Ipsen Australia & New Zealand are calling on their Ipsen colleagues around the world to join the Kosi Challenge, Rare Cancers Australia’s biggest annual fundraising event.

While four local employees will be climbing Mount Kosciusko on 19 March to raise money for the charity, the initiative is being promoted to all Ipsen staff across the globe as part of the company’s Ipsen in Motion Program.

“Ipsen in Motion is our global internal challenge, launched in late 2018 to help achieve two important goals: promote the health of our employees, and support patient associations around the world. It is a concrete expression of our strategy Focus. Together. For patients & society,” explained Feryal Ghouadni, Vice President, Head of Social Responsibility at Ipsen.

During the month of March, Ipsen colleagues from 40 countries are encouraged to take part in the Kosi Challenge to support rare and less common cancer patients in Australia. At the end of the month, this support will translate into a financial donation to Rare Cancers Australia.

Already 1,750 employees have signed up, representing more than one-third of Ipsen’s staff worldwide.

“We have been particularly impressed by the outstanding work Rare Cancers Australia performs in emotionally and financially supporting patients in their treatment journey, and it came to us naturally that we needed to bring our contribution to this cause,” said Ms. Ghouadni.

Sheila Martínez, a Pharmacovigilance Manager in Mexico, is leading the charge for Rare Cancers Australia in her country.

“The Kosi Challenge promotes the desire to improve lives, and the importance of rare cancers lies in the fact that they are more difficult to prevent, diagnose and treat,” she said.

Sean Wilde works in procurement in the UK and is another global Ipsen employee getting active to support rare cancer patients in Australia.

“I have personally been affected by cancer so it’s a disease that it close to my heart. Whatever small contribution I can do to help raise awareness for rare and less common cancers – and cancers in general – can only be for the better. At the same time, it helps me maintain my fitness level and hopefully a healthier lifestyle.”

Rare Cancers Australia Chief Executive, Richard Vines, said Ipsen is the first pharmaceutical company to get their global colleagues involved in the Kosi Challenge.

“It has been wonderful to see the initiative of Ipsen to recruit global support, virtually. Every dollar that is raised is used to fund our Specialist Cancer Navigators and emergency crisis fund for patients. It’s heartening to imagine all those individuals out there right now, around the world, who are getting active to help support our patients,” he said.

Ipsen Australia General Manager, Peter Koetsier is proud of the broad contribution of his organisation to support the Kosi Challenge.

“I am extremely proud of the Australian Ipsen team as they embark on the Kosi Challenge and we as an organisation support the work of Rare Cancers Australia.”

“The support by Team Ipsen helps RCA in their work of improving the lives of Australians with rare and less common cancers.”