DEERFIELD, Ill. -- In support of Rare Disease Day 2010, set for February 28, Lundbeck Inc. today launched the Raise Your Hand to Fight Rare Diseases campaign.

The web-based initiative is designed to generate support for people with rare diseases and is being conducted in partnership with the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD), the sponsor of Rare Disease Day in the United States.

Individuals simply click the ‘Raise Your Hand’ icon posted on the Rare Disease Day 2010 website (www.rarediseaseday.us) and can also spread the word through social networking sites, including Facebook and Twitter. For people who click the icon during February, Lundbeck will make a donation to a general fund managed by NORD that is used to support rare disease research. The site also offers stories from people with rare diseases and additional suggestions regarding how individuals can support the rare disease community.

“Approximately 30 million Americans, or nearly one in 10 individuals nationwide, are affected by a rare disease,” noted Peter L. Saltonstall, NORD president and CEO. “One of the themes of Rare Disease Day this year is the need for more research on rare diseases. Our goal is to draw attention to this need and the unique challenges faced by individuals and families affected by these diseases. We applaud this innovative way to support rare disease research.”

“We are proud to help NORD motivate people to support rare disease research and awareness,” said Sean Nolan, president of Lundbeck Inc. “Having brought three products for rare diseases to market since the end of 2008, we have come to appreciate the challenges faced by the rare disease community, where a simple diagnosis can take years and treatment options are often limited.”

About Rare Diseases

There are approximately 7,000 rare diseases or conditions affecting an estimated 30 million Americans, though the number of individuals confronting any one of these disorders can be quite small. Individuals with rare diseases often face challenges that occur less frequently with more common disorders, including difficulty in finding medical experts, delay in receiving an accurate diagnosis, and access to few, if any, treatment options. In the United States, rare diseases, also referred to as "orphan diseases," are generally defined as diseases that affect fewer than 200,000 individuals in the United States.

About Rare Disease Day

Rare Disease Day is an annual event observed worldwide on the last day of February each year. The purpose of the day is to raise awareness of rare diseases as a public health issue and bring together patients and families with rare diseases to discuss the need for greater awareness, more research, and better access to diagnosis and treatment. Rare Disease Day was first launched in 2008 in Europe by the European Rare Disease Organization, EURORDIS, a sister organization to NORD. In 2009, other countries throughout the world joined EURODIS to observe the day. NORD is the sponsor of Rare Disease Day in the United States. To learn more about Rare Disease Day 2010 in the United States, please visit www.rarediseaseday.us, or visit Facebook and become a fan of Rare Disease Day US.

About NORD

The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) represents the nearly 30 million Americans affected by rare diseases. Founded in 1983, NORD is a non-profit organization providing programs of education, advocacy, research, and patient services. NORD administers patient assistance programs to help uninsured or under-insured individuals obtain medications they could not otherwise afford. It also provides information to patients and their families, research grants and fellowships, and advocacy on important public policy issues. Follow NORD at www.rarediseases.org and on Twitter at @RareDiseases.

About Lundbeck Inc.

Lundbeck Inc., a pharmaceutical company based in Deerfield, Illinois, is dedicated to improving the lives of patients affected by complex central nervous system disorders and rare diseases for which few, if any, effective treatments are available. Since November 2008, the company has brought three products to market for the treatment of rare diseases for which there are currently no other U.S. Food and Drug Administration–approved therapies. Lundbeck has been recognized by numerous patient advocacy organizations that support individuals dealing with the rare diseases the company is seeking to address with new treatment options. Lundbeck is a member of the National Organization for Rare Disorders Corporate Council. For more information, please visit www.lundbeckinc.com or follow us on Twitter at @LundbeckInc.

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