) [has] just turned one and I can’t believe how incredibly lucky my husband and I are to have her in our lives … We were literally putting all of our eggs in one basket. I had to wait a few days before I could take the most important drug, the baby-making drug, the Bravelle™. As I was sitting on the chair holding the needle … I was saying, ‘do your magic, little drug.’ … A week later, after an ultrasound, we discovered [that] the drug had worked! We still remain in awe everyday as we watch her grow and learn. A friend asked me just today if I could remember what life was like without her. And I simply replied, ‘No, and I don’t care to remember.’

About Bravelle™ and Repronex™

Bravelle™ (urofollitropin for injection, purified), a highly purified human-derived follicle-stimulating hormone (hFSH) for infertility treatment, contains 75 IU of FSH and up to two percent LH activity. Bravelle™, administered SC or IM in conjunction with hCG, is indicated for ovulation induction following pituitary suppression. Bravelle™, administered SC in conjunction with hCG, is also indicated for multiple follicular development during ART cycles in patients who have previously received pituitary suppression.

Repronex™ (menotropins for injection, USP) is the only human menopausal gonadotropin (hMG) on the market in the U.S. and is approved for both subcutaneous and intramuscular administration.

Bravelle™ and Repronex™, like all gonadotropins, are potent substances capable of causing mild to severe adverse reactions, including OHSS (incidence of 6.0% and 3.5%, respectively), with or without pulmonary or vascular complications, in women undergoing therapy for infertility.

Both treatments are marketed by Ferring Pharmaceuticals Inc., a world leader in naturally occurring protein hormones. Only physicians thoroughly familiar with infertility treatment, including the risk of multiple births and adverse reactions, should prescribe these medications. Like other products for ovarian stimulation, treatment with Repronex™ and/ or Bravelle™ may result in multiple gestations.

About Ferring Pharmaceuticals

Ferring Pharmaceuticals, part of the Ferring Group, a privately owned, international pharmaceutical company, markets Bravelle™, Repronex™ and Novarel™ (chorionic gonadotropin for injection, USP) in the U.S. to infertility specialists and their patients. The Ferring Group specializes in the research, development and commercialization of compounds in general and pediatric endocrinology, urology, gastroenterology, obstetrics/gynecology and infertility. For more information, call 888-337-7464 or visit www.ferringusa.com or www.ferringfertility.com.

About Family Beginnings, PC

Family Beginnings, PC has provided advanced fertility care to patients in Central Indiana for the past nine years. Family Beginnings’ founding physician, James G. Donahue, M.D., is personally involved with all aspects of his patients care. In late 2002, the practice added a larger North side location with an on-site in vitro fertilization (IVF) laboratory, egg retrieval room and recovery beds. Family Beginnings is the only practice in central Indiana to offer IVF in an office-based setting where comfort, safety, convenience, and exceptional pregnancy rates are obtained. For more information, visit www.ivf-indiana.com.

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For full prescribing information for Bravelle™ and/ or Repronex™, please contact Kelly Laban.