Teva Pharmaceuticals Europe has announced the launch of its ‘Life Moments with MS’ campaign – a disease awareness initiative, highlighting the challenges faced by MS patients in managing their condition through changing life circumstances – such as moving out, changing jobs or starting a family.
In the run up to World MS Day on 31 May, Teva will be distributing multimedia content and resources across its social media channels to promote awareness and encourage dialogue amongst MS patients and their physicians.
Teva Pharmaceuticals Europe has announced the launch of its ‘Life Moments with MS’ campaign – a disease awareness initiative, highlighting the challenges faced by MS patients in managing their condition through changing life circumstances – such as moving out, changing jobs or starting a family.
In the run up to World MS Day on 31 May, Teva will be distributing multimedia content and resources across its social media channels to promote awareness and encourage dialogue amongst MS patients and their physicians.
Important life events such as changing jobs, getting married and starting a family can affect treatment adherence in someone with MS. In particular pregnancy, or planning to start a family can have a direct impact on dosing regimen.1 Literature suggests patients need to work with their healthcare providers to establish open lines of communication and a trust-based therapeutic relationship to ensure they have the knowledge and skills they need to adhere to their long-term MS therapy.2
Teva’s social media initiative ‘Life Moments with MS’ will run from 23 May, until World MS Day on 31 May using the hashtag #LifeMomentswithMS. The campaign will focus on educating and providing information and resources on what it’s like living with MS, while reinforcing the importance of maintaining an open dialogue between people with MS and their physicians. The social media campaign can be followed on Teva’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/TevapharmEurope) and Twitter account (www.twitter.com/tevapharmeurope) and people are encouraged to follow the conversation using the official World MS Day hashtag #LifewithMS or #LifeMomentswithMS.
Anne Winslow, President of the European MS Platform (EMSP) said, “The EMSP is dedicated to increasing the quality of life of those living with MS. World MS Day provides us with an opportunity to remind people with MS and the broader MS community, that knowledge is power and with the right information and support, it’s possible to manage the condition and focus on what else may be happening in your life.”
“Teva is committed to providing effective solutions for people with MS,” said Tomas Boeckx, Head of CNS Europe at Teva. “We’re pleased to support World MS Day and hope this social media campaign will support people with MS in having informed discussions with their healthcare providers. Starting a family is just one of the key life milestones that can present challenges to someone living with MS. Education and ongoing dialogue are vital to ensuring people with MS have the necessary information to help equip them to make an informed decision about how best to manage their condition and improve their quality of life.”
According to the European Multiple Sclerosis Platform (EMSP) more than 700,000 people in Europe are affected by MS. The prevalence of MS in women is more than twice as high as in men.3 MS is more common among women of childbearing age.4 The average age of diagnosis is approximately 30 years,5 with 35% of women delaying the decision to have children due to the disease.6
World MS Day is coordinated by the MS International Federation (MSIF) and its members and aims to highlight the challenges faced by those with MS and what solutions can be discussed to help address these. The MSIF published a report on the principles underlying improvements to quality of life. The principles recommend that people with MS must be able to realise their full potential and must be empowered to take control of the decisions affecting their lives and self-manage the disease as much as possible. The full report is available for download at: https://www.msif.org/about-us/advocacy/principles-to-promote-quality-of-life/
References
- Saunders C et al. Factors that influence adherence and strategies to maintain adherence to injected therapies for patients with multiple sclerosis. J Neurosci Nurs. 2010 Oct;42(5 Suppl):S10-8.
- Costello K et al. Recognizing nonadherence in patients with multiple sclerosis and maintaining treatment adherence in the long term. Medscape J Med. 2008;10(9):225.
- Bevan S et al. Multiple Sclerosis & Employment in Europe – Literature Summary. The Work Foundation Part of Lancaster University 2015.
- National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Pregnancy and Reproductive Issues. Available at: http://www.nationalmssociety.org/Living-Well-With-MS/Family-and-Relationships/Pregnancy. Last accessed May 2017.
- University of Maryland Medical Center. Multiple Sclerosis. Available at: http://www.umm.edu/health/medical/reports/articles/multiple-sclerosis.Last accessed May 2017.
- Carvalho AT et al. Rev Neurol. 2014 Dec; 59(12):537-42.
