Subject: MAY IS HEPATITIS AWARENESS MONTH

Hello,

Hepatitis C is four times more prevalent than AIDS and it is estimated that less
than 30 percent of Americans with the disease are aware they carry the viral
infection.

This month is Hepatitis Awareness Month. The American Liver Foundation (ALF) is
sponsoring events throughout the month to raise awareness about the risks
associated with hepatitis A, B and C * the most common forms of the disease *
and to promote testing and treatment.

Attached is a press release of the announcement for your reference. If you are
interested in speaking to a physician or an ALF spokesperson about hepatitis or
have any additional questions please feel free to contact me at 212-468-4312 or
via email sarah.spielvogel@.... I will be in touch with you to be sure you
received this information and to provide anything additional you may need.

Regards,
Sarah

**************************
The American Liver Foundation Kicks Off Hepatitis Awareness Month by Urging
Americans to Get Tested and Get Treated

New York - (May 10, 2006) - An estimated one-third of the U.S. population
becomes infected with hepatitis A during their lifetime, 1.4 million Americans
are chronically infected with hepatitis B, and approximately 4 million Americans
have been infected with hepatitis C. The American Liver Foundation (ALF) is
raising awareness about the risks associated with hepatitis during Hepatitis
Awareness Month (observed annually in May) to promote testing and encourage
people with hepatitis to get treated now.

Why does hepatitis alarm public-health officials? In the case of hepatitis C,
the most common type of hepatitis in the United States, patients who are not
treated can develop liver disease, including cirrhosis and cancer; hepatitis C
is also the leading cause of liver transplants. There’s no vaccine available for
hepatitis C, and many people with the disease are unaware that they are infected
and have not sought treatment.

“It’s important for patients who even think they might be infected to speak to
their doctors about being tested and treated as soon as possible for hepatitis C
in order to preserve liver health,” said Dr. Douglas Dieterich, Professor of
Medicine Division of Liver Diseases, Director of CME Mount Sinai School of
Medicine. “Some patients with hepatitis C may be waiting for the next generation
of treatments, not knowing that new drugs are still many years away and that the
disease can become a serious threat to their health in as little as five years.”

It is estimated that less than 30 percent of Americans with hepatitis C are
aware they carry the viral infection. Screening for the disease involves a
simple blood test that detects the presence of hepatitis C antibodies.

“Hepatitis C is four times more prevalent than AIDS. Many people are walking
around with the disease, some for 10 or 20 years, without even knowing they have
it and losing time when they could be treated successfully”, said Frederick
Thompson, President and CEO of the American Liver Foundation. “Hepatitis
Awareness Month gives us a chance to remind at-risk individuals to be tested and
seek treatment right away, helping to prevent further damage to the liver.”

If you believe you may be at risk for hepatitis C or would like more
information, please call the American Liver Foundation at 800.GO.LIVER
(465-4837) or visit www.liverfoundation.org.

More About Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C is transmitted through body fluids, primarily blood or blood
products, and by sharing needles. People at risk for contracting hepatitis C are
injection drug or intranasal cocaine users, those who received a blood
transfusion prior to 1992, health or public safety workers who have been
accidentally stuck by a needle and those who have tattoos or body piercings.
Vietnam veterans are also at high risk.

About the American Liver Foundation
ALF has 25 chapter offices nationwide. It provides educational workshops and
seminars, runs support groups, works with the media to increase the awareness of
hepatitis and other liver diseases, and meets with local, state and federal
policy makers to affect positive change. ALF supports research primarily in two
ways: first, by advocating federal policy makers to secure increases in
government funding for liver disease; and second, by directly funding young
scientists in order to attract them to the lifelong study of liver disease and
patient care. ALF sponsors numerous fundraising events and campaigns to support
all of these efforts.




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