Cosmetics Pioneer Victoria Jackson: Mom on a Mission Adopts "Orphan Disease"

Founder of Guthy-Jackson Charitable Foundation Leading Quest to Find Cure for
Daughter, Thousands of Americans Suffering from Disease Unknown by Most in
Medical Establishment; Bringing Together World`s Top Doctors, Medical
Researchers to Share Medical Findings at 2009 Neuromyelitis Optica (NMO)
Roundtable Conference, Nov. 9 - 11 in Los Angeles
LOS ANGELES--(Business Wire)--
Without the usual search lights, red carpets and celebrities that mark so many
premieres in Hollywood, a unique gathering is taking place this week with a
human drama quietly playing out, more real and compelling than anything on the
movie screen.

During the 2009 Neuromyelitis Optica (NMO) Roundtable Conference, Nov. 9 - 11 at
the Tower Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles, the world`s top doctors, medical
researchers and patients are coming together in a collective pursuit for a cure
for Neuromyelitis Optica (NMO) Spectrum Disease. NMO, a rare and debilitating
disease - a so-called "orphan disease" - is often misdiagnosed as Multiple
Sclerosis (MS). NMO attacks the optic nerves and spinal cord, often causing
vision loss, paralysis of legs and arms, and sensory disturbances. It is also
known as Devic`s Disease.

More than 50 doctors and medical researchers, who arrived from around the world,
are presenting and sharing the latest scientific research conducted over the
past year. They represent the top medical research institutions, including The
Mayo Clinic; Stanford University, University of California, San Francisco; Johns
Hopkins University and The Scripps Research Institute.

For the first time, the conference will host a patient session on Nov. 11 for
those who have been diagnosed with NMO. Patients who attend the conference will
be enrolled in the newly established Guthy-Jackson Repository for NMO to collect
much-needed blood samples for continued research. This new initiative, set up
with the Accelerated Cure Project (ACP) and the University of Texas
Southwestern, allows people with NMO to enroll into the repository at collection
sites located in leading neurology clinics across the country.

Among the attendees is Victoria Jackson, who established the conference and
founded the Guthy-Jackson Charitable Foundation. Jackson, a prominent Los
Angeles entrepreneur and philanthropist who founded Victoria Jackson Cosmetics,
is a self-described Mom on a Mission who is responsible for bringing the doctors
and patients together this week.

"Look, I`m a mom. When my daughter was diagnosed with NMO, I did what any mom
would do. After the tears, I went into battle mode.
Butunlikemostmomsoutthere,Ihadthe resources to build an army, and create the
Guthy-Jackson Charitable Foundation," says Jackson.

"I am on a mission. I will save my daughter. But it`s become much bigger than
that. Through the Foundation, I`ve adopted a lot of orphans. I have a whole new
family - dads and daughters, moms and sons. That was something I could never
have imagined and it has filled my heart," Jackson adds. "There`s really no such
thing as an `orphan disease` - if we find a cure for NMO, the chances increase
that diseases such as MS will benefit. It`s about curing and caring. We`re all
in this together."

The patient session will enable patients to engage with top physicians and to
share personal stories with others affected by the same disease. Assisted by the
Foundation, the patients have come from across the United States, from Alaska
and Maryland to Florida and here locally in California.

"Their decision to attend is an act of courage on a scale that most of us will
never have to face," says Jackson. "And that is why, for each and all of them, a
cure must be found."

Jackson established the Guthy-Jackson Charitable Foundation in July 2008, one
month after her daughter`s diagnosis. After realizing there was little
information, funding or research, she and her family knew they were working
against the clock and took action. They quickly set up the foundation. Now, it
is leading the effort to bring resources to a disease that has been ignored by,
and in most cases, unknown within the medical community.

The foundation`s mission is to raise awareness about NMO among doctors,
diagnosed and undiagnosed patients, researchers and policymakers. It is
committed to being the home for NMO where patients and their families, the
public and the medical community can find and share life-saving information and
the latest medical research.

The foundation`s accomplishments to date are remarkable. In less than 18 months,
it has established an annual medical conference dedicated to NMO, created the
NMO Repository, and initiated and funded eight top research projects around the
United States. More research projects are being considered and activated on a
regular basis.

About The Guthy-Jackson Charitable Foundation

The Guthy-Jackson Charitable Foundation is dedicated to funding basic science
research to find answers that will lead to the prevention, clinical treatments
and an eventual cure for Neuromyelitis Optica (NMO) Spectrum Disease (also known
as Devic`s Disease), a rare neurological disease that is often misdiagnosed as
Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Founded by Bill Guthy and Victoria Jackson in July
2008, the Foundation was established shortly after their daughter was diagnosed
with NMO. The Foundation is committed to funding research to understand the
pathophysiology and biochemistry of NMO, providing an online community for those
diagnosed with NMO as well as centralized information resources for individuals
who want to learn more about this rare disease. Since its inception, it has
started and funded eight NMO research projects at top medical research
institutions in the United States, hosted an annual NMO dedicated medical
conference and set up an NMO repository to collect much-needed blood samples for
continued research. For more information, please visit
www.guthyjacksonfoundation.org.

Burson-Marsteller
Christie Ly, 310-309-6611
christie.ly@bm.com
Ashley DelBello, 310-309-6657
ashley.delbello@bm.com

Copyright Business Wire 2009