Sage Therapeutics Launches SageCitizen Social Impact Initiative

Effort embodies Sage’s long-term commitment to investing in People, Patients, Planet and Community

Sage Therapeutics (Nasdaq: SAGE), a biopharmaceutical company committed to developing novel therapies with the potential to transform the lives of people with debilitating disorders of the brain, today announced the launch of SageCitizen – a corporate social impact effort that activates and amplifies Sage’s long-term commitment to People, Patients, Planet and Community.

“At the core of our work at Sage is our mission to transform the lives of people with brain health disorders. We see the potential positive impact we can have on individuals, families and society not just with the novel treatments that we are developing, but with our engagement in the communities where we live and work,” said Barry Greene, Chief Executive Officer at Sage Therapeutics. “In the context of the current brain health pandemic, the launch of SageCitizen solidifies our deep, long-term relationships with community partners in a strategic and holistic way that aligns with our goal of making a meaningful and sustained contribution to people and society.”

SageCitizen launched with more than 200 Sage employee volunteers participating in a week of service comprised of virtual and in-person activities, including:

• Packing Emergency Aid duffle bags with longtime partner Wonderfund, a private, non-profit organization that works on behalf of children engaged with the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families. Sage volunteers assembled close to 500 bags with new clothing and essential items for children who experience emergency home removals due to abuse and neglect.
• Building beds with Boston Cares, New England’s largest volunteer agency, Sage volunteers worked in teams to sand, assemble, and paint twin bed frames for homeless children, providing them access to their own beds when transitioning from shelters to new residencies through the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless – A Bed for Every Child Initiative.
• Packaging a one-month supply of menstrual products with Dignity Matters, a non-profit organization that collects, purchases, and supplies feminine hygiene products and undergarments to low-income and homeless women and girls in the Boston area. The packages will help them stay healthy, regain self-confidence, and live with basic dignity. Sage employees also wrote letters of support and affirmation to recipients of the hygiene packages.

SageCitizen formalizes Sage’s social impact efforts, further strengthening the social impact of the philanthropic and community activities Sage and its employees have been involved in since 2014. SageCitizen is organized around four pillars:

• People – Sage is committed to providing employees a meaningful career journey and an inclusive culture where they can do their best work, while channeling their passion for helping others with opportunities to make a difference and improve lives. Sage celebrates people for who they are through a culture of respect and belonging that welcomes fresh thinking and unique perspectives. The company’s holistic well-being benefits and SageFlex work model support Sage employees to live life to its fullest, whether in the office, their homes, or their communities.
• Patients – Partnering with and learning from diverse patient organizations is core to Sage’s mission to make medicines that matter so people can get better sooner. These groups serve a vital role as independent patient champions and agents of change in pursuit of several shared goals: reducing stigma, improving patient care, and enhancing access to medicines and services for people impacted by brain health disorders.
• Planet – Recognizing that no one company can solve the planet’s problems alone, Sage is committed to doing its part to reduce its carbon footprint and make the earth a healthier place to live. Sage provides green transportation incentives, reduces its waste stream by composting, recycling and eliminating plastic, and educates Sage employees about how to integrate green best practices at home.​​​​​​​
• Community – Sage engages with organizations supporting families, children and individuals who are facing hardship or social isolation that can lead to depression. Sage’s community philanthropy focus areas are essential service organizations that supplement daily necessities from food to clothing to temporary shelter; and social connection programs that increase connectivity for those separated from loved ones, letting them know they are not alone and that someone cares.

Through SageCitizen, Sage seeks to deepen relationships with its partners by developing more long-term engagement opportunities that are intended to increase impact on the well-being of Sage’s people, patients, planet, and communities where they work and live.

“Putting people first is part of everything we do at Sage – from how we engage and treat patients and their families, to the respect and compassion we have for each other, our community and our planet,” said Erin Lanciani, Chief People & Experience Officer, Sage Therapeutics. “We are thrilled to formalize these efforts as we launch SageCitizen.”

About Sage Therapeutics

Sage Therapeutics is a biopharmaceutical company committed to developing novel therapies with the potential to transform the lives of people with debilitating disorders of the brain. We are pursuing new pathways with the goal of improving brain health and our depression, neurology and neuropsychiatry franchise programs aim to change how brain disorders are thought about and treated. Our mission is to make medicines that matter so people can get better, sooner. For more information, please visit www.sagerx.com.

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