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Colon Cancer Alliance Recognizes Leading Cancer Advocates During National Conference in Denver

WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 20, 2011) – The Colon Cancer Alliance announced that famed fashion designer Carmen Marc Valvo and the pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., the makers of Dulcolax® products,  will be honored during its national conference, Family Matters: What Every Family Needs to Know About Colon Cancer, in Denver, Colorado on Thursday, June 23.

Valvo, a colon cancer survivor, is being presented with the Making Colon Cancer Fashionable award for his work to help promote Colon Cancer Alliance’s national Dress in Blue Day.  He donated a deep blue gown from his Black Label Collection for a fundraising auction during March’s Colon Cancer Awareness month, and a signed fashion sketch, which was printed on a limited edition Dress in Blue Day t-shirt.  All proceeds from both items directly benefited colon cancer awareness programs. He also played a key role in Boehringer Ingelheim’s awareness campaign by serving as a passionate spokesperson for the cause.

“As a colon cancer survivor, this issue is near and dear to my heart and anything I can do to bring greater awareness to being screened is a step in the right direction to helping eradicate this disease,” said Carmen Marc Valvo.  “I am proud of my partnership with the Colon Cancer Alliance and will continue working with the fashion industry to raise awareness of Dress in Blue Day, and make blue the new black!  Being honored for my work …and my passion…is just icing on the cake.”

Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is receiving the Corporate Champion award for their commitment to raising awareness about colon cancer, the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States. More than a million boxes of Dulcolax® products were co-branded with the Colon Cancer Alliance logo and an additional 44 million coupon inserts were distributed through partner stores such as Wal-mart, Sam’s Club, Walgreens, CVS, Target and more with a portion of the proceeds designated to support free colon cancer screenings for those in need.  In addition, the campaign resulted in nearly 175 million media impressions and the company further demonstrated their support of the cause by becoming the key sponsor of the Colon Cancer Alliance’s 2011 Undy 5000 5k race series held in cities throughout the United States.

Boehringer Ingelheim’s commitment in this area extends to research and development into cancer therapeutics and includes compounds in three areas: angiogenesis inhibition, signal transduction inhibition and cell-cycle kinase inhibition.  Boehringer Ingelheim is using scientific advances to develop a range of targeted therapies in areas of medical need, including various solid tumors and hematological cancers.

The Colon Cancer Alliance’s national conference, Family Matters: What Every Family Needs to Know About Colon Cancer, will be held in Denver, Colorado on June 23-25, 2011.  The conference will bring together national experts who will cover a wide range of topics including genetic risks, designing a treatment plan, advanced disease treatment options and tips for living with colon cancer.  The conference concludes on Saturday with the 3rd Annual Denver Undy 5000, which will take place at City Park in Denver.  To register for the National Conference, visit www.ccalliance.org.  To learn more about the Undy 5000, visit www.undy5000.org.

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About the Colon Cancer Alliance
The Colon Cancer Alliance (CCA) is the oldest and largest national patient advocacy organization dedicated to ending the suffering caused by colorectal cancer.  In order to increase rates of screening and survivorship, the CCA provides patient support, public education, supports research and conducts advocacy work across America.

About Boehringer Ingelheim
The Boehringer Ingelheim group is one of the world’s 20 leading pharmaceutical companies. Headquartered in Ingelheim, Germany, it operates globally with 145 affiliates and more than 42,000 employees. Since it was founded in 1885, the family-owned company has been committed to researching, developing, manufacturing and marketing novel products of high therapeutic value for human and veterinary medicine.

As a central element of its culture, Boehringer Ingelheim pledges to act socially responsible. Involvement in social projects, caring for employees and their families, and providing equal opportunities for all employees form the foundation of the global operations. Mutual cooperation and respect, as well as environmental protection and sustainability are intrinsic factors in all of Boehringer Ingelheim’s endeavors.

In 2010, Boehringer Ingelheim posted net sales of approximately $16.7 billion (about 12.6 billion euro) while spending almost 24% of net sales in its largest business segment, Prescription Medicines, on research and development.

For more information, please visit http://us.boehringer-ingelheim.com and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/boehringerus.

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