AMAG Pharmaceuticals Doubles Support of Prematurity Prevention Research

WALTHAM, Mass., Dec. 15, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAG) today announced that the company has awarded $300,000 in grants—an increase of $150,000 from last year—to fund research aimed at reducing premature birth and improving the health of neonates and infants in the United States through its Prematurity Research Grants Program.

“These grants are part of our ongoing support of funding research endeavors that we believe will advance the existing knowledge base in the areas of preterm birth and infant mortality,” said Rob Kaper, M.D., senior vice president of medical and scientific affairs at AMAG. “We have doubled our funding this year to support the important work of independent researchers who are seeking to improve maternal and infant health.”

The 2016 grant recipients were selected by an independent external review panel of maternal fetal medicine (MFM) specialists and an obstetrician. The panel was chaired by George Saade, M.D., Professor, Obstetrics/Gynecology and Cell Biology at The University of Texas Medical Branch.

“The AMAG Prematurity Research Grants are an important investment in improving pregnancy outcomes and decreasing infant mortality in our country,” said Dr. Saade. “The panel received numerous high-quality submissions, and with the increase in funding provided by AMAG, we were able to grant awards for five promising research projects focused on prematurity prevention.”

The external review panel awarded grants to the following principal investigators:

  • Mir Basir, M.D., an associate professor at the Medical College of Wisconsin who is researching the use of digital multimedia to enhance prematurity counseling;
  • Ruitang Deng, Ph.D., an associate professor of biomedical and pharmaceutical sciences at the University of Rhode Island’s College of Pharmacy who is leading a study focused on cholestatis and preterm birth;
  • Wendy Kuohung, M.D., an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Boston University School of Medicine and a director of the reproductive endocrinology and infertility program at Boston Medical Center who is conducting research on progesterone effects on the oral microbiome and impact on preterm birth;
  • Donna Lambers, M.D., a Maternal Fetal Medicine specialist and director of perinatal research at TriHealth in Cincinnati, Ohio, who is researching urine metabolic profiling by mass spectrometry of pregnant women at risk for preterm birth;
  • Ramkumar Menon, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Texas-Galveston who is conducting studies on feto-maternal exosome signaling in parturition.

About AMAG
AMAG is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and delivering important therapeutics, conducting clinical research in areas of unmet need and creating education and support programs for the patients and families we serve. Our products support the health of patients in the areas of maternal health, anemia management and cancer supportive care. Through CBR®, we also help families to preserve newborn stem cells, which are used today in transplant medicine for certain cancers and blood, immune and metabolic disorders, and have the potential to play a valuable role in the ongoing development of regenerative medicine. For additional company information, please visit www.amagpharma.com.

Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other federal securities laws.  Any statements contained herein which do not describe historical facts, including, among others, AMAG’s belief that certain research endeavors will advanced the existing knowledge base in the areas of preterm birth and infant mortality and beliefs that newborn stem cells have the potential to play a valuable role in the development of regenerative medicine are forward-looking statements which involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in such forward-looking statements.

Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, those risks identified in AMAG’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2016, June 30, 2016, and September 30, 2016 and subsequent filings with the SEC. Any such risks and uncertainties could materially and adversely affect AMAG’s results of operations, its profitability and its cash flows, which would, in turn, have a significant and adverse impact on AMAG’s stock price. AMAG cautions you not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made.

AMAG disclaims any obligation to publicly update or revise any such statements to reflect any change in expectations or in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements may be based, or that may affect the likelihood that actual results will differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.

AMAG Pharmaceuticals® is a registered trademark of AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

CONTACT: AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Contact: 
Maryann Cimino
Manager,  Corporate Communications & External Affairs
617-498-3375

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