Novartis launches PsO in the Know podcast series hosted by music icon Cyndi Lauper

EAST HANOVER, N.J., Aug. 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Novartis announced today, in honor of National Psoriasis (PsO) Awareness Month, Grammy, Tony, and Emmy award-winning singer, songwriter, actress, and activist Cyndi Lauper will host PsO in the Know, a new podcast series dedicated to bringing the impact of PsO to life, one unique story at a time. PsO in the Know will feature a variety of guests, including award-winning Chef Aarón Sánchez, actress and New York Times best-selling author La La Anthony, and Emmy winning actor, author and producer Dan Bucatinsky. The series will focus on the impact of PsO on individuals and will be mixed with humor, personal stories and inspirational messages for the PsO community.

Affecting more than 8 million Americans, PsO is a common chronic, inflammatory condition which can cause substantial negative impacts on everyday life for patients.^1-3 By sharing stories from those living with the condition from a variety of backgrounds, PsO in the Know aims to empower patients to speak up about their PsO and take action to get the help they need.

"Over the last five years, I've been sharing my story to inspire people with psoriasis to speak up and celebrate their everyday successes," said Lauper. "With PsO in the Know, I'm excited to now bring even more patients together in a new, exciting platform to share their experiences about the realities of life with psoriasis."

Visit PsOintheKnow.com to learn more about the podcast series. The podcasts will be available for download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Pandora and Stitcher.

"I've been an entertainer for most of my life, had my music played on radio stations all across the world, but it has always been a dream of mine to actually host my own radio show," said Lauper. "With the PsO in the Know podcast, I can realize that dream while helping to unite the millions of Americans who have psoriasis through a message of empowerment and hope."

About psoriasis

Psoriasis is a common, non-contagious, inflammatory and immune-mediated disease that affects more than 125 million people worldwide.^1-4 Plaque psoriasis is the most common form of the disease and appears as raised, red patches covered with a silvery white buildup of dead skin cells.⁴ Psoriasis is not simply a cosmetic problem, but a persistent, chronic (long-lasting), and sometimes distressing disease, which can affect even the smallest aspects of people's lives on a daily basis.^1,2 Additionally, up to 30% of patients with psoriasis will also develop  psoriatic arthritis (PsA).⁴ PsA is a condition in which the joints are also affected, causing debilitating symptoms including joint pain, stiffness and for some people, irreversible joint damage.³ Psoriasis is also associated with other serious health conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease and depression.⁵

Disclaimer

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements can generally be identified by words such as "potential," "can," "will," "plan," "may," "could," "would," "expect," "anticipate," "look forward," "believe," "committed," "investigational," "pipeline," "launch," or similar terms, or by express or implied discussions regarding potential marketing approvals, new indications or labeling for the investigational or approved products described in this press release, or regarding potential future revenues from such products. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on our current beliefs and expectations regarding future events, and are subject to significant known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. There can be no guarantee that the investigational or approved products described in this press release will be submitted or approved for sale or for any additional indications or labeling in any market, or at any particular time. Nor can there be any guarantee that such products will be commercially successful in the future. In particular, our expectations regarding such products could be affected by, among other things, the uncertainties inherent in research and development, including clinical trial results and additional analysis of existing clinical data; regulatory actions or delays or government regulation generally; global trends toward health care cost containment, including government, payor and general public pricing and reimbursement pressures and requirements for increased pricing transparency; our ability to obtain or maintain proprietary intellectual property protection; the particular prescribing preferences of physicians and patients; general political, economic and business conditions, including the effects of and efforts to mitigate pandemic diseases such as COVID-19; safety, quality, data integrity or manufacturing issues; potential or actual data security and data privacy breaches, or disruptions of our information technology systems, and other risks and factors referred to in Novartis AG's current Form 20-F on file with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Novartis is providing the information in this press release as of this date and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this press release as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

About Novartis

Located in East Hanover, NJ Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation – an affiliate of Novartis – is reimagining medicine to improve and extend people's lives. As a leading global medicines company, we use innovative science and digital technologies to create transformative treatments in areas of great medical need. In our quest to find new medicines, we consistently rank among the world's top companies investing in research and development. Novartis employs about 15,000 people in the United States. For more information, please visit https://www.novartis.us.

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References

1. National Psoriasis Foundation. Psoriasis Fact Sheet. https://www.psoriasis.org/content/statistics. Accessed July 22, 2020.
2. Stern RS, Nijsten T, Feldman SR, Margolis DJ, Rolstad T. Psoriasis is common, carries a substantial burden even when not extensive, and is associated with widespread treatment dissatisfaction. J Investig Dermatol Symp Proc. 2004;9(2):136-9.
3. Mease PJ, Armstrong AW. Managing patients with psoriatic disease: the diagnosis and pharmacologic treatment of psoriatic arthritis in patients with psoriasis. Drugs. 2014;74:423-441.
4. National Psoriasis Foundation. About Psoriasis. https://www.psoriasis.org/about-psoriasis. Accessed July 22, 2020.
5. National Psoriasis Foundation. Comorbidities Associated with Psoriatic Disease. https://www.psoriasis.org/about-psoriasis/related-conditions. Accessed July 22, 2020.

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SOURCE Novartis