Leading Patient and Professional Advocacy Organizations Endorse the 4WARD Coalition Resource to Advance Anticoagulation Care

RIDGEFIELD, Conn., October 4, 2016 – Today the 4WARD Coalition^™ announced seven leading atrial fibrillation (AFib) and cardiovascular organizations have endorsed its educational resource, AFib4WARD.com, a shared decision making tool designed to help AFib patients and Healthcare Providers engage in two-way dialogue about stroke risk and treatment options. Through collaboration with the endorsing advocacy groups and medical associations, the 4WARD Coalition hopes to further its mission of improving the quality and consistency of care for patients needing anticoagulation treatment.

“We designed AFib4WARD.com to address an unmet need and help patients and Healthcare Providers navigate discussions around AFib and the various treatment options to reduce stroke risk, and we are thrilled to have the backing of organizations at the forefront of anticoagulation care to help share insights and key learnings” said 4WARD chair Christian T. Ruff, M.D., M.P.H., Associate Physician, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School.

Since launching in March 2015, the 4WARD Coalition has focused its efforts on developing educational AFib resources to facilitate shared decision making, a collaborative process that enables patients and Healthcare Providers to make treatment decisions together, taking into account the patient's personal health factors and preferences. In November 2015, the Coalition initially launched the printed 4WARD Conversation Cards, a set of interactive discussion cards for use during patient doctor visits. To make the tools more accessible, the Coalition launched an online version via AFib4WARD.com, which includes additional patient and caregiver resources to help patients understand and follow their treatment plan.

“Boehringer Ingelheim is proud of the progress the 4WARD Coalition has made to address unmet needs in anticoagulation care. As a member of the anticoagulation community, we appreciate the support of these organizations to further the impact and reach of this meaningful educational resource,” said Paul Fonteyne, president and chief executive officer, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 

About the 4WARD Coalition
The 4WARD Coalition is a multi-disciplinary collaboration of experts launched by Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in 2015, dedicated to improving quality and consistency of care for patients needing anticoagulation treatment. 4WARD brings together experts across various disciplines to pursue innovative solutions and bridge unmet needs in anticoagulation care. The coalition is chaired by Christian T. Ruff, M.D. M.P.H., Associate Physician, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School.

About Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., based in Ridgefield, CT, is the largest U.S. subsidiary of Boehringer Ingelheim Corporation.

Boehringer Ingelheim is one of the world’s 20 leading pharmaceutical companies. Headquartered in Ingelheim, Germany, the company operates globally with 146 affiliates and more than 47,000 employees. Since its founding in 1885, the family-owned company has been committed to researching, developing, manufacturing and marketing novel treatments for human and veterinary medicine.

Boehringer Ingelheim is committed to improving lives and providing valuable services and support to patients and families. Our employees create and engage in programs that strengthen our communities. To learn more about how we make more health for more people, visit our Corporate Social Responsibility Report.

In 2015, Boehringer Ingelheim achieved net sales of about $15.8 billion (14.8 billion euros). R&D expenditure corresponds to 20.3 percent of its net sales.

For more information please visit www.us.boehringer-ingelheim.com, or follow us on Twitter @BoehringerUS.

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