One person will be on Mr Brad Cox’s mind as he cycles over the hills, highways and byways of Japan in the Continent 2 Continent 4 Cancer (C2C4C) Asia Pacific event.
“I’m riding to honour the memory of my father Barry, who passed away from a rare cancer last year,” said Mr Cox, interim strategy and operations lead for Asia Pacific at Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS).
“It happened so quickly and I was living in the United States at the time – I was very fortunate to make it back to Australia to spend his last week with him and say my goodbyes.”
Mr Cox is among more than 55 employees from seven countries, including Australia, China and Singapore, taking part in the ride.
The 15-day event began on Oct 6 and runs until Oct 20. Five teams will collectively cover nearly 1,800km on a route that starts at Tokyo Bay and finishes in Otemachi, Tokyo. Each team will take on a three-day segment, with every participant covering about 360km. The riders trained for five months alongside their work and personal commitments.
Since 2021, more than US$830,000 (S$1.06 million) has been donated through C2C4C rides in Asia Pacific to cancer organisations that are members of the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), according to BMS. UICC is a global non-profit association registered in Geneva that works to reduce the burden of cancer. Globally, the initiative has donated more than US$21 million for cancer research to date.
For this year’s ride, BMS will donate up to US$120,000 to UICC. Of this, US$60,000 will go to UICC member organisations that the riders are raising funds for. This year also marks the formal transition from C2C4C Japan to C2C4C Asia Pacific, reflecting wider regional participation and bringing BMS employees from across the region together for the ride in Japan.
WHO THEY ARE RIDING FOR
C2C4C began in the US in 2014, before expanding to Europe in 2016, Japan in 2021 and Latin America in 2022.
Mr Steve Sugino, senior vice president for Asia Pacific at BMS, rode in the 2023 event in honour of his parents, who were both cancer survivors.
“Riding gave me a way to put my body, my time and my discomfort behind that support,” he said. He added that the names on his teammates’ jerseys, showing who they were riding for, became a source of strength.
Team captain Kumiko Saito, senior manager in international markets medical enablement at BMS, has a broader motivation. “I am not riding for one specific individual. I am riding for cancer patients and their families,” she said.
She added that medicines alone could not address every concern faced by patients and their loved ones, and sees C2C4C as another way to support them beyond her day-to-day role.
The different reasons for riding are reflected in this year’s themes, Our Miles Make More Memories and We Are Riding For Patients, which connect the riders’ personal motivations with BMS’ work in oncology.
“When employees from different countries train together, ride together and struggle up the same climbs together, they build relationships and understanding that outlast the event itself,” said Mr Sugino.
FROM FUNDRAISING TO ACCESS TO CARE
Beyond fundraising, BMS said it is working to improve access to cancer treatment across Asia Pacific. Mr Sugino said one challenge is narrowing the gap between how quickly serious diseases can progress and how quickly patients can access care.
In Australia, a reimbursement model for BMS’ immuno-oncology therapies moves past traditional single-tumour approvals to broader, simultaneous coverage across multiple cancer indications.
The company said it is also working to ensure its clinical research better represents Asian populations. Asia-Pacific markets account for 40 per cent of its global clinical trial patient volume, which BMS said helps build clinical datasets that reflect regional demographics and accelerate local regulatory approvals.
BMS is also expanding access to chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR T-cell) therapy for people with certain blood cancers. The treatment modifies a patient’s T cells – white blood cells that help the immune system fight abnormal cells – so they can recognise and attack cancer cells.
In Japan, BMS has authorised more than 80 specialised treatment centres and is committing more than US$100 million over five years to establish local cell therapy manufacturing.
Mr Sugino said the riders’ commitment brings into focus who the company’s work is for. “It keeps the patient at the centre – not as an abstract idea, but as someone’s mother, father, colleague or friend. And a reminder of what we can accomplish together.”
Learn more about C2C4C Asia Pacific or support rider fundraising for UICC member organisations in the region. Follow #C2C4C on LinkedIn, X, Facebook and Instagram.