Hyderabad, India–
The Max Foundation (Max) and Friends of Max (FOM) proudly announce the formalization of their long standing collaboration supporting people living with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) in India. The two organizations signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at the recent Friends of Max 2015 Leadership Summit attended by Max CEO, Pat Garcia-Gonzalez in Hyderabad on April 19th.
Viji Venkatesh, Max’s Head of India shares an historical perspective, “In 2003, leaders of Max’s team in India and community leaders agreed to collaborate on providing free support services to families affected by CML and GIST in the country. This collaboration resulted in the formation of Friends of Max, a Charitable Trust registered with the Charities Commissioner’s Office in Mumbai. Today, we celebrate our MOU signing to enable greater support to people living with CML and GIST across the country.”
Pat Garcia-Gonzalez of Max remarks, “Since its inception, Friends of Max has served as the patient support arm of The Max Foundation. We are a united force. We are grateful for our partnership of so many years and full of hope as we look ahead to how much we can accomplish together.”
About Friends of Max
Friends of Max is a charitable trust registered in India comprised of individuals impacted directly and indirectly by chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST). With 18 chapters in cities across India, the trust aims to provide mutual support and education for its thousands of active members under the motto, “Together we share and learn”.
The Max Foundation is a leading global health nonprofit organization dedicated to accelerating health equity. For 28 years, Max has pioneered practical, scalable, high-quality solutions to bring life-extending treatments and patient-centered health care to more than 100,000 people living with cancer and critical illness in low- and middle-income countries. Max believes in a world where all people can access high-impact medicines, where geography is not destiny, and where everyone can strive for health with dignity and with hope.
Today, Spot On CML is active in 19 countries and, on June 29th, 17 patients were chosen by the treating physicians at Philippine General Hospital to take part in the program. While CML testing is available in the Philippines, it’s prohibitively expensive – placing critical diagnostic information out of reach for many patients.
Watch The Max Foundation’s video from Max Global Experience Uganda. The Max Global Experience Uganda was a fundraising and engagement opportunity for patient leaders, industry partners, and Max team members to come together to expand access to cancer treatment in Africa. The global experience included an all-day symposium, a visit to the Uganda Cancer Institute, and a “last mile” walk along the Nile in solidarity with patients across Africa.
An article by one of our partner physicians, Dr. Freddy Gnangnon in Benin, was recently published in Clinical Surgical Oncology. It’s about the management of locally advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumors and how providing access to treatment free of charge improves survival outcomes. Read More
