GENEVA and BRUSSELS, January 12,
2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Merck Serono, a division of Merck KGaA,
Darmstadt, Germany, will premiere
today the international short film MS: It's a Marathon...Not a
Sprint in Brussels, Belgium.
This unique event marks the extraordinary collaboration of the
Real MS: Your Story competition winner Sarah Mead and award-winning director
Robin Sheppard. Through the Real MS
campaign, they have come together to produce a powerful and
inspiring short film to show the world that life with multiple
sclerosis (MS) can be redefined in a positive and fulfilling
way.
"This has been an amazing experience and I have loved every
minute," Sarah said. "Being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis is
not an easy thing, but I am proud to have been able to share my own
personal experiences through this film and I hope that it inspires
others and shows how much is possible when you put your heart and
mind into achieving your goals. It takes courage and vision, but
the rewards are immeasurable."
Real MS: Your Story is the first element of an international
campaign that aims to raise global awareness of MS and demonstrate
how life can and could be improved for people living with MS, and
their families and carers.
In recognition of the burden MS has on both people living with
MS, their loved ones and the economy, several expert speakers in
the field of MS convened at the premiere to discuss the issues
surrounding MS, including inconsistencies in the standard of care
and socioeconomic burden, and forge a way forward for patients and
carers alike.
"Multiple sclerosis can be a debilitating disease, making
patient support and disease awareness very important," said
John Golding, President of the
European Multiple Sclerosis Platform (EMSP). "Stories such as that
of Sarah Mead's are incredibly
inspirational for everyone in the multiple sclerosis community and
we need to make sure that there are many, many more of these in the
future."
Sarah Mead's winning script
concept was selected from over 100 entries from around the world by
an international judging panel made up of global experts in MS and
film, including Dr Chan, Helena Jidborg Alexander (MS Trust), Sue
Farringdon (MS Society), Del Thomas
(MS Nurse), patient ambassador Nathalie
Blanc and director Robin
Sheppard.
The Real MS campaign comprises a series of inspirational
educational competitions throughout 2010 and into 2011. Real MS
hopes to give a voice to those whose lives have been touched by MS,
and celebrate their journeys, achievements and ideas for the future
management of the disease.
The unpredictability of MS means that people have to reinvent
their lives every day to overcome the daily challenges and
reminders of their condition. There may not yet be a cure, but
effective treatments are available and other ones are coming which
might change the life of patients. Ongoing research and development
will hopefully empower people living with MS to get on with the
life they envision for themselves without having to think about the
daily difficulties that can remind them of the disease.
To find out more about the campaign and life with MS, and to
access footage from the world premiere, please visit
http://www.realmsvoices.com
About the winner
Sarah Mead is a 40 year old woman
from London who works for a
software development consultancy.
Her entry "MS: It's a Marathon...... Not A Sprint" compares her
real-life experience as a young woman training for the London
Marathon, with the emotional and physical process that many people
go through of accepting an MS diagnosis and learning to live again
with multiple sclerosis.
About Real MS campaign
Real MS is an international campaign that aims to raise global
awareness of the disease and demonstrate how life with MS can and
should be better. Comprising inspirational educational competitions
throughout 2010 and into 2011, the first campaign competition (Real
MS: Your Story) aims to use the power of a short film to show the
world that life with MS can be redefined in a positive and
fulfilling way. The Real MS: Your Story competition is not open to
US residents.
About multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, inflammatory condition of
the central nervous system and is the most common, non-traumatic,
disabling neurological disease in young adults. It is estimated
that approximately two million people have MS worldwide. While
symptoms can vary, the most common symptoms of MS include blurred
vision, numbness or tingling in the limbs and problems with
strength and coordination. The relapsing forms of MS are the most
common.
About Merck Serono
Merck Serono is the biopharmaceutical division of Merck KGaA,
Darmstadt, Germany, a global
pharmaceutical and chemical company. Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, Merck Serono discovers,
develops, manufactures and markets prescription medicines of both
chemical and biological origin in specialist indications. In
the United States and Canada, EMD Serono operates as a separately
incorporated affiliate of Merck Serono.
Merck Serono has leading brands serving patients with cancer
(Erbitux(R), cetuximab), multiple sclerosis (Rebif(R), interferon
beta-1a), infertility (Gonal-f(R), follitropin alfa), endocrine and
metabolic disorders (Saizen(R) and Serostim(R), somatropin),
(Kuvan(R), sapropterin dihydrochloride) as well as cardiometabolic
diseases (Glucophage(R), metformin), (Concor(R), bisoprolol),
(Euthyrox(R), levothyroxine). Not all products are available in all
markets.
With an annual R&D expenditure of over EUR 1bn, Merck Serono is committed to growing its
business in specialist-focused therapeutic areas including
neurodegenerative diseases, oncology, fertility and endocrinology,
as well as new areas potentially arising out of research and
development in rheumatology.
About Merck
Merck is a global pharmaceutical and chemical company with total
revenues of EUR 7.7 billion in 2009,
a history that began in 1668, and a future shaped by approximately
40,000 (including Merck Millipore) employees in 64 countries. Its
success is characterized by innovations from entrepreneurial
employees. Merck's operating activities come under the umbrella of
Merck KGaA, in which the Merck family holds an approximately 70%
interest and free shareholders own the remaining approximately 30%.
In 1917 the U.S. subsidiary Merck & Co. was expropriated and
has been an independent company ever since.
For more information, please visit http://www.merckserono.com or
http://www.merck.de
http://www.merckserono.com
Merck Serono is a division of Merck.