PharmaEssentia and MPN Advocacy & Education International Launch New Educational Initiative to Empower People Living With Polycythemia Vera (PV)

PV&ME™ campaign features personal stories from people living with PV and their journeys navigating the rare blood cancer

BURLINGTON, Mass. & EAST LANSING, Mich.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–PharmaEssentia USA Corporation, a subsidiary of PharmaEssentia Corporation (TPEx:6446), a global biopharmaceutical innovator based in Taiwan leveraging deep expertise and proven scientific principles to deliver new biologics in hematology and oncology, and MPN Advocacy & Education International, a leading advocacy group dedicated to providing the knowledge, support and resources patients will need as they adjust to living with a myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN), today announced a new educational initiative for the MPN community called PV&ME. The goal of the campaign is to bring to light the unique and challenging experiences of living with polycythemia vera (PV) in the hopes of raising awareness, empowering patients to advocate for themselves and ensuring newly diagnosed patients feel supported in their journeys. PV&ME features the stories of four inspiring individuals – Buzz, Deb, Patti and Steven – living with this chronic cancer and their perspectives on navigating diagnosis, addressing burdensome symptoms and seeking comprehensive care.

PV is the most common MPN and a long-term, potentially life-threatening cancer that has had limited treatment options for many years. Patients with PV are at a more significant increased risk of developing thromboembolic events than the general population with cardiovascular disease, due to increased blood cell counts. They also have a long-term risk of progression to myelofibrosis or transformation to acute myeloid leukemia.^1-5

“People living with PV often face feelings of isolation as they navigate a long and confusing road to diagnosis and adjust to extreme fatigue or other often debilitating symptoms,” said Ann Brazeau, Chief Executive Officer, MPN Advocacy & Education International. “The stories shared in this new PV&ME campaign show just how important the right support and resources can be for this community. We hope this new initiative will help people with PV feel connected and empowered to advocate for themselves on their PV journeys.”

“At PharmaEssentia, we are committed to being an essential partner for the MPN community and know that a critical component of that is listening to and amplifying stories from individuals living with PV themselves,” said Raymond Urbanski, M.D., Ph.D., Senior Vice President and U.S. Head of Clinical Development and Medical Affairs at PharmaEssentia. “This MPN Awareness Day, we are proud to partner with MPN Advocacy & Education International to share these inspiring stories with the MPN community and help encourage patients to take a proactive approach in their care.”

The PV&ME educational video series launched on MPN Awareness Day (September 14) and can be found by visiting us.pharmaessentia.com/patients/patient-stories/. Throughout Blood Cancer Awareness Month, PharmaEssentia and MPN Advocacy & Education International will continue to share important educational content for the MPN community.

Follow PharmaEssentia USA on Twitter and LinkedIn for news and updates.

About Polycythemia Vera (PV)

Polycythemia vera (PV) is a cancer originating from a disease-initiating stem cell in the bone marrow resulting in a chronic increase of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. PV may result in cardiovascular complications such as thrombosis and embolism, and often transforms to secondary myelofibrosis or leukemia. While the molecular mechanism underlying PV is still subject of intense research, current results point to a set of acquired mutations, the most important being a mutant form of JAK2.⁶

About PharmaEssentia

PharmaEssentia (TPEx: 6446), headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan, is a global and rapidly growing biopharmaceutical innovator. Leveraging deep expertise and proven scientific principles, PharmaEssentia aims to deliver effective new biologics for challenging diseases in the areas of hematology and oncology, with one approved product and a diversifying pipeline. Founded in 2003 by a team of Taiwanese-American executives and renowned scientists from U.S. biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, today PharmaEssentia is expanding its global presence with operations in the U.S., Japan, China, and Korea, along with a world-class biologics production facility in Taichung, Taiwan.

For more information about PharmaEssentia USA, visit the website, LinkedIn or Twitter.

About MPN Advocacy & Education International

MPN Advocacy and Education International provides educational programs, materials, and resources for patients, caregivers, physicians, and entire healthcare teams to improve their understanding of myelofibrosis, polycythemia vera, and essential thrombocythemia. They are dedicated to making a difference in the lives of those affected by MPNs and strive to grow awareness and advocate on behalf of the MPN community.

For more information about MPN Advocacy and Education International, visit the website, Facebook or Twitter.

© 2023 PharmaEssentia Corporation. All rights reserved.

PharmaEssentia, the PharmaEssentia logo, and PV&ME are trademarks or registered trademarks of PharmaEssentia Corporation.

¹ Griesshammer M, Kiladjian J-J, Besses C. Thromboembolic events in polycythemia vera. Ann Hematol. 2019;98:1071–82. DOI: 10.1007/s00277-019-03625-x

² Antithrombotic Trialists (ATT) Collaboration. Aspirin in the primary and secondary prevention of vascular disease: collaborative meta-analysis of individual participant data from randomised trials. Lancet. 2009;373:1849-1860. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(09)60503-1
³ Yusef S, et al. Cholesterol lowering in intermediate-risk persons without cardiovascular disease. NEJM. 2016;374(21):2021-2031. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1600176

⁴ Risk and Prevention Study Collaborative Group;​ Roncaglioni M, et al. N-3 fatty acids in patients with multiple cardiovascular risk factors. NEJM. 2013;368:1800-1808. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1205409

⁵ Barbui T, et al. In contemporary patients with polycythemia vera, rates of thrombosis and risk factors delineate a new clinical epidemiology. Blood. 2014;124:3021-3023. https://doi.org/10.1182/blood-2014-07-591610
⁶ Cerquozzi S, Tefferi A. Blast transformation and fibrotic progression in polycythemia vera and essential thrombocythemia: a literature review of incidence and risk factors. Blood Cancer J. 2015;5, e366; DOI:10.1038/bcj.2015.95

Contacts

Media:

Rachel Lipsitz, rachel_lipsitz@pharmaessentia.com

Ann Brazeau, abrazeau@mpnadvocacy.com