Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of Canada Announces Paediatric IBD Initiative During Crohn's and Colitis Awareness Month

TORONTO, ONTARIO, Nov 02 (MARKET WIRE) --
Editors Note: There is a photo and video associated with this press
release

This November, the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of Canada (CCFC) is
announcing an initiative to gain a better understanding of Crohn's
disease and ulcerative colitis among children and adolescents in Canada.

Working with a planning committee of paediatric gastroenterologists
across Canada, CCFC will facilitate the work of this group and partners
to develop a new way to track paediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
cases at sites across the country.

The initial phase will start with a limited group of hospitals and will
focus on how proteins and genes factor into the disease, and factor in
the course of the disease through treatment. Building on a successful
initial phase, an expanded network will be able to address questions such
as how children develop IBD, how they fare with the diseases, and which
ethnic groups are seeing steeper rises in youth IBD.

The paediatric initiative builds on the existing work of Canadian
paediatric IBD clinicians and researchers by encouraging and funding
research proposals that ultimately would lead to improved quality of care
and clinical outcomes for youth with IBD. In its report released in
November 2008 titled "The Burden of IBD in Canada," CCFC identified the
lack of solid data on paediatric IBD rates in Canada as a barrier to
validating the epidemiological observation that the incidence of IBD is
on the rise amongst children.

The announcement from CCFC coincides with the kick-off of November as
Crohn's and Colitis Awareness Month in Canada. Canada has among the
highest rates of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis in the world and
throughout the month of November, CCFC will celebrate the courage of more
than 200,000 Canadian men, women and children living with these
debilitating diseases through the announcement of the "Gutsiest Canadian"
contest and by hosting Educational Symposiums from coast-to-coast.

This new initiative also complements CCFC's ongoing investment in the GEM
Project, examining the genetic, environmental and microbial factors
affecting Crohn's disease. While the new paediatric initiative will
recruit and follow diagnosed children, GEM Project subjects are healthy
relatives of persons with Crohn's disease.

To date, more than 40 per cent of the subjects in the GEM Project are
under 18 years of age. By following the healthy siblings, parents or
offspring of people with Crohn's Disease who are at greater risk of
developing Crohn's disease over time, the study hopes to understand the
complex genetic, environmental and microbial interactions within our own
bodies that trigger the illness. GEM Project results will serve to inform
this paediatric initiative as it develops.

Paediatric IBD Incidence Rates Alarmingly High

"A new study released by Dr. Eric Benchimol in August of this year
reveals that paediatric IBD incidence rates in Ontario are alarmingly
high," said Dr. George Tolomiczenko, CCFC's Director of Research.

"This study and another in British Columbia indicate that immigration is
likely a contributing factor, and specifically that the East Indian
population in Canada is experiencing paediatric IBD at a rate far greater
than their relatives in India and the general population of Canada. The
variability in IBD incidence rates together with the ethnic differences
between provinces puts Canada in a strong position to examine IBD among
children."

The study "Increasing incidence of paediatric inflammatory bowel disease
in Ontario, Canada: evidence from health administrative data," was
published on the website of the journal Gut (gut.bmj.com).

Crohn's & Colitis: Common Diseases, Few Speak about Them

Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are two similar, yet distinct,
conditions which directly affect the digestive system and cause
intestinal tissue to become inflamed, form sores and bleed easily. There
is no cure, no known cause, and little public understanding of the pain
and chronic suffering which IBD patients courageously cope with every day
of their lives.

"It is imperative for us to support the medical research required to find
a cure for IBD," says Dr. Kevin Glasgow, Chief Executive Officer of the
CCFC. "Canada is home to many of the world leaders in IBD research, and
IBD affects millions world-wide."

Facts about IBD

- Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are the two most common forms of
IBD.

- Patients suffer from symptoms including abdominal pain, cramping,
fatigue and diarrhea.

- Most people are diagnosed by the age of 30, and many will experience
periods of remission and flare-ups, often requiring long-term medication,
hospitalization or surgery.

- The main difference between Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis is
that Crohn's can affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract, from the
mouth to the anus, causing patches of inflammation. Colitis affects only
the inner layer of the colon, or large bowel, and always starts in the
rectum causing continuous inflammation which may spread into the rest of
the colon.

- Crohn's disease cannot be cured by drugs or surgery, although both can
help relieve symptoms.

- Ulcerative colitis can be completely eliminated by surgically removing
parts of the colon, but after surgery waste materials may have to be
stored and expelled through an external appliance such as a colostomy bag.

- Afflicting more than 200,000 Canadians, IBD is more common than
Multiple Sclerosis or HIV and about as common as Epilepsy or Type 1
Diabetes. The average per-person cost in Canada is more than $9,000 per
year and there are no known causes or cures.

- Using conservative estimates, there are about 3,300 youth under 20 with
Crohn's disease and 1,600 youth under 20 with ulcerative colitis in
Canada, for a total of 4,900 youth. Application of Dr. Benchimol's
methodology in other provinces using administrative health record data
would likely generate similarly disconcertingly higher - and more
accurate - estimates.

Facts about CCFC

- The Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of Canada (CCFC) is a voluntary,
not-for-profit, medical research foundation dedicated to finding the cure
for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. The Foundation is committed
to educating IBD patients, their families, health professionals and the
general public about the diseases.

- Since its founding, CCFC has invested more than $61 million in a
diverse portfolio of research projects, making the foundation a world
leader in non-governmental funding of IBD research.

- Canadian researchers funded by CCFC are conducting cutting edge
research and are sustaining the hope for a cure worldwide.

- In 2003, CCFC founded the IBD Research Institute (IBDRI) to advise the
Foundation on national and international IBD research projects and
researchers. The IBDRI is currently funding 70 research grants, projects
and scientist awards.

For more information about the CCFC, please visit www.ccfc.ca, for more
information on the GEM Project, please visit www.gemproject.ca and for
more information on Crohn's and Colitis Awareness month, please visit
www.getgutsymonth.com.

In addition to CCFC's professional staff, CCFC has committed volunteers
and members across Canada who would be willing to speak with media about
their experience with IBD.

To view the photo associated with this Press Release click on the
following link:

http://www.marketwire.com/library/20091102-crohn800.jpg

To view the video associated with this Press Release click on the
following link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHE5Vxe8erw

Contacts:
If you would like to speak with one of our volunteers,
or for more information, please contact Strategic Objectives
Allison Lawrence or Adriana Lurz
(416) 366-7735
(416) 366-2295 (FAX)
alawrence@strategicobjectives.com

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