Sanofi Genzyme Extends its Multiple Myeloma Journey Partners Program to Cities Nationwide to Help Improve Patient Outcomes through Peer-to-Peer Education

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., March 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Sanofi Genzyme, the specialty care global business unit of Sanofi, today announced the extension of the Multiple Myeloma Journey Partners Program that leverages storytelling as a tool to improve the patient experience with multiple myeloma. Journey Partners are multiple myeloma patients that have experienced similar emotions, faced the same challenges and asked the same questions about living with the disease. The goal is to increase reach and awareness in order to host more programs, and educate more patients and caregivers in local communities across the country.    

"Sanofi Genzyme created the Multiple Myeloma Journey Partners Program to let multiple myeloma patients know they are not alone and to provide educational resources and services that help patients and families navigate their journey to achieve the best possible outcomes," says Bhavesh Ashar, Vice President and General Manager of US Oncology, Sanofi Genzyme. "As a company, we value the importance of taking a holistic approach to patient care and transforming the patient experience. There's a real power in telling and listening to personal narratives. It helps increase the knowledge base of patients and caregivers, and makes them feel supported."   

The Multiple Myeloma Journey Partners program is a free one-hour educational seminar. The program gives people with multiple myeloma and their caregivers an opportunity to hear a Journey Partner share his or her unique patient journey with multiple myeloma and experience undergoing an autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT), considered a first-line treatment and the standard of care for treating multiple myeloma in eligible patients. During the session, patients and caregivers will also learn about helpful resources and the importance of considering a transplant evaluation.

According to John Killip, a Multiple Myeloma Journey Partner, "It was conversations with my support group, family and healthcare providers that influenced my decision to have a stem cell transplant in 2008 when I was first diagnosed with multiple myeloma at the age of 65. Mentoring other myeloma patients is one of the highlights of my life and I became a Journey Partner to share my story and help others with multiple myeloma make sense of the diagnosis and overcome the fear of the unknown." 

For information or to request a program in your area please visit www.mmjourneypartners.com. Also, patients interested in becoming a Multiple Myeloma Journey Partner can contact the program coordinator listed on the website.

About Multiple Myeloma
The second most common cancer of the blood, multiple myeloma is a cancer that starts in plasma cells, a type of white blood cell. In time, myeloma cells collect in the bone marrow. They may damage the solid part of the bone, and eventually harm other tissues and organs, such as the kidneys. Worldwide, nearly 230,000 people are living with multiple myeloma, and each year, approximately 114,000 new cases are diagnosed.

About ASCT
In an autologous transplant, a patient's own blood-forming stem cells are collected. He or she is then treated with high dose chemotherapy, or a combination of chemotherapy and radiation. The high-dose treatment kills cancer cells, but also eliminates the blood-producing cells that are left in the bone marrow. Afterward, the collected stem cells are transplanted back into the patient, allowing the bone marrow to produce new blood cells.

About Sanofi
Sanofi, a global healthcare leader, discovers, develops and distributes therapeutic solutions focused on patients' needs. Sanofi is organized into five global business units: Diabetes and Cardiovascular, General Medicines and Emerging Markets, Sanofi Genzyme, Sanofi Pasteur and Consumer Healthcare. Sanofi is listed in Paris (EURONEXT: SAN) and in New York (NYSE: SNY).

Sanofi Genzyme focuses on developing specialty treatments for debilitating diseases that are often difficult to diagnose and treat, providing hope to patients and their families.

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SOURCE Sanofi