Amgen Awards The Bath Institute of Rheumatic Diseases $25,000 Through UPLIFT Innovation Challenge

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif., Nov. 17, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) today announced the awarding of a one-time $25,000 grant to the Bath Institute of Rheumatic Diseases (BIRD) as part of the Understanding Psoriatic Disease Leveraging Insights for Treatment (UPLIFT) Innovation Challenge. In partnership with the International Federation of Psoriasis Associations (IFPA), the UPLIFT Innovation Challenge aims to make an impact within the psoriatic disease community by fostering the development of actionable solutions to address a challenge that people living with psoriatic disease and healthcare providers continue to face.

BIRD was selected from 22 innovative applications by a global, multi-disciplinary judging panel, including patient and advocacy representatives and leading medical experts in psoriatic disease. The $25,000 grant will be used to bring their solution to the psoriatic disease community.

BIRD's solution proposes to connect people living with psoriatic arthritis and their families with healthcare providers on digital platforms, including a new webinar series and social media advertising campaign. The virtual activities will provide patients an opportunity to have meaningful interactions with healthcare providers to help deepen their understanding of their disease, improve overall wellbeing and overcome existing communication barriers.

In recognition of the impact and innovation of their proposed solutions, Amgen selected four additional organizations to each receive honorable mentions and a one-time $20,000 grant, including:

• Epidermia, Panhellenic Association of Patients with Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis
• Global Healthy Living Foundation
• Psoriasis Association of Taiwan
• Psoriasis Philippines Online Community, Inc.

"Amgen is proud to support the UPLIFT Innovation Challenge and the global patient advocacy community, who work every day to address the challenges of those living with psoriatic disease.  Together with our expert panel of judges, we were impressed by both the volume and thoughtfulness of applications received from patient organizations around the world," said Darryl Sleep, M.D., senior vice president, Global Medical, and chief medical officer at Amgen. "We congratulate the Bath Institute of Rheumatic Diseases and all of the organizations selected to receive grants and are excited to support their work to improve patient outcomes."

Amgen and IFPA created the UPLIFT Innovation Challenge in response to the undertreatment and strong disconnect between patients' perceptions and standard measures of disease severity documented in the 2020 UPLIFT survey. Findings from the UPLIFT survey were recently published in Dermatology and Therapy and can be accessed online here. Applicants were invited to answer the question: "How can we unite people living with psoriatic disease and their healthcare providers to achieve optimal health outcomes?" The challenge question was selected in support of this year's theme for World Psoriasis Day – "United."

"Through our work, IFPA has seen first-hand the significant unmet need within the psoriatic disease community brought to light by the UPLIFT survey," said Frida Dunger Johnsson, executive director, IFPA. "The Bath Institute of Rheumatic Diseases' solution will help people living with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis deepen their understanding of their disease and support them in facilitating meaningful conversations with their healthcare teams." 

About the UPLIFT Survey
In 2020, Amgen conducted the global Understanding Psoriatic Disease Leveraging Insights for Treatment (UPLIFT) survey exploring the evolution of attitudes and behaviors of 3,806 people living with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, 473 dermatologists and 450 rheumatologists in eight countries in North America, Europe and Asia. The survey was conducted in 2020 and was overseen by an academic steering committee of thought leaders in dermatology and rheumatology. The survey builds upon findings from the 2012 Multinational Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis (MAPP) survey, a first-of-its-kind study conducted by Celgene that looked in-depth at the effect of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis on people living with these conditions.

About Amgen Inflammation
Amgen brings therapies to millions of people with inflammatory diseases, with a focus on serving unmet patient needs. For those with debilitating moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, ankylosing spondylitis, asthma, and other chronic conditions, the suffering and needs are severe. Complex diseases of inflammation have defied simple solutions, and the breadth of inflammatory disease and the burden patients bear is not well understood.

For more than two decades, Amgen has been committed to advancing the science and the understanding around inflammation to address the unmet patient needs that exist and expanding our portfolio. We lead with science through discovery research that is disease-agnostic and biology-first, modality-second. In doing so, we have introduced and evolved novel therapies that have changed the lives of patients.

Our commitment to patients is reflected not only in where we have succeeded, but in where we have failed and opened new doors. Throughout, we have remained dedicated to the principle of leading with science, pursuing where pathways and promising discoveries in inflammation take us, and not relenting until innovative solutions for patients are found. It's a commitment that extends beyond introducing novel therapies. 

About Amgen
Amgen is committed to unlocking the potential of biology for patients suffering from serious illnesses by discovering, developing, manufacturing and delivering innovative human therapeutics. This approach begins by using tools like advanced human genetics to unravel the complexities of disease and understand the fundamentals of human biology.

Amgen focuses on areas of high unmet medical need and leverages its expertise to strive for solutions that improve health outcomes and dramatically improve people's lives. A biotechnology pioneer since 1980, Amgen has grown to be one of the world's leading independent biotechnology companies, has reached millions of patients around the world and is developing a pipeline of medicines with breakaway potential.

For more information, visit www.amgen.com and follow us on www.twitter.com/amgen.

About The International Federation of Psoriasis Associations
The International Federation of Psoriasis Associations (IFPA) is a non-profit organization uniting national and regional psoriasis associations from around the world. Psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis affect millions of people across the world. This is a serious global health challenge, with a range of unmet needs. People with psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis may struggle to get a correct diagnosis or adequate treatment, have limited access to care or face persistent stigma and discrimination. Since the organization's founding in 1971, IFPA has worked to resolve these challenges facing the international psoriasis community.

For more information, visit https://ifpa-pso.com/ and follow IFPA on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) @psoriasisIFPA.

CONTACT: Amgen, Thousand Oaks 
Michael Strapazon, 805-313-5553 (Media)
Megan Fox, 805-447-1423 (Media)
Arvind Sood, 805-447-1060 (Investors)

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SOURCE Amgen