For interviews with TMA executive director, call TMA at 1-800-821-7356 or email [email protected].

Newswise — September 21 is national Myositis Awareness Day, an annual day for recognition of the need to draw attention to myositis, a collection of rare neuromuscular diseases also known as the idiopathic inflammatory myopathies. The Myositis Association (TMA) will be celebrating this day with activities hosted by its support groups around the U.S. This year’s Myositis Awareness Day is supported by Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals' Autoimmune and Rare Diseases business. Mallinckrodt was also recently honored with the 2014 Service Award from The Myositis Association. The award was presented at TMA's 2014 Annual Patient Conference in Reno, NV on September 4, 2014.

"The Myositis Association is focused on drawing attention to the rare disease, myositis, to increase patient and physician awareness and understanding,” Bob Goldberg, TMA's executive director, said. “The Autoimmune and Rare Diseases business of Mallinckrodt has strongly supported our educational efforts and has enabled The Myositis Association to better serve patients who have to live with this debilitating disease."

Mallinckrodt’s Autoimmune and Rare Diseases business has a history of service to people with myositis and the physicians treating them. To promote wider understanding of myositis, the company supported a mailing of myositis materials this past summer to 2,000 physicians to promote physician and patient education of myositis. Other support during the past three years has allowed TMA to produce "Myositis 101," a layperson's guide to myositis, publish "Physician’s Guide to Myositis," and sponsor a "Visiting Professor Series" to arrange for TMA's Medical Advisors to lecture on myositis at medical schools.

“Mallinckrodt is honored to receive this recognition from The Myositis Association,” said Gary Phillips, President, Autoimmune and Rare Diseases business, Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals. “Our work together has helped strengthen efforts to educate patients suffering from this disease. We look forward to continuing this important partnership in the future and furthering these important educational efforts for myositis patients and their physicians.”

The Myositis Association, an international non-profit association, provides education and support for myositis patients and their families. TMA funds fellowships and grants for young researchers to investigate better treatments and potentially a cure for dermatomyositis, juvenile dermatomyositis, polymyositis and inclusion-body myositis.

To set up interviews with myositis patients, families and medical experts, or for more information about myositis, The Myositis Association, or Myositis Awareness Day, contact TMA at 1-800-821-7356 or [email protected]