Novartis, iHeartRadio Partner to Launch 1st Streaming Station for MS Community

Novartis has partnered with iHeartRadio to launch the first free on-demand streaming radio station dedicated to the multiple sclerosis (MS) community.

Named MS Vibes, the station is focused “on popular music, educational content and relatable topics to which listeners can connect, uplift and recharge,” Leverne Marsh, vice president and head of Novartis’ U.S. neuroscience franchise, said in an official correspondence with Multiple Sclerosis News Today.

MS Vibes was developed “with the MS community, for the MS community,” she added, noting that “there has never been a radio station created specifically for people living with MS, their care partners, advocates and healthcare support teams.”

“We’re pleased to offer this first-of-its-kind resource to the MS community,” Marsh said.

Accessible through the iHeartRadio app and website, the radio station includes 24/7 playlists with popular music selected to help uplift and recharge the MS community. Of note, previous research showed a modest effect of music on MS patients’ mental well-being, improving their self-esteem and reducing anxiety and depression.

MS Vibes will also include a series of monthly educational podcasts, called “MS Journeys,” set to start in early December.

The podcasts will be hosted by iHeartRadio’s radio personality Skeery Jones, from “Elvis Duran & the Morning Show,” and Kate Milliken, a healthcare entrepreneur, film producer, and MS patient advocate, who has been living with the disease for 14 years.

Jones and Milliken will interview MS patients, their care partners, and experts within the MS community who will share their insights on the daily challenges of living with MS and how to live an empowered life, as well as provide guidance and educational content.

Meant to address relatable and relevant topics to people with MS and their loved ones, MS Journeys will cover subjects ranging from “real patients’ diagnosis journeys” to “the role of music in MS,” to “recognizing changes in MS.”

In the first podcast, Jones and Milliken will introduce MS Vibes, and share its mission and what the MS community can expect from the podcast series. They will also discuss their personal connections to MS and the importance of MS Vibes to them.

Novartis hopes that MS Vibes will serve as central place of empowerment, learning, and understanding for people in the MS community, allowing listeners to come together and celebrate how they have learned to live and move forward with the disease.

Currently, Novartis’ MS portfolio of approved therapies include Mayzent (siponimod), Gilenya (fingolimod), Extavia (interferon beta-1b), and Kesimpta (ofatumumab). The company is also actively involved in the development of better diagnostic tests and tools to monitor MS progression.

Note: Due to localization issues, the link to MS Vibes may not work for readers in some countries.