24 May 2019 - - US-based biopharmaceutical company Celgene Corp. (NASDAQ: CELG) and the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America have launched of a new campaign, MS MindShift: A New View of MS, a national initiative that provides new perspective on multiple sclerosis, the company said.

The campaign aims to educate about the critical role the brain plays in the disease and what people living with MS can do to keep their brain as healthy as possible, for as long as possible.

To bring this new perspective on MS closer to the community, the campaign will host engaging, educational events in various cities.

Select events, including the New York City area launch, will feature the MS MindShift "Brain Bulb" hot air balloon as a way to literally elevate the importance of having a "brain first" perspective in MS.

Just as keeping a balloon in good condition keeps it soaring above the ground, shifting focus up toward the brain could change how people with MS live with the disease tomorrow.

The initiative launches in the NYC area, just in time for World MS Day on May 30, 2019, with additional pop-up educational events in Philadelphia and Atlanta.

MS is a chronic and often debilitating disease that affects nearly 1 m people in the US.

In MS, the immune system attacks the central nervous system -- which includes the spinal cord and brain. Localized injury to the brain produces "lesions" which disrupt the flow of information from the brain to the body which may lead to symptoms and relapses.

All of the MS MindShift events will give the MS community the opportunity to learn more about the campaign first hand and receive educational materials.

Select cities will feature the Brain Bulb Balloon and provide a chance to take a "lift up" in the tethered hot air balloon while learning about a new perspective on MS.

People with MS and those who support them can learn more about the campaign at MSMindShift.com, or join the online community on Facebook.

Celgene Corp., headquartered in Summit, New Jersey, is an integrated global biopharmaceutical company engaged primarily in the discovery, development and commercialization of innovative therapies for the treatment of cancer and inflammatory diseases through next-generation solutions in protein homeostasis, immuno-oncology, epigenetics, immunology and neuro-inflammation.