Samantha (with her husband Paul) credits the support of her family and friends with the strength to stay hopeful despite the autoimmune disorder with which she has struggled since age 15.
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PATIENT STORIES
Samantha Wesson
“I haven’t let my disease stop me from living my life to its fullest.”
Samantha Wesson is one of countless patients waiting for a breakthrough. A 54-year-old wife and mother from Poughkeepsie, New York, Samantha suffers from psoriasis – an incurable autoimmune disease where skin cells build up and form scales and itchy, often painful, dry patches – and psoriatic arthritis, a form of arthritis that affects some people who have psoriasis.
“When I’ve been covered from head to toe, it’s ugly, it’s painful, it’s itching, and it’s pretty devastating,” Samantha says.
Like most patients, Samantha developed psoriasis first, at age 15, and developed psoriatic arthritis later in life.
“Unfortunately, people in our society judge others by their appearance. At first, the psoriasis appeared behind my ears and on my scalp,” says Samantha. “For a young girl, and almost everyone with psoriasis, these symptoms can be terribly embarrassing because most people think that the condition is contagious, which it isn’t.”
Samantha began to treat her symptoms with creams and various medications, to little or no effect. As her disease progressed,
she turned to other treatments – including biologics – which provided her some relief. However, these breaks from her suffering were short-lived, until her body adapted to and rejected the treatments, usually after one to
two years.
Recently, Samantha developed the painful joint pain associated with psoriatic arthritis. “Sometimes the pain in my knees and ankles makes it difficult for me to get out of bed,” she says.
Despite the many hardships Samantha has endured, she remains positive and optimistic. “I have never let the disease control my life,” she says. “With the support from my family and friends, I haven’t let it stop me from living my life to its fullest.”
According to Samantha, progress on new treatment options means hope for patients.
“I want to thank everyone who is working to find a breakthrough,” she says. “It would mean everything to me, and bring relief to my family. But all I can do is wait, and hope for a new treatment that works for me.”
Bristol-Myers Squibb recently enrolled a Phase 3 clinical trial with its TYK-2 inhibitor in psoriasis.
PATIENT STORIES
Built to Fight
Experiencing the benefits
Every Day to Live
Waiting for a Breakthrough
The patient stories shared in this Annual Report depict individual patient responses to our medicines or investigational compounds and are not representative of all patient responses. In addition, there is no guarantee that potential drugs or indications still in development will receive regulatory approval. This Annual Report contains statements about the company’s future plans and prospects that constitute forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results may differ from those indicated as a result of various important factors, including those discussed in the company’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K and reports on Form 10-Q and Form 8-K. These documents are available from the SEC, the Bristol-Myers Squibb website or from Bristol-Myers Squibb Investor Relations. In addition, any forward-looking statements represent our estimates only as of the date hereof and should not be relied upon as representing our estimates as of any subsequent date. While we may elect to update forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we specifically disclaim any obligation to do so, even if our estimates change. This Annual Report also contains certain non-GAAP financial measures, adjusted to include certain costs, expenses, gains and losses and other specified items. Reconciliations of these non-GAAP financial measures to the most comparable GAAP measures are available on the company’s website at www.bms.com
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