RALEIGH, N.C., Dec. 11, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- BioDelivery
Sciences International, Inc. (NASDAQ: BDSI), a rapidly growing
commercial-stage specialty pharmaceutical company dedicated to
patients living with chronic conditions, today announced the launch
of This Is Pain, a long-term initiative that aims to improve
the lives of over 10 million1 American adults
living with chronic pain. As part of the initiative, actress
Kristin Chenoweth is sharing her
personal experience with chronic pain to help spread awareness
around the disease.
"In 2012, I suffered an injury while on set filming a TV show.
Even though I looked 'fine' I did not feel 'fine' and for me that
is the hardest part about pain; it is impossible to see and it left
me feeling very low. Thankfully I have great support, and I am
lucky enough to be able to continue to work."
Chronic pain is one of the most common
reasons2 that Americans visit a healthcare
professional and yet this disease is widely misunderstood and can
be incredibly isolating, debilitating and frustrating for those
living with it. This is in large part, due to the fact that each
person's pain is highly individualized and not visible to their
peers, colleagues and wider society.
This Is Pain seeks to first confront the stigma around
the disease state, creating widespread awareness and empathy, to
ultimately combat the systemic challenges those living with chronic
pain face. These challenges include experiencing unfair treatment
in the workplace and difficulty in accessing affordable treatment
options. The long-term goals of the campaign include achieving the
following:
- Wider societal recognition of chronic pain as a disease state,
not a symptom;
- Policy change to increase access to safe and effective
treatment options for individuals living with chronic pain;
- Increased research funding to improve existing treatments and
develop innovative therapies for individuals living with chronic
pain; and
- Fairer treatment and representation in the workplace.
"People living with chronic pain face unimaginable hurdles and
struggles in their daily lives and I believe that we can alleviate
some of the challenges they face by first drawing attention to what
it is really like to live with pain," stated Herm Cukier, CEO of BDSI. "We know that change
is borne out of a communal desire to act and that is exactly what
we need to achieve to impact the lives of those living with chronic
pain."
BDSI has partnered with visual artist Trina Merry and the American Chronic Pain
Association (ACPA) to bring to life the stories of eight
individuals who are living with chronic pain. The one-of-a kind
artwork will be displayed in an exhibition at Oculus Plaza in
New York City starting
December 12th through December
15th.
Penney Cowan of the ACPA says of
the exhibition, "If we can encourage people to take a moment out of
their day to learn about the disease and really see how this
disease impacts those living with chronic pain, we believe we can
start to generate the support we need to effect real change."
To learn more about the This Is Pain campaign and chronic
pain as a disease state, visit www.ThisIsPain.com and follow us on
social media platforms @thisispain.
About BioDelivery Sciences International,
Inc.
BioDelivery Sciences International, Inc. (NASDAQ: BDSI)
is a commercial-stage specialty pharmaceutical company dedicated to
patients living with chronic conditions. BDSI has built a portfolio
of products that includes utilizing its novel and proprietary
BioErodible MucoAdhesive (BEMA®) technology to develop and
commercialize, either on its own or in partnership with third
parties, new applications of proven therapies aimed at addressing
important unmet medical needs. BDSI's marketed products and those
in development address serious and debilitating conditions such as
chronic pain, breakthrough cancer pain, opioid dependence, and
opioid-induced constipation.
Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking Statements
This
press release and any statements of employees, representatives, and
partners of BDSI related thereto contain, or may contain, among
other things, certain "forward-looking statements" within the
meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
Such forward-looking statements involve significant risks and
uncertainties. Such statements may include, without limitation,
statements with respect to the BDSI's plans, objectives,
projections, expectations and intentions and other statements
identified by words such as "projects," "may," "will," "could,"
"would," "should," "believes," "expects," "anticipates,"
"estimates," "intends," "plans," "potential" or similar
expressions. These statements are based upon the current beliefs
and expectations of the BDSI's management and are subject to
significant risks and uncertainties, including those detailed in
the BDSI's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Actual results may differ materially from those set forth or
implied in the forward-looking statements. These forward-looking
statements involve certain risks and uncertainties that are subject
to change based on various factors (many of which are beyond the
BDSI's control) including those set forth in our 2018 annual report
on Form 10-K filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission
and subsequent filings. BDSI undertakes no obligation to publicly
update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new
information, future presentations or otherwise, except as required
by applicable law.
© 2019 BioDelivery Sciences International, Inc. All rights
reserved.
1 Dahlhamer J, Lucas J, Zelaya C, Nahin R,
Mackey S, DeBar L, Kerns R, Von Korff M, Porter L, Helmick C.
Prevalence of chronic pain and high impact chronic pain among
adults – United States, 2016.
MMWR. September 14, 2018
2 "NIH Funds $945
Million in Research to Tackle the National Opioid Crisis
through NIH HEAL Initiative." National Institutes of Health,
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 26 Sept. 2019,
www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/nih-funds-945-million-research-tackle-national-opioid-crisis-through-nih-heal-initiative.
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