Bayer Launches ‘MyMentor’ Program, Connecting PAH or CTEPH Patients to Others with Firsthand Experience

Patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) or chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) and their caregivers can now access myMentor, a U.S. support program established by Bayer.

The company launched the program at the International PH Conference and Scientific Sessions that recently concluded in Orlando, Florida, and was organized by the Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA).

This peer-to-peer support program aims to connect patients with PAH or CTEPH with others who have experienced the illness and its difficulties firsthand. It is also open to people considering or starting treatment with Adempas (riociguat), an oral tablet developed by Bayer to treat both PAH and CTEPH that was approved in 2013 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

A diagnosis of PAH or CTEPH can be scary, confusing, and life-altering, the company notes. These conditions can require several lifestyle adjustments and changes, so that information — especially from people who can serve as mentors for having gone through them —  helpful to both patients and caregivers.

Patients who either don’t yet have a treatment plan or are about to start one can also benefit from talking to someone who has lived with the condition and may be able to answer their questions. Anyone interested can review available profiles of mentors, register, and schedule a call.

Volunteers serving as mentors can offer one-on-one support and understanding about the disease, its course, and treatment. Patients and caregivers can reach out to a mentor via the myMentor program website, and have a private and confidential conversation. Those interested in serving as mentors may do so by contacting the program using information provided here.

“Being diagnosed with a rare, progressive and debilitating disease can be confusing and even frightening for some patients despite guidance from their healthcare provider,” Aleksandra Vlajnic, MD, vice president of medical affairs at Bayer, said in a press release.

“Our hope is that myMentor will provide an additional layer of support and emotional reassurance that only patients who have had similar experiences can provide one another, especially during the start of treatment and lifestyle adjustment” Vlajnic added.

Bayer emphasizes that myMentor is intended to offer support, and it is not a substitute for professional medical care. Patients should always consult with their healthcare providers concerning the treatment plan most adequate to them.

Both CTEPH and PAH cause blood vessels in the lungs to narrow, elevating blood pressure as the blood finds it more difficult to flow through the lungs. Adempas is designed to relax arterial muscle walls so that the vessels widen, or vasodilate, allowing blood to flow more freely.