SAN RAFAEL, Calif., July 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. (NASDAQ: BMRN) today announced an exclusive partnership with Believe Limited to produce the 'Breaking Through!' musical theater intensive. The first-of-its-kind program is a three-day music workshop for the bleeding disorders community and is designed to provide young adults with powerful education on the healing and therapeutic power of the arts and self-expression. The musical workshop, directed by hemophilia advocate and Believe Limited CEO Patrick James Lynch, will be held from November 9 – November 12, 2018 and will culminate in a Broadway-style performance for local bleeding disorder community members, family and friends.

Twenty-five young adults from across the country will be selected for the workshop to be held in New York City to learn and perform a six-song musical about the psychosocial and general health aspects of being a young person with a bleeding disorder. The songs and material will be custom written by composers and lyricists based on ideas shared directly from the participants during the application process. High school students in the U.S. with hemophilia, who are carriers of hemophilia, who have von Willebrand disease, who have another rare factor deficiency, or who have a sibling living with a bleeding disorder are invited to audition.¹

Renowned vocal coach and director of UK Haemophilia Society choir Paul Russell will work with the selected high school students as the musical director. In addition to musical performance, trained facilitators will conduct breakout sessions for the participants on the impact of breathing and relaxation pain management, the psychosocial benefits of and the therapeutic value of self-expression in the arts.

"The 'Breaking Through!' musical theater intensive is a groundbreaking effort to empower young people in the bleeding disorder community who want to better understand how the arts and artistic expression can improve their health outcomes, and really, their lives in general," said Lynch. "We're breaking through the barriers created by a bleeding disorder mentally, emotionally and imaginatively with the arts. Our community does an incredible job of working to inspire our young people to participate in physical activity, but I believe it's as important to connect young people to the health and wellness benefits that the arts and self-expression offers as well." 

"BioMarin is proud to support the next generation of the bleeding disorder community by creating a positive and impactful experience to allow teens to express the aspects of bleeding disorders that are often overlooked, as well as raise awareness of their impact on patient lives," said Hank Fuchs, M.D., President, Worldwide Research and Development at BioMarin.

Submissions are open now through September 1, 2018. Nominate a high school student, apply or read more information here.

About Hemophilia A

Hemophilia A, also called factor VIII (FVIII) deficiency or classic hemophilia, is a genetic disorder caused by missing or defective factor VIII, a clotting protein. Although it is passed down from parents to children, about 1/3 of cases are caused by a spontaneous mutation, a new mutation that was not inherited. Approximately 1 in 10,000 people is born with Hemophilia A. People living with the disease are not able to form blood clots efficiently and are at risk for excessive bleeding from modest injuries, potentially endangering their lives. People with severe hemophilia often bleed spontaneously into their muscles or joints. The standard of care for the 43 percent of individuals with hemophilia A who are severely affected is a prophylactic regimen of Factor VIII infusions two to three times per week. Even with prophylactic regimens, many people still experience spontaneous bleeding events that result in progressive and debilitating joint damage.

About Believe Limited

Believe Limited is an award-winning boutique agency focused on creating educational, inspirational and deeply impactful digital content, live events, podcasts and more for rare disease communities, with a deeply-rooted focus in hemophilia and bleeding disorders. Our work has been honored by the National Hemophilia Foundation (NHF), Hemophilia Federation of America (HFA) and the WEBBYs. To learn more about our content and programming, please visit www.BelieveLTD.com.

About BioMarin

BioMarin is a global biotechnology company that develops and commercializes innovative therapies for people with serious and life-threatening rare disorders. The company's portfolio consists of six commercialized products and multiple clinical and pre-clinical product candidates.  

For additional information, please visit www.BMRN.com. Information on BioMarin's website is not incorporated by reference into this press release.

BioMarin® is a registered trademark of BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc.

¹ No consideration will be given to whether or not an applicant was previously or is currently undergoing treatment with a BioMarin product

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SOURCE BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc.