HOBOKEN, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Hemophilia hero Chris Bombardier, who recently became the first hemophiliac to climb the Seven Summits of the world, will speak with those visiting the Octapharma USA booth at the Hemophilia Federation of America (HFA) Annual Symposium, which starts today in Cleveland, Ohio. Octapharma sponsored Bombardier’s historic climbs of Mount Everest and Mount Vinson as well as Bombardier Blood, the documentary on his incredible journey set to be released later this year.
“I am looking forward to speaking one-on-one with people at HFA,” said Bombardier, a Denver, Colorado native with severe Hemophilia. “Being the first hemophiliac to climb Mount Everest and the Seven Summits has always been about showing people with bleeding disorders that, with the right support, we can do anything. I’m grateful to Octapharma USA for their continued support in helping bring this important message to people in many different ways.”
Octapharma is a sponsor of the HFA Annual Symposium, which continues through April 29th at the Hilton Cleveland Downtown Hotel. The Octapharma booth at the conference will also allow attendees to rock on while playing Audioshield, an interactive virtual reality game. The top 5 scorers will win prizes, which will be announced during the symposium. Visitors to the booth will also have a chance to speak with patient educators to share experiences, and learn more about Octapharma.
“We are excited to have Chris with us at HFA,” said Octapharma USA President Flemming Nielsen. “Chris has inspired thousands around the world already and it has been a privilege for Octapharma to support his achievements. Our employees cannot wait to see the documentary because we all feel as if we are part of something very special for the bleeding disorders community.”
Just over 400 people can claim to have climbed the Seven Summits, the highest peak on each continent, but Bombardier is the first with Hemophilia. Bombardier Blood highlights the disparity in health care in Nepal using Bombardier’s recent Everest summit as a backdrop.
Bombardier Blood director Patrick James Lynch, a filmmaker with severe Hemophilia, said he expects the documentary will be playing at film festivals later this year.
“Chris and I were at the HFA annual meeting when we first discussed his plan to climb Mount Everest,” said Lynch, who is CEO of Los Angeles-based Believe Limited. “It is fitting that we are nearing the finish line on the documentary here at HFA. We are all just so proud of what Chris has done for our close-knit community.”
Please visit www.bombardierblood.com for more information and a preview of the documentary.
About the Octapharma Group
Headquartered in Lachen, Switzerland, Octapharma is one of the largest human protein products manufacturers in the world and has been committed to patient care and medical innovation since 1983. Its core business is the development and production of human proteins from human plasma and human cell lines. Octapharma employs approximately 7,600 people worldwide to support the treatment of patients in over 113 countries with products across the following therapeutic areas: Hematology (coagulation disorders), Immunotherapy (immune disorders) and Critical Care. The company’s American subsidiary, Octapharma USA, is located in Hoboken, N.J. Octapharma operates two state-of-the-art production sites licensed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), providing a high level of production flexibility. For more information, please visit www.octapharmausa.com.
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