Millennium Pharmaceuticals, the oncology-focused subsidiary of Takeda, has launched mymultiplemyeloma.com – an unbranded website with emphasis on developing a community for multiple myeloma patients and others impacted by the disease to share experiences.
The Massachusetts-based company’s internal design and digital teams developed the website, bringing in Klick Health to handle the back-end content management.
Millennium told PMLiVE: “For MyMultipleMyeloma, we are interested in creating a unique online experience that helps people learn more about multiple myeloma and how to cope with living with this disease. With that in mind, we structured the website into sections that mirror the patient journey − LEARN, FIGHT, LIVE, SHARE. Patients and caregivers at all stages from diagnosis to those in remission will find something on MyMultipleMyeloma.
“We intend for MyMultipleMyeloma to work in conjunction with, rather than in competition with, existing resources offered by advocacy organisations that we know are great and already benefiting patients and caregivers.
“We put a lot of thought into what we could offer on MyMultipleMyeloma knowing that there are a lot of great resources for patients with this disease that already exist. So much of the information you consume is not about it just being there, but also about how the information is presented.”
Since its US Food and Drug Administration approval in May 2003 for the disease, the company’s Velcade (bortezomib) has achieved leading therapy status but is now facing external competition from combinational myltiple myeloma therapies. Millennium is itself looking at a combinational therapy successor to its Velcade blockbuster and in 2012 its MLN9708 moved to phase III trials.
“As an organisation, we have been working in multiple myeloma for over 10 years and have been partnering with hospitals, advocacy groups and patients themselves to understand how we can provide resources that better serve the oncology community. An increasing number of patients and caregivers rely on the internet, both on personal computers and mobile devices, to access information about their diagnosis, treatment options, healthcare professionals and patient organisations,” said Pat Connelly, director corporate communications, Millennium.
Connelly added: “MyMultipleMyeloma.com exemplifies how our organisation is incorporating online and social media channels to ensure we are making good on this promise. Millennium will continue to invest in this area and look for new and unique ways to connect with the patient community.”