THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.,
Dec. 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/
-- Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) today announced the launch of
Blood Counts™, a national campaign dedicated to
raising awareness of multiple myeloma and the importance of
continued research to further advancements in treating this
incurable blood cancer. As part of Blood Counts, Amgen will
work with StoryCorps to record and share first-hand accounts from
patients, caregivers, advocacy groups, physicians and others within
the multiple myeloma community. The first stories will be recorded
at the StoryCorps MobileBooth in the Lexus Premier Lot at Petco
Park from Dec. 3-5, 2016, during the
58th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting
& Exposition in San Diego.
"The 'telling of stories' goes back thousands of years, and most
of us have memories of being told a story and listening with rapt
attention. It takes us to another place," said Susie Novis Durie, president and founder of the
International Myeloma Foundation (IMF). "The IMF strongly believes
that sharing experiences through storytelling is a powerful tool
for the multiple myeloma community and applauds Amgen for this
campaign to raise awareness of the disease."
Storytelling can be a helpful way for people to cope with
cancer.1 In addition to showing effects in four areas –
cognitive, affective, interpersonal and personal – hearing others'
stories can also provide hope for cancer patients and their
families.1 In 2017, Blood Counts will continue
to record additional conversations from the multiple myeloma
community. Those interested in sharing their personal experience or
work in the field are encouraged to sign up to participate at
www.BloodCounts.com.
"StoryCorps gives everyday people, including those who are
facing serious illness, the opportunity to record meaningful
conversations about who they are, what they've learned in life, and
what matters most to them. We share these stories to build
compassion and offer hope to others," said Braden Lay-Michaels, chief external relations
officer at StoryCorps. "We're pleased to work with Amgen to offer
people whose lives have been affected by multiple myeloma the
opportunity to record, share, and preserve their personal stories
for generations to come."
Multiple myeloma is an incurable blood cancer characterized by a
recurring pattern of remission and relapse.2 Each
patient's journey is different and will often require different
approaches over time, but what remains the biggest hurdle is the
ongoing cycle of success and failure in therapy.2 Lack
of awareness around multiple myeloma can lead to delayed diagnoses,
which can have a significant impact on the clinical course of the
disease.3
"Over the past decade, we have seen significant advances in
treating multiple myeloma, which have made a difference in the
lives of those impacted by the disease,"2 said
Reshma Kewalramani, M.D., vice
president and head, U.S. Medical at Amgen. "However, the majority
of patients have no knowledge of the disease or available
treatments at diagnosis.4 We hope that by sharing
stories and experiences from the community, we can help educate
about multiple myeloma and celebrate the progress made, as we move
closer to accomplishing our mission of finding a cure."
"Blood Counts is important as it gives the multiple
myeloma community a platform to raise awareness of this incurable
disease through the power of storytelling," said Richard Paulson, vice president and general
manager, Oncology Business Unit at Amgen. "We encourage those
impacted by multiple myeloma to join us in this effort and sign up
to share their personal experiences as we continue this effort in
2017."
About Blood Counts
Blood Counts is a
national effort to raise awareness about multiple myeloma through
the collection and sharing of personal stories. While progress has
been made in treating this rare blood cancer over the past decade,
multiple myeloma remains incurable. Each patient's journey is
different and often includes different approaches over time, but
what remains the biggest hurdle is the ever-tightening cycle of
success and failure in therapy. Through real-life accounts of
persistence and hope, Blood Counts aims to shed a light on
what matters most when it comes to treating blood cancer.
About StoryCorps
StoryCorps' mission is to preserve
and share humanity's stories in order to build connections between
people and create a more compassionate and just world. StoryCorps
is currently one of the fastest-growing nonprofits in the country.
Each week, millions listen to StoryCorps' award-winning broadcasts
on NPR's Morning Edition. Since its founding in 2003, StoryCorps
has collected and archived more than 60,000 interviews from more
than 100,000 participants from across the country who visit one of
our recording sites, and all digital audio recordings are archived
in the Library of Congress. It is one of the largest oral history
projects of its kind. For more information or to listen to stories
online, visit storycorps.org.
About Amgen's Commitment to Oncology
Amgen Oncology is
committed to helping patients take on some of the toughest cancers,
such as those that have been resistant to drugs, those that
progress rapidly through the body and those where limited treatment
options exist. Amgen's supportive care treatments help patients
combat certain side effects of strong chemotherapy, and our
targeted medicines and immunotherapies focus on more than a dozen
different malignancies, ranging from blood cancers to solid tumors.
With decades of experience providing therapies for cancer patients,
Amgen continues to grow its portfolio of innovative and biosimilar
oncology medicines.
About Amgen
Amgen is committed to unlocking the
potential of biology for patients suffering from serious illnesses
by discovering, developing, manufacturing and delivering innovative
human therapeutics. This approach begins by using tools like
advanced human genetics to unravel the complexities of disease and
understand the fundamentals of human biology.
Amgen focuses on areas of high unmet medical need and leverages
its expertise to strive for solutions that improve health outcomes
and dramatically improve people's lives. A biotechnology pioneer
since 1980, Amgen has grown to be one of the world's leading
independent biotechnology companies, has reached millions of
patients around the world and is developing a pipeline of medicines
with breakaway potential.
For more information, visit www.amgen.com and follow us on
www.twitter.com/amgen.
Forward Looking Statements
This news release contains
forward-looking statements that are based on the current
expectations and beliefs of Amgen. All statements, other than
statements of historical fact, are statements that could be deemed
forward-looking statements, including estimates of revenues,
operating margins, capital expenditures, cash, other financial
metrics, expected legal, arbitration, political, regulatory or
clinical results or practices, customer and prescriber patterns or
practices, reimbursement activities and outcomes and other such
estimates and results. Forward-looking statements involve
significant risks and uncertainties, including those discussed
below and more fully described in the Securities and Exchange
Commission reports filed by Amgen, including our most recent annual
report on Form 10-K and any subsequent periodic reports on Form
10-Q and Form 8-K. Unless otherwise noted, Amgen is providing this
information as of the date of this news release and does not
undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements
contained in this document as a result of new information, future
events or otherwise.
No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed and actual
results may differ materially from those we project.
Discovery or identification of new product candidates or
development of new indications for existing products cannot be
guaranteed and movement from concept to product is uncertain;
consequently, there can be no guarantee that any particular product
candidate or development of a new indication for an existing
product will be successful and become a commercial product.
Further, preclinical results do not guarantee safe and effective
performance of product candidates in humans. The complexity of the
human body cannot be perfectly, or sometimes, even adequately
modeled by computer or cell culture systems or animal models. The
length of time that it takes for us to complete clinical trials and
obtain regulatory approval for product marketing has in the past
varied and we expect similar variability in the future. Even when
clinical trials are successful, regulatory authorities may question
the sufficiency for approval of the trial endpoints we have
selected. We develop product candidates internally and through
licensing collaborations, partnerships and joint ventures. Product
candidates that are derived from relationships may be subject to
disputes between the parties or may prove to be not as effective or
as safe as we may have believed at the time of entering into such
relationship. Also, we or others could identify safety, side
effects or manufacturing problems with our products after they are
on the market.
Our results may be affected by our ability to successfully
market both new and existing products domestically and
internationally, clinical and regulatory developments involving
current and future products, sales growth of recently launched
products, competition from other products including biosimilars,
difficulties or delays in manufacturing our products and global
economic conditions. In addition, sales of our products are
affected by pricing pressure, political and public scrutiny and
reimbursement policies imposed by third-party payers, including
governments, private insurance plans and managed care providers and
may be affected by regulatory, clinical and guideline developments
and domestic and international trends toward managed care and
healthcare cost containment. Furthermore, our research, testing,
pricing, marketing and other operations are subject to extensive
regulation by domestic and foreign government regulatory
authorities. We or others could identify safety, side effects or
manufacturing problems with our products after they are on the
market. Our business may be impacted by government investigations,
litigation and product liability claims. In addition, our business
may be impacted by the adoption of new tax legislation or exposure
to additional tax liabilities. If we fail to meet the compliance
obligations in the corporate integrity agreement between us and the
U.S. government, we could become subject to significant sanctions.
Further, while we routinely obtain patents for our products and
technology, the protection offered by our patents and patent
applications may be challenged, invalidated or circumvented by our
competitors, or we may fail to prevail in present and future
intellectual property litigation. We perform a substantial amount
of our commercial manufacturing activities at a few key facilities
and also depend on third parties for a portion of our manufacturing
activities, and limits on supply may constrain sales of certain of
our current products and product candidate development. In
addition, we compete with other companies with respect to many of
our marketed products as well as for the discovery and development
of new products. Further, some raw materials, medical devices and
component parts for our products are supplied by sole third-party
suppliers. The discovery of significant problems with a product
similar to one of our products that implicate an entire class of
products could have a material adverse effect on sales of the
affected products and on our business and results of operations.
Our efforts to acquire other companies or products and to integrate
the operations of companies we have acquired may not be successful.
We may not be able to access the capital and credit markets on
terms that are favorable to us, or at all. We are increasingly
dependent on information technology systems, infrastructure and
data security. Our stock price is volatile and may be affected by a
number of events. Our business performance could affect or limit
the ability of our Board of Directors to declare a dividend or our
ability to pay a dividend or repurchase our common stock.
CONTACT: Amgen, Thousand
Oaks
Kristen Davis, 805-447-3008
(Media)
Kristen Neese, 805-313-8267
(Media)
Arvind Sood, 805-447-1060
(Investors)
References
|
1.
|
Chelf, J, et al.
Storytelling: a strategy for living and coping with cancer.
Cancer Nurs. 2000;23(1):1-5.
|
2.
|
Jakubowiak A.
Management strategies for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma:
current clinical perspectives. Semin Hematol. 2012, 49
(Suppl 1): S16-S32.
|
3.
|
Kariyawasan, CC, et
al. Multiple myeloma: causes and consequences of delay in
diagnosis. Q J Med. 2007;100:635-640.
|
4.
|
Ailawadhi, S. et al.
Current state of patient awareness and participation in care for
multiple myeloma and the psychophysical impact of treatment: an
international internet-based study. Blood.
2014;124:1294.
|
Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20081015/AMGENLOGO
To view the original version on PR Newswire,
visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/amgen-announces-launch-of-blood-counts-and-collaboration-with-storycorps-to-record-and-share-stories-of-those-impacted-by-multiple-myeloma-300372331.html
SOURCE Amgen