Internationally Acclaimed Writer and Executive Producer of HBO's The Night Of Reveals His Personal Story Detailing the Harsh Realities of Atopic Dermatitis

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. and TARRYTOWN, N.Y., Oct. 11, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Peter Moffat, Executive Producer of HBO's The Night Of, unveiled Understand AD: A Day in the Life in partnership with Sanofi, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, and the National Eczema Association. 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 accurately 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 US 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 atopic dermatitis, and connect with the National Eczema Association about its resources, patient tools and support services.

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 Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Regeneron is a leading biotechnology company that invents life-transforming medicines for people with serious diseases. Founded and led by physician-scientists for the past 30 years, our unique ability to repeatedly and consistently translate science into medicine has led to six FDA-approved treatments and over a dozen product candidates, 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 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% 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 [email protected], or call 1-800-818-7546.

Contacts Sanofi:

Media Relations
Ashleigh Koss
Tel: +1 908 981 8745
[email protected]

U.S. Communications
Carrie Brown
Tel: +1 (908) 981-6486
Mobile: +1 (908) 247-6006
[email protected]

Contacts Regeneron:

Media Relations
Arleen Goldenberg
Tel: +1 (914) 847-3456
Mobile: +1 (914) 260-8788
[email protected]

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.

SOURCE Sanofi

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