The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) is sharing this press release from Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. to bring you the latest news quickly.
[PRESS RELEASE]
Teva Enlists Sarah Michelle Gellar to Launch “Inhaler Tales” Campaign to Raise Awareness About Inhaler Use in Asthma and COPD
Survey of Over 1,000 Asthma and COPD Patients Conducted in Partnership with AAFA Finds Symptoms are Disruptive to Daily Lives for Majority of Respondents Despite Treatment
PARSIPPANY, N.J, Sept. 30, 2021 – Teva Pharmaceuticals, a U.S. affiliate of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (NYSE and TASE: TEVA), today announced the launch of Inhaler Tales – a national campaign aimed at raising awareness about the role inhaler misuse may play in inadequate disease control1.
Central to the campaign is an animated inhaler voiced by actress, producer, and entrepreneur Sarah Michelle Gellar, who will share her own experience living with asthma and encourage others to take control of their disease.
“I was diagnosed with asthma when I was a kid, so I know the impact respiratory disease can have on your life,” says Gellar. “I’m proud to join forces with Teva to launch this important campaign, and to raise awareness about improper inhaler use and the role of objective inhaler use data in informing dialogue between patients and their physicians.”
Respiratory disease can impact your daily life2 if inadequately controlled, and a common problem is inhaler misuse3. According to a survey of more than 1,000 asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients conducted by Teva in partnership with the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), 40% of asthma and COPD patients feel that their conditions get in the way of their lives because they are short of breath.4 The same survey found that the majority of respondents feel confident that they’re using their inhaler correctly, but a substantial proportion may not be using their inhaler as prescribed.5
“Patients want to get their asthma and COPD under control 6,7 but they may not realize that poor adherence or incorrect inhaler technique8 could be contributing to worsening symptoms,” said Sanaz Eftekhari, Vice President of research at AAFA. “This survey revealed that only 45 percent of respondents report using their maintenance inhaler exactly as prescribed9, and more than 50 percent may be overusing their rescue inhaler10, which may lead to exacerbation risk.11,12 This campaign will play an important role in raising overall awareness about this issue, and call attention to the importance of open dialogue13 between physicians and their patients.”
As of 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 20 million adults were affected by asthma14, and another 16 million struggle with COPD.15 Although these respiratory diseases are common, many patients’ asthma or COPD is still uncontrolled.16,17 A variety of factors may lead to inadequate disease control18 and patients often do not realize that they may be unintentionally19 contributing to the problem by not using their inhalers correctly.20 While patients may be experiencing these issues, healthcare professionals may not always get the chance to review inhaler use and technique with their patients as often as recommended.21 Survey findings revealed that a third of respondents forget what they want to discuss when they visit their physician.22
For more information about digital health options23, including smart inhalers24, please visit InhalerTales.com.
About Teva
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (NYSE and TASE: TEVA) has been developing and producing medicines to improve people’s lives for more than a century. We are a global leader in generic and specialty medicines with a portfolio consisting of over 3,500 products in nearly every therapeutic area. Around 200 million people around the world take a Teva medicine every day, and are served by one of the largest and most complex supply chains in the pharmaceutical industry. Along with our established presence in generics, we have significant innovative research and operations supporting our growing portfolio of specialty and biopharmaceutical products. Learn more at www.tevapharm.com.
References
10 Teva data on file. Survey Data. 2021.
11 Jenkins et al. Reliever salbutamol use as a measure of exacerbation risk in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. BMC Pulmonary Medicine. 2015;15:97.
12 Expert Panel Working Group of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) administered and coordinated National Asthma Education and Prevention Program Coordinating Committee (NAEPPCC), Cloutier MM, Baptist AP, et al. 2020 Focused Updates to the Asthma Management Guidelines: A Report from the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program Coordinating Committee Expert Panel Working Group [published correction appears in J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2021 Apr;147(4):1528-1530]. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2020;146(6):1217-1270.
13 Gruffydd-Jones K, Hansen K. Working for Better Asthma Control: How Can We Improve the Dialogue Between Patients and Healthcare Professionals?. Adv Ther. 2020;37(1):1-9.
14 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most Recent Asthma Data.www.cdc.gov/asthma/most_recent_national_asthma_data.htm. Accessed on August 24, 2021.
15 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. What is Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. www.cdc.gov/copd/index.html. Accessed on August 24, 2021.
16 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Uncontrolled Asthma among Persons with Current Asthma. www.cdc.gov/asthma/asthma_stat...ontrolled_asthma.htm. Accessed on August 24, 2021.
17 COPD National Action Plan. www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topic...national-action-plan. Accessed on September 8, 2021.
18 Melani AS, Bonavia M, Cilenti V, et al. Inhaler mishandling remains common in real life and is associated with reduced disease control [published correction appears in Respir Med. 2012 May;106(5):757.
19 Sulaiman I, Cushen B, Greene G, et al. Objective Assessment of Adherence to Inhalers by Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease [published correction appears in Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2017 May 15;195(10):1407]. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2017;195(10):1333-1343.
20 Restrepo RD, Alvarez, MT, Wittnebel LD, et al. Medication adherence issues in patients treated for COPD. Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis. 2008;3(3):371-374.
21 Sanchis J, Gich I, Pedersen S; Aerosol Drug Management Improvement Team (ADMIT). Systematic Review of Errors in Inhaler Use: Has Patient Technique Improved Over Time?. Chest. 2016;150(2):394-406.
22 Teva data on file. Survey Data. 2021.
23 Unni E, Gabriel S, Ariely R. A review of the use and effectiveness of digital health technologies in patients with asthma. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2018;121(6):680-691.e1.
24 Larsson, K., Kankaanranta, H., Janson, C. et al. Bringing asthma care into the twenty-first century. NPJ Prim. Care Respir. Med. 30, 25 (2020).
Contact:
United States
Doris Li
(973) 265-3752
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