TARRYTOWN, N.Y. and
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Oct. 11, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --
Understand AD: A Day in the Life Raises
Awareness of Atopic Dermatitis by Sharing Real Stories from the AD
Community, Driving Empathy and Understanding of this Unrelenting,
Chronic Disease
Today, Peter Moffat, Executive
Producer of HBO's The Night Of, unveiled Understand AD: A
Day in the Life in partnership with Regeneron Pharmaceuticals,
Inc. (NASDAQ: REGN), Sanofi and the National Eczema
Association (NEA). Coinciding with National Eczema Awareness
Month, the program transports people into what a typical,
often unremitting and painful day is really like
for people living with uncontrolled moderate-to-severe atopic
dermatitis (AD) through a powerful new video and
educational resources co-produced by Moffat.
Moffat has suffered from severe AD for more than 50
years and was the first to portray to a broad audience what
it's like to live with this debilitating disease
through the popular BBC series, Criminal Justice, from
which The Night Of was adapted. The main character of The
Night Of, a trial lawyer named John
Stone, also suffered from uncontrolled AD, further driving
mass awareness of uncontrolled moderate-to-severe AD in the U.S.
and globally.
"I desperately wanted a global audience to get an intimate view
of the burden caused by the intense, persistent itching and pain
that someone living with this disease experiences every day,"
said Peter Moffat, award-winning TV
writer and Executive Producer of The Night Of. "I love how
each episode of The Night Of captured the often extreme
things people do to try to overcome the physically and emotionally
daunting symptoms of atopic dermatitis. I joined Understand AD: A
Day in the Life to continue telling these real-life stories, which
I hope will help reduce the stigma and isolating nature of this
chronic disease."
AD, the most common form of eczema, is a chronic, inflammatory
skin disease characterized by unpredictable flare-ups driven in
part by a malfunction in the immune system.[1]-[8]
Despite common misconceptions that AD is "just" a skin condition,
it is a systemic inflammatory disease that can have a significant
physical and psychological impact on people.[7],[9] Some
people with moderate-to-severe AD continue to experience
debilitating symptoms despite available topical and systemic
steroid treatment options, causing their disease to remain
uncontrolled. This often unbearable disease can take control of
people's lives, causing sleeplessness and feelings of anxiety,
depression and isolation.[10]-[12]
"The Understand AD: A Day in the Life program signifies our
commitment to driving education and growing public awareness of
this serious and often overlooked disease," said Julie Block, President and CEO, the National
Eczema Association. "Because it's a skin disease, people may not
understand how the disease can take hold of people's lives,
personally, socially and professionally. NEA is dedicated to
providing support for patients impacted by atopic dermatitis --
offering resources, advocating for better care, and raising
awareness about the seriousness of this disease."
Visit www.UnderstandAD.com to view and share the "A Day in the
Life" video, written and narrated by Peter
Moffat, learn more about this program and moderate-to-severe
AD, and connect with the National Eczema Association about its
resources, patient tools and support services.
About Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Regeneron
(NASDAQ: REGN) is a leading biotechnology company that
invents life-transforming medicines for people with serious
diseases. Founded and led for nearly 30 years by
physician-scientists, our unique ability to repeatedly and
consistently translate science into medicine has led to six
FDA-approved treatments and over a dozen product candidates in
development, all of which were homegrown in our laboratories. Our
medicines and pipeline are designed to help patients with eye
disease, heart disease, allergic and inflammatory diseases, pain,
cancer, and infectious and rare diseases.
Regeneron is accelerating and improving the traditional drug
development process through its unique
VelociSuite® technologies and ambitious
initiatives such as The Regeneron Genetics Center, one of the
largest genetics sequencing efforts in the world.
For additional information about the company, please visit
www.regeneron.com or follow @Regeneron on Twitter.
About Sanofi
Sanofi, a global healthcare leader,
discovers, develops and distributes therapeutic solutions focused
on patients' needs. Sanofi is organized into five global business
units: Diabetes and Cardiovascular, General Medicines and Emerging
Markets, Sanofi Genzyme, Sanofi Pasteur and Consumer Healthcare.
Sanofi is listed in Paris
(EURONEXT: SAN) and in New York
(NYSE: SNY).
Sanofi Genzyme focuses on developing specialty treatments for
debilitating diseases that are often difficult to diagnose and
treat, providing hope to patients and their families.
About The National Eczema Association
The National
Eczema Association (NEA) is a non-profit 501(c) (3) patient
advocacy organization whose mission is to improve the health and
quality of life for individuals with eczema through research,
support, and education. In the United States alone, over 10 percent
of the population has some form of atopic dermatitis/eczema. NEA
was founded in 1988 by a group of patients, medical professionals,
and parents to help individuals and families living with this skin
disease live healthier lives. Through a variety of educational
materials, including a quarterly patient-oriented magazine, a
monthly electronic newsletter, and trustworthy website, NEA reaches
out to a diverse audience that includes eczema patients,
caregivers, medical professionals, and other stakeholders. NEA also
conducts patient conferences and participates in a wide-variety of
medical symposiums. NEA is active year-round to promote eczema
awareness, break through stereotypes and address issues critical to
patient care. Advocacy efforts include advancing increases in skin
disease research funding through the National Institute of
Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) of the
National Institutes of Health, as well as increasing public
understanding regarding the burden of eczema. NEA provides a
network of support groups, an up-to-date website with the latest
research and treatment information, a Seal of Acceptance program
for over-the-counter products to help eczema patients navigate the
myriad of products necessary for their daily skin care regimen, and
a research program to advance scientific knowledge and care.
All NEA programs and services result in benefits for eczema
patients and their families. NEA does not endorse specific
products. For more information about the National Eczema
Association, visit www.nationaleczema.org, contact at
info@nationaleczema.org, or call 1-800-818-7546.
Contacts Regeneron:
Media
Relations
Arleen
Goldenberg
Tel: +1 (914)
847-3456
Mobile: +1 (914)
260-8788
Arleen.Goldenberg@regeneron.com
Contacts Sanofi:
Media
Relations
Ashleigh
Koss
Tel: +1 (908)
981-8745
ashleigh.koss@sanofi.com
U.S. Communications
Carrie
Brown
Tel: +1 (908) 981-6486
Mobile: +1 (908) 247-6006
Carrie.Brown@sanofi.com
[1] Schneider et al, AAAI 2013, Practice Parameter Update, page
296.
[2] Eichenfield et al, AAD 2014, Guidelines of Care for Atopic
Dermatitis, page 118.
[3] Guideline to treatment, European Dermatology Forum.
http://www.euroderm.org/edf/index.php/edf-guidelines/category/5-guidelines-miscellaneous?download=36:guideline-treatment-of-atopic-eczema-atopic-dermatitis.
Accessed December 23, 2016.
[4] Gelmetti and Wolleberg, BJD 2014, Atopic dermatitis- all you
can do from the outside. Page 19.
[5] National Institutes of Health (NIH). Handout on Health: Atopic
Dermatitis (A type of eczema) 2013. http://www.niams.nih.gov/
Health_Info/Atopic_Dermatitis/default.asp. Accessed October 31, 201.
[6] Gittler JK, et al. Progressive activation of TH2/TH22 cytokines
and selective epidermal proteins characterizes acute and chronic
atopic dermatitis. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2012; 130:6.
1345-1354.
[7] Leung DYM, Boguniewicz M, Howell MD, Nomura I, Hamid QA. New
insights into atopic dermatitis. J Clin Invest. 2004;
113:651-657.
[8] Lebwohl MG, Del Rosso JQ, Abramovits W, et al. Pathways to
managing atopic dermatitis: consensus from the experts. J Clin
Aesthet Dermatol. 2013; 6(7 Suppl):S2-S18.
[9] DaVeiga SP. Epidemiology of atopic dermatitis: a review.
Allergy Asthma Proc. 2012; 33:227-34.
[10] Misery L, Finlay AY, Martin N, et al. Atopic dermatitis:
impact on the quality of life of patients and their partners.
Dermatology. 2007; 215:123-129.
[11] Zuberbier T, Orlow SJ, Paller AS, et al. Patient perspectives
on the management of atopic dermatitis. J Allergy Clin Immunol.
2006; 118:226-232.
[12] Eichenfield LF, Tom WL, Chamlin SL, et al. Guidelines of care
for the management of atopic dermatitis. Section 1. J Am Acad
Dermatol. 2014;70:338-51.
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SOURCE Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.