- To mark the Rare Disease Awareness Month, Boehringer Ingelheim created the Largest Video Chain of People Passing and Using a Pen in a movement
- The movement is created to raise awareness for 300 million rare disease patients worldwide
- The video chain featured 462 people from around the globe writing messages of solidarity
Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 9 March 2022: Boehringer Ingelheim, one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies, has broken the Guinness World Records™ title for creating the Largest Video Chain of People Passing and Using a Pen in a movement titled “Rare But Not Alone,” aimed at demonstrating solidarity with patients living with rare diseases.
To raise awareness and generate change for the 300 million people worldwide living with a rare disease[1], their families, and caregivers, the movement kicked off in the UAE with a social media campaign inviting people to join the online chain. In each video, the person used a pen to write “you are not alone” message and passed it on the next person forming the largest video chain. This captured the attention of participants from around the world, including the Middle East, North Africa, Sub Saharan Africa, Japan, Europe, China, the USA, Australia, India, and Turkey. The online video campaign successfully achieved a total record-breaking number of 462 people taking part in the chain.
Mohammed Al-Tawil, Regional Managing Director for Boehringer Ingelheim India, Middle East, Turkey, and Africa, said, “Approximately 4 percent of the total world population is living with a rare disease[2] awaiting treatments that meet their medical needs. At Boehringer Ingelheim, we remain steadfast in our commitment to developing and delivering life-changing innovative therapies that improve the quality of life of our patients living with rare diseases such as pulmonary fibrosis. We continue to advocate for the rare disease community in service to our patients, and by breaking a Guinness World Records™ title, we help raise awareness for 300 million rare disease patients with whom we stand in solidarity.”
Rare diseases often known as orphan diseases affect a small population of the world. In 1921, Boehringer Ingelheim set out with a vision to transform the world of respiratory care. Over the past 100 years, the company has emerged as a leader in this therapy area, having launched several treatments in a range of respiratory conditions including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, and rare diseases such as pulmonary fibrosis, Scleroderma, and Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis ‘(IPF’)[3].
Link to the Guinness World Records™ achievement here: Rare But Not Alone – Guinness World Record Submission – YouTube
About Boehringer Ingelheim
Boehringer Ingelheim is working on breakthrough therapies that
improve the lives of humans and animals. As a leading research-driven
biopharmaceutical company, the company creates value through innovation in
areas of high medical need. Founded in 1885 and family-owned ever since,
Boehringer Ingelheim takes a long-term perspective. Around 52,000 employees
serve more than 130 markets in the three business areas, Human Pharma, Animal
Health, and Biopharmaceutical Contract Manufacturing. Learn more at www.boehringer-ingelheim.com.
[1] https://www.rarediseasesinternational.org/living-with-a-rare-disease/#:~:text=Over%20300%20million%20persons%20live,5.9%25%20of%20the%20global%20population.
[2] https://www.ajmc.com/view/not-so-rare-300-million-people-worldwide-affected-by-rare-diseases
[3] https://www.lung.org/lung-health-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/interstitial-lung-disease#:~:text=Interstitial%20lung%20disease%20(ILD)%20is,and%20gets%20worse%20over%20time.