CONTACT:
Michael Blash
Zeneca Pharmaceuticals
302-886-5465
[email protected]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
GIFT OF 3,000 PEAK FLOW METERS TO UNDER-SERVED ASTHMA CLINICS MARKS CONTINUED COMMITMENT BY ZENECA TO HELPING PATIENTS MANAGE ASTHMA
Zeneca Marks First-Year Success of ACCOLATE; High-Tech Tool Should Help Improve Patient Compliance With Asthma Treatment Regimens
WILMINGTON, Del.-March 3, 1998- Zeneca Pharmaceuticals today donated 3,000 state-of-the-art, digital peak flow meters to inner-city hospitals and clinics in six urban asthma hot zones nationwide to mark the success of the company's daily oral asthma treatment ACCOLATE(R) (zafirlukast). The peak flow meters-which measure airflow in order to monitor lung function and the severity of asthma in patients-should help asthma patients better monitor their chronic condition and help lead to improved compliance with their treatment regimens. Zeneca joined forces with the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) to better assess how they could reach at-risk asthma patients. AAFA is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to finding a cure for and improving the lives of people with asthma and allergies. Together, they identified the following six inner-city clinics:
-- Mount Sinai Hospital in Chicago;
-- the Breathmobile(R) in Los Angeles;
-- Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, New York;
-- Howard University Medical Center in Washington, D.C.;
-- Project Concern in St. Louis; and
-- Crozer-Chester Medical Center in the Philadelphia Region. Zeneca representatives today delivered 500 of the advanced monitors to each of the select clinics. "For many people with asthma, regular use of a peak flow meter is critical to keeping their asthma under control," said Mary Worstell, MPH, executive director of AAFA. "This donation will help more individuals and families benefit from this basic tool for good asthma management."
Peak expiratory flow rate (also known as PEFR or peak flow) is the fastest speed a person can blow air out of the lungs after taking a deep breath. Peak flow meters assist asthma patients and their doctors in the day-to-day treatment of asthma by showing whether current treatments are working, identifying triggers that increase airway inflammation, and signaling when medication or emergency care is needed.(1) More than 14.5 million Americans live with asthma, a chronic, sometimes fatal, lung disease. Asthma symptoms, such as coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath, occur as a result of airway obstruction. "Zeneca is committed to helping fight the battle in these urban hot zones so asthma sufferers can proactively manage their asthma," said Robert C. Black, president of Zeneca Pharmaceuticals. "We're proud to be part of the solution to controlling asthma in inner cities, where air quality problems and other urban issues have led to the highest rates of occurrence." Before ACCOLATE was cleared for market by the Food and Drug Administration in September 1996, nearly 25 years had elapsed without the introduction of a single new class of therapy to treat asthma. ACCOLATE is the first leukotriene receptor agonist (LTRA) and, in its first year of availability, has been prescribed more than two million times to patients ages 12 years and older for the preventive and chronic treatment of asthma. Everyday, patients on therapy with ACCOLATE take one tablet in the morning and one tablet in the evening to control asthma symptoms all day and all night. ACCOLATE has been studied in more than 6,000 people worldwide. In clinical trials in patients with mild to moderate asthma, ACCOLATE was shown to improve lung function and reduce daytime and nighttime asthma symptoms. ACCOLATE also has been shown to reduce the need for inhaled medications that are commonly used to relieve acute symptoms of asthma. ACCOLATE is generally well tolerated by most patients and is not for acute asthma attacks. Patients should consult with their doctors before changing their current asthma medication, if they are prescribed a blood thinner, if they are nursing, or if their medical condition worsens. Side effects may include headache, infection, and nausea.
Zeneca Pharmaceuticals is a business unit of Zeneca Inc., a $3.1 billion bioscience business with approximately 7,200 employees in the U.S. Zeneca Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the U.K.-based Zeneca Group PLC (NYSE:ZEN), a major $9 billion international bioscience business engaged in the research, development, manufacturing, and marketing of ethical (prescription) pharmaceuticals, agricultural and specialty chemical products, and the supply of health care services.
# # #
(1) AirWatch(tm) Airway Monitoring System User Guide by ENACT Health Management Systems, Inc., p. 3.
Editor's Note:
-- For full prescribing information, please call Michael Blash at 302-886-5465 or access the World Wide Web at www.accolateinfo.com.
-- For information on AAFA's educational services, including local chapter and support group locations, please call 1-800-7-ASTHMA or visit AAFA's website at www.aafa.org. AAFA does not endorse any commercial products or services.
RSS