By: Lara Ramsburg, Head of Corporate Affairs
At Viatris, we share a mission to empower people to live healthier at every stage of life. A large part of that aspiration is ensuring that the notion of “access” is a part of everything we do. For patients, our commitment to access goes beyond providing quality, affordable medications. It also means we serve patients by advocating for change that creates a better opportunity for them to live healthy lives.
As part of this effort, Viatris prioritizes working side-by-side with organizations like the National Multiple Sclerosis Society as we continue our work to improve healthcare systems and transform what it means to live with diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS). We are stronger when we work together, and this is especially true when the voices of those most deeply affected are able to be truly heard by those making the important decisions. Public policy is where real, impactful change can be made for patients.
Last week, I was pleased to join the National Multiple Sclerosis Society at their annual fundraising event, the Ambassadors Ball in Washington, D.C. Viatris leaders from Corporate Affairs, Government Affairs, Policy, Medical and our Therapeutic Area teams celebrated the National MS Society’s 75th anniversary, which highlighted the significant progress MS patients have made over the past 30 years by sharing their experiences with elected officials and other policy influencers. From the Americans with Disabilities Act to the Department of Defense establishing the Multiple Sclerosis Medical Research Program in 2009, these milestones showcase the impact a movement of advocates can make when mobilized. And with nearly 1 million people living with MS in the United States, solutions for this chronic disease are more important than ever.1
Viatris has many partnerships aimed at addressing the spectrum of diseases faced by patients around the world. We value those partners deeply because they educate us, strengthen our work, and give us daily reminders of why we do what we do. And while those partnerships range from patient support programs to research funding to community engagement, it is the work we do together to change the healthcare system for the better that I find most meaningful. I thank the National MS Society, and all of our policy partners, for their leadership and look forward to advancing more of our work together on behalf of patients.
1 https://www.nationalmssociety.org/About-the-Society/MS-Prevalence