DUBLIN, Jan. 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Allergan plc (NYSE:
AGN), a leading global pharmaceutical company with more than 70
years of heritage in eye care, announced today a partnership with
Von Miller, Super Bowl MVP, Denver
Broncos linebacker and advocate for healthy vision, to shine a
light on the millions of people living with glaucoma. As an
ambassador for the 'My Glaucoma' campaign, Miller will address the
misunderstandings and impact of glaucoma and encourage those with
the disease, and their caregivers, to take early action. This
includes going regularly to the doctor and taking medications as
prescribed. Additional information can be found at
www.MyGlaucoma.com.
Experience the interactive Multichannel News Release here:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8472154-allergan-my-glaucoma-von-miller/
"Growing up, I had challenges with my vision. I don't have
glaucoma, but I know firsthand how it feels to deal with vision
issues. Because of this, I'm dedicated to helping others who suffer
from visual impairments and their caregivers," said Von Miller. "Working with Allergan,
I learned that 27 percent of patients with glaucoma are
estimated to go blind in one eye over a 10-year period, and I want
to bring attention to the misunderstandings and impact of glaucoma
so people and their loved ones can have more informed conversations
with their doctors."
As a child, Miller suffered from vision problems. This made
school a challenge for him and he struggled to maintain a positive
self-image because of it. Miller finally took control of his vision
after a visit to his eye doctor and gained back his confidence that
led him to go on to play professional football. Because of this,
and knowing firsthand the feeling of losing your sight to any
degree, Miller is passionate about helping others take control of
their visual impairments and is excited about the opportunity to
spotlight the misunderstandings and impact of living with glaucoma
by joining Allergan's 'My Glaucoma' campaign.
"Following results from a survey of patients with glaucoma,
which showed that there are many misperceptions about the disease,
we launched the 'My Glaucoma' program in 2019 to amplify and
highlight the seriousness of the disease, and encourage people on
the frontlines and their caregivers to have meaningful
conversations with their doctors," said Ramin Valian, Vice President, Allergan
Interventional Glaucoma. "We're excited to join forces with
Von Miller, someone who is
passionate about early action against vision problems, to call
attention to glaucoma and motivate patients and their caregivers to
take better control over their disease."
'My Glaucoma' includes an educational video featuring Miller, in
which he discusses how vision loss has impacted him and why people
need to take early action against their glaucoma. Additionally,
Miller and Allergan created a quiz to test Americans' glaucoma
knowledge. The video, quiz and other resources for patients living
with glaucoma and their caregivers are now live on
www.MyGlaucoma.com.
About the 'My Glaucoma' Campaign
The 'My
Glaucoma' campaign is designed to help people understand the burden
of living with glaucoma and empower those with the disease and
their caregivers to feel comfortable speaking with their doctor
about a treatment regimen that fits their lifestyle. The resources
available on www.MyGlaucoma.com are supported by a new
survey of patients living with glaucoma and eye doctors, conducted
in collaboration with Glaucoma Research Foundation (GRF),
that found more than 75 percent of patients worry about vision loss
because of the disease, but nearly half consider glaucoma to be
only somewhat or not serious. In fact, research published by
the American Journal of Ophthalmology suggests
that 27 percent of patients with glaucoma are estimated to go blind
in one eye over a 10-year period.
As a leader in eye care, Allergan sought to listen to
the voices of patients with glaucoma and eye care professionals to
put together meaningful resources that everyone living with
glaucoma can benefit from. The interactive
website www.MyGlaucoma.com offers access to videos that
include perspectives from patients living with glaucoma and their
caregivers, more information from the survey and patient resources,
such as a conversation guide and facts about glaucoma diagnosis and
treatment.
About Glaucoma
Glaucoma is one of the primary causes
of irreversible vision loss and blindness. An estimated 70 million
people globally are living with glaucoma. This progressive disease
is characterized by elevated intraocular pressure (IOP).
Uncontrolled, elevated IOP causes damage to the optic nerve and
loss of vision. Reduction of elevated IOP is the only proven way to
slow the progression of vision loss associated with glaucoma.
Current treatments to lower IOP include topical medications (eye
drops), laser trabeculoplasty, minimally invasive glaucoma surgery
and incisional surgery. Eye drop medications are the standard
first-line treatment for open-angle glaucoma, the most common form,
but low patient adherence to these medications is common – up to 80
percent of patients are not using topical medications as
prescribed. Poor adherence to glaucoma medication could result in
disease progression and vision loss. According to a study published
by the American Academy of Ophthalmology, up to 59 percent of
patients on treatment for glaucoma continue to progress, meaning
they experience vision loss and damage to the optic nerve.
About Allergan Eye Care
As a leader in eye care,
Allergan has discovered, developed, and delivered some of the most
innovative products in the industry for more than 70 years.
Allergan has launched over 125 eye care products and invested
billions of dollars in new treatments for the most prevalent eye
conditions including glaucoma, ocular surface disease, and retinal
diseases such as diabetic macular edema and retinal vein occlusion.
Our eye care pipeline includes 13 additional agents for multiple
ocular conditions.
Our commitment to the well-being of patients is also reflected
in social responsibility. Allergan, The Allergan Foundation and The
Allergan International Foundation support more than 150
organizations around the world working to improve lives and
communities. We remain steadfast in helping eye care providers
deliver the best in patient care through innovative products and
outreach programs.
About Allergan plc
Allergan plc (NYSE: AGN),
headquartered in Dublin, Ireland,
is a global pharmaceutical leader focused on developing,
manufacturing and commercializing branded pharmaceutical, device,
biologic, surgical and regenerative medicine products for patients
around the world. Allergan markets a portfolio of leading brands
and best-in-class products primarily focused on four key
therapeutic areas including medical aesthetics, eye care, central
nervous system and gastroenterology. As part of its approach to
delivering innovation for better patient care, Allergan has built
one of the broadest pharmaceutical and device research and
development pipelines in the industry.
With colleagues and commercial operations located in
approximately 100 countries, Allergan is committed to working with
physicians, healthcare providers and patients to deliver innovative
and meaningful treatments that help people around the world live
longer, healthier lives every day.
For more information, visit Allergan's website at
www.Allergan.com.
Forward-Looking Statement
Statements contained in this
press release that refer to future events or other non-historical
facts are forward-looking statements that
reflect Allergan's current perspective on existing trends
and information as of the date of this release. Actual results may
differ materially from Allergan's current expectations
depending upon a number of factors
affecting Allergan's business. These factors include,
among others, the difficulty of predicting the timing or outcome
of FDA approvals or actions, if any; the impact of
competitive products and pricing; market acceptance of and
continued demand for Allergan's products; the impact of
uncertainty around timing of generic entry related to key products,
including RESTASIS®, on our financial results; risks associated
with divestitures, acquisitions, mergers and joint ventures; risks
related to impairments; uncertainty associated with financial
projections, projected cost reductions, projected debt reduction,
projected synergies, restructurings, increased costs, and adverse
tax consequences; difficulties or delays in manufacturing; and
other risks and uncertainties detailed
in Allergan's periodic public filings with
the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not
limited to Allergan's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the
year ended December 31,
2018 and Allergan's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q
for the period ended September 30, 2019. Except as expressly
required by law, Allergan disclaims any intent or
obligation to update these forward-looking statements.
CONTACTS: Allergan:
Investors:
Manisha Narasimhan, PhD
(862) 261-7162
Media:
Lisa Brown
(862) 261-7320
Lisa Kim
(714) 246-3843
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SOURCE Allergan plc