The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society And Partners Commit $4.5 Million For Blood Cancer Patients Impacted By COVID-19

RYE BROOK, N.Y., April 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), a global leader in the fight against cancer, along with valued partners, announced their commitment to help as many blood cancer patients as possible during this unprecedented crisis. The LLS COVID-19 Patient Financial Aid Program will begin immediately to provide $250 to eligible patients struggling with the economic hardship presented by the pandemic. 

Joining LLS in this critical initiative, one of the first to meet the urgent needs of blood cancer patients during this crisis, are leading healthcare, pharmaceutical, biotechnology and consumer product companies – Amgen, Inc., Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation, Foundation Medicine, Inc., Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, Incyte, MorphoSys Foundation, Servier Pharmaceuticals, Subaru of America, Inc., and Takeda Oncology.

Cancer patients who are immunocompromised face unique risks during this pandemic, in addition to the everyday stressors in managing their disease and accessing the care they need. The COVID-19 crisis adds a layer of distress for those patients who might experience financial hardship caused by the economic impact of the pandemic.

"That's where The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society comes in," says Louis J. DeGennaro, Ph.D., LLS president and CEO. "Cancer doesn't stop because of COVID-19, and cancer patients can't wait for our help.  Along with our partners we anticipated that blood cancer patients would need help with non-medical expenses such as food and other household needs, and housing and transportation, and we aim to raise up to $10 million to help even more patients during this crisis," added DeGennaro. 

Blood cancer patients and caregivers can visit this page to access the application form for the LLS COVID-19 Patient Financial Aid Program.  Additionally, LLS is providing free educational resources and support to patients through a series of blogs, webinars and chats led by medical professionals.

Anyone can help patients during this stressful time by visiting LLS.org and donating to LLS, to support cutting-edge research and patient services for blood cancer patients in their time of need. All donations contribute to LLS's quest to find cures for blood cancers and to ensure patients have access to the care they need. LLS is grateful for the commitment of its partners in helping blood cancer patients and their families. The previous support of LLS partners like Burlington Stores, Walgreens and The Wawa Foundation has been instrumental to LLS's mission and programs. 

This new program is one of many services provided by LLS for patients, including the LLS Co-Pay Assistance Program, Patient Aid, Susan Lang Pay-It-Forward Patient Travel Assistance Program and Urgent Need Program. As well, LLS offers free clinical trial navigation guidance through LLS's Clinical Trial Service Center, and its Information Resource Center provides patients and families one-on-one support with a Blood Cancer Information Specialist at 800-955-4572.

For more information, visit this page.  

About The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society® (LLS) is a global leader in the fight against cancer. The LLS mission: cure leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. LLS funds lifesaving blood cancer research around the world, provides free information and support services, and is the voice for all blood cancer patients seeking access to quality, affordable, coordinated care.

Founded in 1949 and headquartered in Rye Brook, NY, LLS has chapters throughout the United States and Canada. To learn more, visit www.LLS.org. Patients should contact the Information Resource Center at (800) 955-4572, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., ET.

For additional information visit lls.org/lls-newsnetwork. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 

The LLS Children's Initiative: Cures and Care for Children with Cancer
The LLS Children's Initiative is a $100 million multi-year effort to take on children's cancer through every facet of LLS's mission: research, patient education and support and policy and advocacy. The LLS Children's Initiative includes: more pediatric research grants, a global precision medicine clinical trial, expanded free education and support services for children and families and driving policies and laws that break down barriers to care. To learn more, visit www.lls.org/childrens-initiative.

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 biologics manufacturing 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 the world's largest independent biotechnology company, 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 Bristol Myers Squibb
Bristol Myers Squibb is a global biopharmaceutical company whose mission is to discover, develop and deliver innovative medicines that help patients prevail over serious diseases. For more information about Bristol Myers Squibb, visit us at BMS.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook and Instagram.

Celgene and Juno Therapeutics are wholly owned subsidiaries of Bristol-Myers Squibb Company. In certain countries outside the U.S., due to local laws, Celgene and Juno Therapeutics are referred to as, Celgene, a Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and Juno Therapeutics, a Bristol-Myers Squibb Company.

About Burlington Stores, Inc.
Burlington Stores, Inc., headquartered in New Jersey, is a nationally recognized off-price retailer with Fiscal 2019 net sales of $7.3 billion. The Company is a Fortune 500 company and its common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "BURL." The Company operated 727 stores as of the end of the fourth quarter of Fiscal 2019 in 45 states and Puerto Rico, principally under the name Burlington Stores. The Company's stores offer an extensive selection of in-season, fashion-focused merchandise at up to 60% off other retailers' prices, including women's ready-to-wear apparel, menswear, youth apparel, baby, beauty, footwear, accessories, home, toys, gifts and coats.

For more information about the Company, visit www.burlington.com.

About Genentech, a member of the Roche Group
Founded more than 40 years ago, Genentech is a leading biotechnology company that discovers, develops, manufactures and commercializes medicines to treat patients with serious and life-threatening medical conditions. The company, a member of the Roche Group, has headquarters in South San Francisco, California. For additional information about the company, please visit http://www.gene.com.

About MorphoSys Foundation
The MorphoSys Foundation is a US-based, private charitable foundation with a mission to ensure patients' access to appropriate treatments and to provide education and support to patients and organizations who serve them.

About Servier Pharmaceuticals
Servier Pharmaceuticals LLC is a commercial-stage pharmaceuticals company with a passion for innovation and improving the lives of patients, their families and caregivers. In the United States, Servier Pharmaceuticals is committed to building a robust portfolio, starting with oncology, with future growth driven by innovation in other areas of unmet medical need, leveraging Servier's global portfolio and seeking acquisitions, licensing deals and partnerships.

Servier Pharmaceuticals believes co-creation is fundamental to driving innovation and is actively building alliances that bring solutions to patients' lives and can accelerate access to therapies. We are building relationships with academia, venture capitalists, biotech and pharmaceutical peers and advocates with the aim of entering into mutually beneficial and complementary partnerships where each organization's skill sets are recognized and leveraged for the benefit of patients.

With our commercial and scientific expertise, global reach and commitment to clinical excellence, Servier Pharmaceuticals is dedicated to bringing the promise of tomorrow to the patients that we serve. Learn more at www.servier.us.

About Subaru of America, Inc. 
Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Subaru Corporation of Japan. Headquartered at a zero-landfill office in Camden, N.J., the company markets and distributes Subaru vehicles, parts and accessories through a network of more than 630 retailers across the United States. All Subaru products are manufactured in zero-landfill production plants and Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. is the only U.S. automobile production plant to be designated a backyard wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. SOA is guided by the Subaru Love Promise, which is the company's vision to show love and respect to everyone, and to support its communities and customers nationwide. Over the past 20 years, SOA has donated more than $190 million to causes the Subaru family cares about, and its employees have logged more than 40,000 volunteer hours. As a company, Subaru believes it is important to do its part in making a positive impact in the world because it is the right thing to do. For additional information visit media.subaru.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

About Takeda Pharmaceutical Company
Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited is a global, values-based, R&D-driven biopharmaceutical leader headquartered in Japan, committed to bringing Better Health and a Brighter Future to patients by translating science into highly-innovative medicines. Takeda focuses its R&D efforts on four therapeutic areas: Oncology, Rare Diseases, Neuroscience, and Gastroenterology (GI). We also make targeted R&D investments in Plasma-Derived Therapies and Vaccines. We are focusing on developing highly innovative medicines that contribute to making a difference in people's lives by advancing the frontier of new treatment options and leveraging our enhanced collaborative R&D engine and capabilities to create a robust, modality-diverse pipeline. Our employees are committed to improving quality of life for patients and to working with our partners in health care in approximately 80 countries.

For more information, visit https://www.takeda.com.

Takeda's Commitment to Oncology
Our core R&D mission is to deliver novel medicines to patients with cancer worldwide through our commitment to science, breakthrough innovation and passion for improving the lives of patients. Whether it's with our hematology therapies, our robust pipeline, or solid tumor medicines, we aim to stay both innovative and competitive to bring patients the treatments they need. For more information, visit www.takedaoncology.com.

About Walgreens
Walgreens (walgreens.com), one of the nation's largest drugstore chains, is included in the Retail Pharmacy USA Division of Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc., a global leader in retail and wholesale pharmacy. Walgreens is proud to be a neighborhood health, beauty and retail destination supporting communities across the country, and was named to FORTUNE* magazine's 2019 Companies that Change the World list. Approximately 8 million customers interact with Walgreens in stores and online each day. As of August 31, 2019, Walgreens operates 9,277 drugstores with a presence in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, along with its omnichannel business, Walgreens.com. Walgreens also provides specialty pharmacy and mail services and offers in-store clinics and other health care services throughout the United States, most of which are operated by our health care strategic partners.
*© 2019, Fortune Media IP Limited. Used under license.

About The Wawa Foundation
The Wawa Foundation is an extension of Wawa's commitment to making the world a better place by fulfilling customers' lives every day. The Wawa Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation founded by Wawa, Inc. to support the company's charitable giving and philanthropic activities – and ultimately to help build happier, stronger communities. The Wawa Foundation focuses its support on organizations committed to health, hunger and everyday heroes through local, state and national grants and in-kind donations. Since 2014, Wawa and The Wawa Foundation have donated more than $81 million to causes supporting health, hunger and the heroes who serve our communities every day.

Contact: Andrea Greif
Vice President, Communications
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
(914) 821-8958
andrea.greif@lls.org

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SOURCE The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS)