Building Connections on World MS Day and Beyond

Each year on May 30, the global multiple sclerosis (MS) community comes together to recognize World MS Day – an important moment in time to celebrate worldwide solidarity and hope for all those impacted by MS. At Jazz, we hope to bring the MS community together and build “connections” – the theme for World MS Day from 2020-2023 – in order to raise awareness among all those impacted by MS including patients, their families, friends, caregivers and HCPs.

MS is one of the most common diseases of the central nervous system, impacting nearly 2.5 million people worldwide.1 In MS, the immune system attacks the protective myelin sheath that covers the nerves.1 This damage impacts the electrical impulses to and from the brain, which can manifest as symptoms including fatigue, mood disorders, changes in cognitive function or memory, sensory changes, motor changes, vision changes and bladder or bowel dysfunction.1,2 Although there has been significant progress in medical advancements for MS in recent years, there is still a large unmet need when it comes to managing symptoms of the disease, such as spasticity,?which occurs in more than 80 percent of people with MS.3

Here at Jazz, we’ve focused our efforts into exploring MS, as we believe all people, particularly those who live with complex conditions, deserve new and better therapeutic options where there is still significant unmet patient need. Our research and development teams use their expertise to provide a deeper understanding of the hallmarks of the disease in order to alleviate the affects and challenges those impacted by MS experience.

Looking back on this year’s World MS Day, we are reflecting on our commitment to advancing treatment options for patients, in addition to building connections and a support network that will ultimately challenge the barriers that those impacted by MS face on a daily basis. We hope you will join us in #MSConnections as we work to generate connections and make an impact for everyone touched by this disease on World MS Day and beyond.

References:

1.???Dargahi N, Katsara M, Tselios T, et al. Multiple Sclerosis: Immunopathology and Treatment Update. Brain Sci. 2017;7(78);doi:10.3390/brainsci7070078

2.???Ziemssen T. Symptom management in patients with multiple sclerosis.?J Neurol Sci. 2011;311 Suppl 1:S48–52.

3.???Bethoux F, Marrie RA. A cross-sectional study of the impact of spasticity on daily activities in multiple sclerosis.?The Patient-Patient-Centered Outcomes Research. 2016;9(6):537-546.