As part of the World Blood Donor Day, the French biopharmaceutical company, LFB, and the IRIS association for patients with primary immunodeficiencies, in partnership with the French Blood Establishment (EFS), will send out 160,000 thank you cards to blood donors.

Les Ulis, June 11, 2009 – On the occasion of the World Blood Donor Day on June 14^th, 160,000 cards saying "THANK YOU for the gift of life!" from patients with genetic diseases of the immune system (or primary immunodeficiencies, PID) will be sent out to voluntary blood donors at the 156 sites of the French Blood Establishment (EFS). The backs of the cards will present information aimed at providing a better understanding of the crucial role of human plasma-derived medicinal products.

The French pharmaceutical company, LFB, teamed up for this operation with the IRIS association for patients with primary immunodeficiencies to thank and inform French blood donors about the importance of the plasma extracted from their donations. Approximately 5000 individuals suffer from primary immunodeficiencies in France.

“As part of the awareness day on June 14^th, in a year when donations of all kinds have been declared a “Great National Cause”, we thought that it would also be important to thank the voluntary blood donors in France, without whom the thousands of patients with primary immunodeficiencies could not be treated,” declared Francis Rembert, President of the IRIS association since 1998 and himself the father of a child with this pathology. “To say thank you for the gift of life is to express a reality: every year, French blood donors make it possible for more than 5000 patients, adults and children alike, to live near normal lives.”

The immunoglobulins derived from plasma are crucial to the survival of several thousands of children and adults suffering from genetic diseases of the immune system. They provide them with the antibodies that they cannot “produce” themselves due to their chronic, lifelong disease.

“LFB uses the plasma collected in France by the French Blood Establishment to manufacture crucial drugs for the survival of hundreds of thousands of patients in emergency situations or for lifelong treatment, as is the case of the patients represented by the IRIS association,” explained Sandrine Charrières, LFB Communications Director.

LFB has been a partner of IRIS since its creation in 1998 and is pleased to support the association for this operation. This campaign will be carried out during the entire month of June, with the cooperation of the EFS that will hand out the “Thank you for the gift of life!” cards in all of its transfusion centers in metropolitan France.

About IRIS

IRIS is an association created in 1998 under the French 1901 law by patients with primary immunodeficiencies (PID), their families and healthcare staff. Its aim is to bring these people together, break their isolation and develop information on primary immunodeficiencies and their treatment. An additional goal is to improve the diagnosis of these rare and still widely misunderstood genetic diseases.

IRIS supports and represents patients with PIDs before various bodies such as public authorities and promotes research.

 About LFB

LFB is a French biopharmaceutical group that develops, manufactures and commercializes medicinal products for the treatment of serious and often rare diseases in the following main therapeutic fields: Hemostasis, Immunology and Intensive Care. In France, LFB Biomedicaments fractionates plasma collected by the EFS and gives priority to the needs of French hospitals.

The LFB Group, the 6^th largest manufacturer of plasma-derived medicinal products worldwide, is also among the leading European companies in the development of monoclonal antibodies and new-generation biotechnology-based proteins.

With its strong research activities, the LFB Group is following a growth strategy focused on the international expansion of its activities and the development of innovative therapies. In 2008, LFB devoted 67 million Euros to research and development, 19% of its total turnover of 352 million Euros.

 Press Contacts

 LFB                                                                          

Sandrine Charrières - +33 (0) 1 69 82 72 80  - charrieres@lfb.fr                           

IRIS

Francis Rembert  - President  - +33 (0) 3 29 83 48 34                                               

Financial Dynamics

Florence de Montmarin - +33 (0) 1 47 03 68 63 - florence.demontmarin@fd.com