Multiple Myeloma Experts, Patients, Advocates and Caregivers Team Up to Hike Through Patagonia – Business Wire

CRANBURY, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As a part of a fundraising effort by Moving Mountains for Multiple Myeloma (MM4MM), 13 individuals will traverse Patagonias awe-inspiring and incredible landscape from Nov. 9-19. MM4MM is a joint initiative between the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF), CURE Media Group and Celgene. The upcoming climb includes survivors, caregivers, family members, myeloma doctors and team members from the organizing partners.

Since MM4MM began with its first climb in 2016, the program has raised over $2.7 million. All the funds raised go directly to the MMRF to accelerate new treatment options for patients with multiple myeloma.

As a patient founded organization, the MMRF stands together with those who are battling multiple myeloma patients, families, physicians, researchers, and our pharmaceutical partners. This team represents a microcosm of that myeloma community and demonstrates that together, we can collaborate with ever increasing momentum towards a cure, said Paul Giusti, CEO of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation. We are thrilled to enter the fifth year of this inspiring program and to have Celgene join us in this effort to raise awareness and critical funds to continue our mission.

The MM4MM team will include four patients living with multiple myeloma:

We are so honored to be a part of yet another hike with the MMRF and Celgene, said Mike Hennessy Jr., president and CEO of MJH Life Sciences, parent company of CURE magazine. This initiative organized by Moving Mountains for Multiple Myeloma not only raises awareness and research funding for multiple myeloma but has brought together the myeloma community to take action and fight for a cure for myeloma patients.

The team will embark on a five-day trek of a lifetime through Patagonia and take on the rewarding and beautiful landscape that includes glaciers, deep valleys and challenging peaks. During this trek, the team will travel through El Chaltn and acclimatize while they experience the mighty range of peaks dominated by Monte Fitz Roy, an 11,020-foot tower with a sheer face of more than 6,000 feet. Next, the team will reach Lago San Martin, where they will traverse the terrain in daily treks, exploring a 10-mile peninsula, climbing to a condor rookery and reaching remote Andean lakes.

Celgene, Cure and the MMRF share an unwavering commitment to improving the lives of patients with multiple myeloma and we are very proud to continue our role in the Moving Mountains for Multiple Myeloma initiative, said Chad Saward, senior director, patient advocacy at Celgene Corp. We are amazed and inspired by all who are participating in this unique awareness program.

To learn more about MM4MM and to donate to multiple myeloma research, click here.

About Moving Mountains for Multiple Myeloma

Moving Mountains for Multiple Myeloma (MM4MM) is a collaboration between CURE Media Group and the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) to raise awareness and funds for myeloma research. This year, Celgene Corporation and GSK join the effort as sponsors. In addition to Patagonia, the program also led hikes up Mt. Washington and through Iceland in 2019. To date, MM4MM has raised over $2.7 million for myeloma research and included 51 patients with multiple myeloma on 7 climbs. Funds raised go directly to research, supporting the MMRF mission. For more information, visit https://www.themmrf.org/events/.

About Multiple Myeloma

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a cancer of the plasma cell. It is the second most common blood cancer. An estimated 32,110 adults (18,130 men and 13,980 women) in the United States will be diagnosed with MM in 2019 and an estimated 12,960 people are predicted to die from the disease. The five-year survival rate for MM is approximately 50.7%, versus 31% in 1999.

About the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation

A pioneer in precision medicine, the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) seeks to find a cure for all multiple myeloma patients by relentlessly pursuing innovations that accelerate the development of precision treatments for cancer. Founded in 1998 by Kathy Giusti, a multiple myeloma patient, and her twin sister Karen Andrews as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the MMRF has created the business model around cancerfrom data to analytics to the clinic. The MMRF identifies barriers and then finds the solutions to overcome them, bringing in the best partners and aligning incentives in the industry to drive better outcomes for patients. Since its inception, the organization has collected thousands of samples and tissues, opened nearly 100 trials, helped bring 10 FDA-approved therapies to market, and built CoMMpass, the single largest genomic dataset for any cancer. Today, the MMRF is building on its legacy in genomics and is expanding into immune-oncology, as the combination of these two fields will be critical to making precision medicine possible for all patients. The MMRF has raised nearly $500 million and directs nearly 90% of the total funds to research and related programs. To learn more, visit http://www.themmrf.org.

About CURE Media Group

CURE Media Group is the leading resource for cancer updates, research and education. It combines a full suite of media products, including its industry-leading website, CUREtoday.com; innovative video programs, such as CURE Connections; a series of widely attended live events; and CURE magazine, which reaches over 1 million readers, as well as the dynamic website for oncology nurses, OncNursingNews.com, and its companion publication, Oncology Nursing News. CURE Media Group is a brand of MJH Life Sciences, the largest privately held, independent, full-service medical media company in the U.S. dedicated to delivering trusted health care news across multiple channels.

More here:
Multiple Myeloma Experts, Patients, Advocates and Caregivers Team Up to Hike Through Patagonia - Business Wire