Genzyme Announces Launch of Expression of Hope III Art Exhibit

PRESS RELEASE

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Genzyme, a Sanofi company, announced today that selected artwork from Expression of Hope III will be featured through a travelling exhibit and online gallery. Expression of Hope is a global disease awareness program featuring works of art created by the community of people affected by lysosomal storage disorders (LSD). This unique program encourages anyone affected by an LSD to create and submit a work of art that expresses their experiences of living with these rare, inherited diseases.

The 25 piece Expression of Hope III exhibit will open today at Genzyme Center in Cambridge, Mass. The exhibit will travel to patient meetings and conferences around the world in 2015 and 2016. Initial exhibits include the National Niemann-Pick Disease Foundation family conference in Chicago, Illinois, the Niemann-Pick Disease Group — UK Family Conference in the United Kingdom, and the Global Genes “Tribute to Champions of Hope” Gala in California. Future exhibits are currently being planned for the Asia-Pacific region and Latin America. All of the 168 artwork submissions, including the 25 exhibit selections, can be viewed at www.expressionofhope.com.

Working in collaboration with patient advocacy organizations around the world, Expression of Hope III received submissions from artists of all ages and artistic ability, including family members, friends and healthcare workers from over 20 countries. The exhibit artwork was selected by a panel of professional artists from the Massachusetts area, including Lesley University’s Expressive Therapies program, the DeCordova Museum, Massachusetts College of Art and the Rocky Neck Arts Colony. This is the third Expression of Hope campaign, with nearly 500 artwork submissions received since the program first launched in in 2006.

“Artistic expression transcends barriers created by geography, language, physical ability and age,” said Genzyme’s Head of Rare Diseases, Richard Peters, M.D., Ph.D. “By sharing these reflections of the human spirit with the world, the Expression of Hope artists challenge and motivate thousands of people to better understand the experience of living with an LSD.”

Lysosomal storage disorders, also known as lipid storage disorders, are a group of inherited metabolic conditions in which fatty materials (lipids) accumulate in various cells and tissues in the body. People with these disorders either do not produce enough of an enzyme required to break down (metabolize) lipids, or they produce enzymes that do not work properly. Over time, the build-up of lipids can lead to cellular and tissue damage, particularly in the brain, peripheral nervous system, liver, spleen, and bone marrow. Examples of LSDs include Gaucher, Fabry, Pompe, MPS and Niemann-Pick diseases.