International Myeloma Foundation Welcomes Fatima Scipione as Senior Vice President of Strategic Alliances and External Affairs

LOS ANGELES , May 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The International Myeloma Foundation (IMF) announced today that Fatima Scipione, former Head of Global Oncology Patient Advocacy and Engagement at Takeda Oncology, has been named by the nonprofit research and patient advocacy organization as its new Senior Vice President of Strategic Alliances and External Affairs.

As the Head of Global Oncology Patient Advocacy and Engagement at Takeda Oncology, Scipione led the transformation of patient advocacy—fostering symbiotic partnerships and delivering on the unmet needs of the patient community.

Scipione was instrumental in transforming patient advocacy into a strategic function, having led several first-in-class novel initiatives to address important issues affecting the oncology patient community via partnerships with patient organizations, nursing groups, and professional societies. She was also responsible for launching Being Patient: A Multiple Myeloma Experience—an employee program that highlights the myeloma patient's journey.

Scipione recently retired from the corporate world but wanted "to do something more in support of the cancer community" and was seeking "a second chapter" in her career.

"This week, I joined the International Myeloma Foundation as the Senior Vice President of Strategic Alliances and External Affairs. I am truly honored and blessed to be able to join this incredible organization and support their mission, advocating for people living with multiple myeloma, their families and friends, their medical teams, and the entire ecosystem."

"For the better part of the last 16 years, I have had the opportunity to see the impact of the International Myeloma Foundation. Their commitment to research, education, support, and advocacy has truly been inspirational, and I know that they have had a tremendous impact in improving and extending the lives of patients, having helped bring so many transformative medicines forward across the world," says Scipione.

IMF President & CEO Yelak Biru is truly elated to have Scipione on board: "I am thrilled to have Fatima join our team as the Senior Vice President of Strategic Alliances and External Affairs. Fatima is one of the most caring, patient-centered, compassionate leaders I have ever encountered in my myeloma and business journeys. Fatima's decades of myeloma-focused, cross-vertical, and global collaboration experience as well as her commitment to excellence will be key accelerators in accomplishing the IMF's mission which focuses on research, education, support, and advocacy."

Biography  
Fatima Scipione is highly esteemed in the biopharma and cancer communities and has been recognized by PharmaVoice 100 as one of the top 100 most inspiring people in the industry. Scipione is a trailblazer when it comes to advanced patient engagement and patient advocacy in biopharma. She has led numerous initiatives to ensure patient-focused/patient-partnered care. In particular, she led the establishment of the first Patient Leadership Council in multiple myeloma and advanced engagement with patients in clinical research development plans. Scipione has also authored numerous publications that address real-world patient experiences and needs, in partnership with the patient advocacy community and key academic researchers. Her authentic leadership approach reflects a patient-first approach. Scipione has been on the path to patient advocacy ever since she started working in the pharmaceutical industry. She began her career working with terminally ill patients where she realized the importance of listening and advocating for patients in order to develop life-changing medicines, and to address patients' needs and expectations.

ABOUT MULTIPLE MYELOMA
Multiple myeloma is a cancer of the bone marrow plasma cells — white blood cells that make antibodies. A cancerous or malignant plasma cell is called a myeloma cell. Myeloma is called "multiple" because there are frequently multiple patches or areas in bone where it grows. It can appear as both a tumor and/or an area of bone loss, and it affects the places where bone marrow is active in an adult: the hollow area within the bones of the spine, skull, pelvis, rib cage, and the areas around the shoulders and hips.

ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL MYELOMA FOUNDATION
Founded in 1990, the International Myeloma Foundation (IMF) is the first and largest global foundation focusing specifically on multiple myeloma. The Foundation's reach extends to more than 525,000 members in 140 countries worldwide. The IMF is dedicated to improving the quality of life of myeloma patients while working toward prevention and a cure by focusing on four key areas: research, education, support, and advocacy. The IMF has conducted more than 250 educational seminars worldwide, maintains a world-renowned InfoLine, and in 2001, established the International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG), a collaborative research initiative focused on improving myeloma treatment options for patients. In 2012, the IMF launched the Black Swan Research Initiative®, a groundbreaking research project aimed at curing myeloma. The IMF can be reached at (800) 452-CURE (2873). The global website is www.myeloma.org.

Follow the IMF on:
Twitter: @IMFmyeloma 
Instagram: @imfmyeloma 
Facebook: @myeloma  
LinkedIn: International Myeloma Foundation

CONTACT: Jason London, [email protected]

SOURCE International Myeloma Foundation