BlackDoctor.org, Evidation Health, Movember, and Myovant Sciences Launch Forward Momentum Coalition to Increase Diversity in Research and Develop New Digital Resources for Men with Prostate Cancer

• Forward Momentum brings together healthcare, research, and advocacy organizations
• Initial projects focus on increasing diversity in COVID-19 research and developing digital resources to support the overall health of men with prostate cancer

CHICAGO, Ill.; SAN MATEO, Calif.; LOS ANGELES, Calif.; and BASEL, Switzerland, June 30, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BlackDoctor.org, Evidation Health, Movember, and Myovant Sciences (NYSE: MYOV) today announced the launch of Forward Momentum, a cross-sector coalition working on innovative projects to increase diversity in research and develop new digital resources for men with prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer is the second most prevalent form of cancer and second leading cause of cancer death in men in the U.S. More than 3 million men have been diagnosed with prostate cancer in the U.S. and more than 33,000 deaths are expected in 2020, with Black men twice as likely to die from the disease. Despite significant progress in the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer, Forward Momentum believes that collaboration among healthcare, research, and advocacy organizations is needed to improve the quality of life and reduce stigma for men with prostate cancer, and to better understand and address racial disparities in the disease, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Forward Momentum announced two initial projects aimed at addressing these issues:

• Increasing Diversity in Health Research: Evidation is working with BlackDoctor.org to help Black men and women participate in a study being conducted in collaboration with Mount Sinai’s Icahn School of Medicine and the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene on the effects of COVID-19 on mental health. This is part of an ongoing effort by Evidation to make health research more representative and inclusive.
  
  
  
  
• Digital Resources to Track Mental and Physical Health in Prostate Cancer: Movember’s True North website helps men navigate their prostate cancer journey, providing resources, education, and community. Myovant Sciences is partnering with Movember to develop novel tools to track mental and physical health in men with prostate cancer. Since COVID-19 has exacerbated many men’s health challenges as well as eliminated many of the spaces that men go to for information and support, Movember and Myovant Sciences are working to create accessible digital resources designed to begin to address these issues.

Reggie Ware, chief executive officer of BlackDoctor.org, said, “Black men and women have historically been under-represented in scientific and clinical research. Yet, without higher levels of participation, we cannot effectively investigate the disproportionate impact of diseases affecting Black communities. We are proud to use our platform to encourage more members of the Black community to participate in these important studies and make their voices heard – particularly around critical healthcare issues like COVID-19 and prostate cancer.”

Sam Gledhill, global director of digital health at Movember, said, “Our True North platform is designed to help men navigate their prostate cancer journey, beyond the cancer itself. We are committed to creating innovative tools and resources that can help men track their health and talk about their experiences with the disease, which can impact all dimensions of their lives. We are confident that through partnership we can accelerate this mission.”

Christine Lemke, president and co-founder of Evidation, said, “Representation truly matters in studies of all kinds. It's especially critical for diverse voices to be heard and counted given the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on communities of color. We've designed our study to lower the barriers to participation and capture our collective lived experience of the pandemic.”

Lynn Seely, M.D., chief executive officer of Myovant Sciences, said, “Myovant’s mission is to redefine care for men and for women. To us, that means not only developing new medicines but sharing our research and expertise in areas like prostate cancer in order to support initiatives that can improve people’s mental and physical wellbeing throughout their treatment journey.”

More information is available at .

About BlackDoctor.org

BlackDoctor.org (BDO) is the leading health and wellness destination for people of color that leverages culture, content and technology to transform peoples' lives for the better. With a monthly total audience reach of 19 million and a heavy emphasis on “how to do it, you can do it” content, BDO has earned the trust of Black consumers everywhere who were simply waiting for someone to speak to them with a voice they can trust and a language they can understand. BDO also boasts the largest database of culturally sensitive doctors who are committed to treating all patients fairly, regardless of race or creed. Learn more about at our website and follow us on Twitter , and Facebook at .

About Movember

Movember is the leading charity changing the face of men’s health on a global scale, focusing on mental health and suicide prevention, prostate cancer and testicular cancer. The charity raises funds to deliver innovative, breakthrough research and support programs that enable men to live happier, healthier and longer lives. Committed to disrupting the status quo, millions have joined the movement, helping fund over 1,250 projects around the world. In addition to tackling key health issues faced by men, Movember is working to encourage men to stay healthy in all areas of their life, with a focus on men staying socially connected and becoming more open to discussing their health and significant moments in their lives. The charity’s vision is to have an everlasting impact on the face of men’s health. To donate or learn more, please visit . Follow us on Twitter (USA). Movember is a registered 501(c)(3) charity.

About Evidation Health

Evidation measures health in everyday life and enables anyone to participate in ground-breaking research and health programs. Built upon a foundation of user privacy and control over permissioned health data, Evidation’s Achievement platform is trusted by millions of individuals – generating data with unprecedented speed, scale, and rigor. We partner with leading healthcare companies to understand health and disease outside the clinic walls. Guided by our mission to enable and empower everyone to participate in better health outcomes, Evidation is working to bring people individualized, proactive, and accessible healthcare—faster. Founded in 2012, Evidation Health is headquartered in California with additional offices around the globe. To learn more, visit , or follow us on Twitter .

About Myovant Sciences

Myovant Sciences aspires to be the leading healthcare company focused on redefining care for women and for men. The company’s lead product candidate is relugolix, a once-daily, oral GnRH receptor antagonist. The company has three late-stage clinical programs for relugolix in uterine fibroids, endometriosis, and prostate cancer. The company is also developing MVT-602, an oligopeptide kisspeptin-1 receptor agonist that has completed a Phase 2a study for the treatment of female infertility as part of assisted reproduction. Takeda Pharmaceuticals International AG, a subsidiary of Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, the originator of relugolix, previously granted the company a worldwide license to develop and commercialize relugolix (excluding Japan and certain other Asian countries) and an exclusive license to develop and commercialize MVT-602 in all countries worldwide. Sumitovant Biopharma, Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd., is the majority shareholder of Myovant. For more information, please visit the company’s website at . Follow  on Twitter and .

Media contact on behalf of Forward Momentum:

Albert Liao 

Director, Corporate Communications

Myovant Sciences, Inc.