Mylan, Pittsburgh Pirates to sponsor allergy-awareness event at Aug. 10 game

PITTSBURGH — "Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jacks," goes the line from the famous baseball anthem. For some people, however, that innocuous lyric is a ticket to the hospital, or worse.

Peanut allergies are the most common food allergies in children and can lead to life-threatening allergic reactions, known as anaphylaxis. Fans of the Pittsburgh Pirates who have peanut allergies will have a special area of the PNC Park stadium reserved for them as part of a partnership between the Pirates and Mylan subsidiary Mylan Specialty, which markets the emergency anaphylaxis treatment EpiPen (epinephrine).

Mylan Specialty and the baseball team are sponsoring the first Pirates Allergy Awareness night at the Aug. 10 game between the Pirates and the San Diego Padres. As part of the event, the Pirates will provide tips to help fans be more aware of anaphylaxis.

"Life-threatening allergies are a growing public health problem, particularly among children and teens," Mylan CEO Heather Bresch said. "In fact, a recent study shows as many as 1-in-13 children in the [United States] suffer from a food allergy. We are proud to partner with our hometown team to help the people of Pittsburgh and their family members with life-threatening peanut allergies experience the fun and excitement of a night out at the ball park."

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