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Betaseron® Champions of Courage SM Launches New Program – The Decade of Achievement in MS Award
Award Recognizes MS Community Members’ Contributions
Washington, D.C., March 11, 2003 – The Betaseron® Champions of Courage SM program announces the Decade of Achievement in MS Award, which will recognize members of the multiple sclerosis (MS) community for their commitment to overcoming the limits of MS, inspiring people with the disease, elevating the standard of care, furthering our understanding about MS and improving the quality of life for people with MS and their families.
The award commemorates the 10th anniversary of the availability of Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, Inc.’s Betaseron® (interferon beta-1b). The award is sponsored by the Betaseron Champions of Courage, a program that supports people with MS who have inspiring goals, and who have made significant contributions to their families, community, or the lives of those affected by MS.
“The Decade of Achievement in MS Award is designed to honor those people within the MS community who have worked hard to elevate our understanding about this disease, whether they are people with MS, family members, health professionals, or other members of the overall community,” said Eric Simons, chairman of the Betaseron Champions of Courage Advisory Board.
Award Nominations
The Betaseron Champions of Courage invites nominations for the Decade of Achievement in MS Award. Award nominees may include people from the following categories*:
[*Separate awards are not given in each category.]
- People with MS who are treated with the MS medication Betaseron who demonstrate courage
- Family or friends of people with MS who take Betaseron, whose kindness, dedication and support deserve recognition
- Members of the MS medical community, e.g., researchers, physicians, psychologists, nurses, social workers or rehabilitation therapists, whose kindness and consideration deserve recognition
- Members of the broader MS community, e.g., MS organization members and staff, fundraisers or motivational speakers, or community members who have made an extraordinary contribution
- Companies that have demonstrated their commitment to MS through community service or through support of an employee or employees with MS
“Betaseron was the first drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of relapsing-remitting MS,” said Jack Burks, MD, Betaseron Champions of Courage Advisory Board member and clinical professor, University of Nevada School of Medicine. “It offered hope to people with MS and their families. Now, ten years later, the Decade of Achievement in MS Award is designed to acknowledge – and recognize -- people who have made a difference in this disease over the past ten years,” Dr. Burks added.
Award Recipients
All nominees will be considered for an award. Award recipients will receive an award certificate, as well as a Decade of Achievement in MS Award t-shirt and a letter of congratulations from the Betaseron Champions of Courage Advisory Board.
In addition, 10 nominees will be selected for an Outstanding Decade of Achievement in MS Award. This award will be given to those who have exhibited extraordinary dedication to the MS community within the last 10 years in the United States.
Outstanding Decade of Achievement in MS Award recipients will be honored at a dinner and will receive a commemorative plaque, as well as a Decade of Achievement in MS Award t-shirt. They also will have the option of having their story featured on the www.championsofcourage.org web site, and in other materials.
About the Betaseron Champions of Courage
Funded by a grant from Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, Inc., the Betaseron Champions of Courage program provides grants to people who are coping successfully with MS and who have a project that will inspire others. Since the program was introduced in 1999, more than 30 individuals have received grants to underwrite motivating projects.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease that randomly attacks the brain and spinal cord, wearing away control over the body. Symptoms may range from numbness to paralysis and blindness. Though no cure yet exists, therapies are now available that affect the underlying disease course, as well as manage symptoms. MS affects more than a third of a million people in the U.S. alone, with someone being newly diagnosed virtually each hour.
For more information about applying for a Betaseron Champions of Courage grant or the Decade of Achievement in MS Award visit www.championsofcourage.org. Decade of Achievement in MS Award nominations will be accepted until August 1, 2003.
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Contact: |
Sheila Marmion
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