A handful of pharmas and celebrities are joining forces with the National Bleeding Disorders Foundation (NBDF) for a long-lasting awareness push.
The newly launched “Educate to Elevate” campaign is designed to be a multi-year initiative that’ll not only educate the public about bleeding disorders like hemophilia and von Willebrand disease but also improve support for those with the conditions.
The campaign website includes educational information about bleeding disorders, as well as a series of videos and articles—many already available, with several more still to come—tackling issues relevant to people with the conditions, like navigating insurance coverage, finding community support and identifying commonly overlooked symptoms.
Many of the featured resources focus specifically on women and girls, in whom bleeding disorders are often mis- or underdiagnosed, per the NBDF.
As part of the campaign, the organization will host a livestream event on March 28, billed as “a celebration of our community,” and featuring live music, celebrity appearances and firsthand stories from patients, experts and advocates.
Sanofi, Genentech and Kedrion BioPharma have all provided support for the campaign, according to the NBDF’s Thursday launch announcement. All three sell treatments for various bleeding disorders, including Sanofi’s Altuviiio and Qfitlia, Genentech’s Hemlibra and PiaSky, and Kedrion’s Coagadex and Koate, among others.
“Educate to Elevate” campaign partner The Talk About It! Company has recruited several onscreen stars to bolster the awareness-boosting efforts: Melora Hardin, Amy Jo Johnson, Jonathan Frakes, Jason Ritter and Greg Grunberg have all come aboard and appear in many of the site’s videos to offer viewers with bleeding disorders encouragement and information about available resources.
Grunberg, whose many credits include long-running roles on “Felicity,” “Alias” and “Heroes,” will host a podcast series for the campaign that will start this spring and feature members of the bleeding disorders community.
“I know how difficult it can be to live with a rare disease that isn’t understood by the general public or even healthcare providers,” Grunberg, who has alopecia and Hashimoto’s disease, said in the announcement. “These are ordinary people who are often dealing with extraordinary challenges, and I’m proud to lend a hand to make their voices and experiences heard.”